The first recorded cricket match in
Yorkshire is reported in August 1765 between
gentlemen of Leeds and Sheffield. Over 160 years
later in 1929, Arthursdale Cricket Club was
formed. This came about when Scholes C.C. had
two teams; the First XI playing friendly matches
and the Second team were in the Barkston Ash
League. The First team were unable to depend on
availability of players from the Seconds,
resulting in constant acrimony due to problems of
team selection.
In November 1929, a splinter group of
players resolved to form a new club to be known
as Arthursdale (Scholes) Cricket Club, with
Arthur Chippindale as President (1929-1934) and
John William Wildblood as Chairman. Playing
facilities were arranged in a field owned by
Arthur Chippindale, off Common Lane (now Rakehill
Road), opposite the present Scout premises, and
in 1930 the first season's cricket was played in
the Barkston Ash League; a transfer being made to
the Wetherby League the following year. Club
colours of dark and light blue had been chosen
for the caps. The cricket pavilion was made
available to Scholes Football Club for changing
facilities and Scholes Ladies Hockey Club paid a
rental for tea room usage.
A list of players for the Arthursdale Club
from 1930 onwards supplied by the late Jack
Tillett includes: Jack Scales (President
1960-61), Fred Fleetwood (President 1966-7),
Edmund and Roland Wildblood, William (Bill)
Killerby, Stan Hudson (President 1964-65),
Kenneth Appleyard, Jack Knowles (President
1962-63), Wilfred Senior, William (Bill) Gregson,
Fred Molineux, John Pearman, Leslie Platts,
Kenneth Chippindale, Stanley Archbold, Jim Noble,
Kenneth Foster, Richard (Dick) Wildblood, Percy
Watson (ex Stanks CC player).
Arthur Chippindale had not charged for the
use of his field, but in January 1931, he
declined to allow any ground extension "as he
plans to build on it". This prompted a search
for alternative premises, and the need to raise
funds, circumstances that were destined to recur
and affect the club in future years. In 1935 an
offer by J T (Tommy) Horner (Club President
1934-52) of land bordered by The Approach and
Rake Beck (now Arthursdale Grange Estate), was
accepted and preparations made to create a level
playing surface on the sloping ground. As a
'spur' to promote progress on this
labour-intensive project, players not adequately
contributing to the work effort risked exclusion
from team selection, and play was eventually
resumed on the new ground during the 1935 season.
The following year Kenneth Chippindale was
elected First Team Captain. Annual General
Meetings were usually held in the 'The Caf‚' on
Station Road, opposite the present library; premises with a
succession of new owners - Taylors, Runtons,
Quintons, Tomkins and currently a hairdressing
salon.
Club Membership card 1939
The onset of wartime conditions from 1939
restricted the availability of players and
cricketing activities generally. The 1943 AGM
was held in the Scholes Railway Station Waiting
Room (Mr Millbank the Station Master being a
member) when it was resolved to send a news
letter to all members serving in the armed
services. The ground lease was due to expire on
1 November 1944; however Mr Horner allayed any
uncertainty by offering the use of the field on
existing terms for 'an unstated period'. At the
17th. AGM in 1945, a minute's silence was
observed in respect of the deaths of two
vice-presidents Thomas Adamson and John William
Wildblood.
The 1945/6 post-war season brought a
welcome return to traditional conditions with the
club re-joining the Wetherby League; Edmund
Wildblood and Jack Scales being appointed Captain
and Vice-Captain respectively. A catering
licence was obtained in 1947, enabling E K
Brooke's Confectioners (now Satnam's Store) to
provide refreshments for Saturday home matches.
The annual Christmas Cheer prizes reflect on the
prevailing taste and fashion of the period.
They included sacks of potatoes, a hare, an
ox-tongue, a couple of rabbits, six eggs, two
pairs of stockings, a hot water bottle (1946/7
was a severe winter), six bottles of stout and a
free perm.
Arthursdale Cricket Team 1948
1948 proved a successful season with the
First XI winning the Hare Cup and being
runners-up in the Senior (South) Division, whilst
the Second XI won the Harbourd Cup. In November 1949, a key
player was lost when Fred Fleetwood, a member
since 1930 resigned to join Shadwell CC. A
talented 'all-round player', Fred had frequently
headed the batting and bowling averages; some of
his prodigious bounday shots were known to reach
the back gardens of The Avenue or the railway
embankment. (Whether relevant or not,
consideration was given in 1947 to third party
insurance cover.) The Fred Fleetwood Cup (which
he presented) is a regular First XI competition
in the Wetherby League. He was churchwarden and
author of a booklet 'All Saints Church,
Barwick-in-Elmet', a concise history dated April
1983.
At the 1952 AGM, Mrs Margaret Silversides
was elected President (1952-59) to succeed her
father, Mr J T Horner, who had recently died.
Horace and William Silversides became the owners
of the ground.
A boys team was entered in the league for
the first time in 1953, during which two records
were broken by second team players - most runs
scored in a season (436) by Jack Hopps and
seventh wicket partnership of 109 by Don Hunter
and Ken Hudson.
Playing for the Juniors, Ian Wood took 31
wickets for 91 runs, an average of 2.9. Ian's
long and successful playing career started in
1952, heading the junior bowling averages in 1955
and, quickly promoted to the First Team, won the
First Division bowling averages in 1956 at the
age of 16. He achieved the League Best
All-Rounder for 1964, whilst Jack Tillett gained
that title in the Reserve Division. Ian Wood
transferred to Barwick CC in 1972 and captains
the Third Team for the current year 2000.
Ian's brother Keith is one of several
players to become league umpires; others include
Norman Agar, Jack Tillett and Ronnie Farrar (a
Wetherby League representative to the Umpires
Association). Ian and Keith's father, Maurice
Wood, had the greengrocer's shop at the corner of
Barwick Main Street and Leeds Road (now Verdee's
Store). After Saturday morning delivery, the
grocery van was often used by Keith to provide
team transport for away matches.
A third wicket stand of 157 by Gordon
Schofield and Ernest Walker in 1957 broke the
previous record, a significant achievement since
boundary sixes were not recognised in the
Wetherby League until 1972. The boys' team were
Southern Division Champions the same year, mainly
due to the bowling performances of Paul Reaney,
who later achieved fame in first-class football
with Leeds United FC.
A disturbing revelation of development
proposals for the ground, followed by a notice to
quit by November 1960, created an urgent need to
find alternative accommodation. A field was
eventually selected on Thorner Lane, near Bramley
Grange and, after much preparatory work, a
transfer to the new site was accomplished on
Sunday, 3 September 1961. This effectively
severed the club from its local community
origins.
For many years a high proportion of
members were Arthursdale residents (less than
todays population). Additionally the club
contained many members of the same (local)
family, for instance -
Ted Schofield and son
Bill Walker and two sons
George Cox and three sons
Kenneth Appleyard and son
Arthur Scott and son
Richard Green and two sons
The Hudson and Wood brothers
The new ground's location presented travel
difficulties for the boys junior team in
particular and overall playing strength suffered,
prompting press adverts in 1972 to recruit new
players. Surmounting these circumstances,
cricketing performances of high standard were
achieved, with the First XI gaining promotion to
the First Division in 1962 and winning the Senior
Evening Cup (for the first time) in 1966. The
Second XI won the Reserve Evening Cup in 1966 and
1967.
There was drama on the field of play
during a 1970 Second XI Evening Cup match at
Scarcroft, when the Arthursdale captain sent off
a senior player for persistantly talking to
spectators whilst fielding - an uncommon event.
'The Beehive Inn' at Thorner became the
venue for meetings and at the 46th. AGM in 1974,
Gordon Schofield gave his 26th. and final
Treasurer's Report. Five years later the club
recorded its 50th. anniversary, whilst Fred
Fleetwood became League President.
Cricket continued at the Thorner Lane
ground for 20 more years until early 1999 when
the proposed sale of the ground threatened the
club's future. With no suitable alternative
venue to be found, 1998 proved to be the last
season of cricket, the club being formally
dissolved in January 1999. Thus 70 years fter
its formation, this splendid cricket club came to
an untimely end, after providing so much
enjoyable sporting and social opportunity for
some two generations of members, players and
spectators alike.
This article is based on details compiled
by Richard A Green, the President of the Club in
its final years. We are grateful to Gordon
Schofield of Scholes for supplying the photograph
of the Arthursdale team used to illustrate this
article.
