Bar design is going ahead with Frank Bradbeer. Several members will help with erection. Agreed to salvage bar shutters if possible. Surprise, surprise, the required action to receive the most enthusiastic clamour of volunteers was to help erect the bar! Everything sounded optimistic as far as the clubhouse was concerned, although the declaration that the electrics were complete, as it turned out, was premature. Conversely, the same meeting learned that not all was well with the pitch. Bert Brailsford’s advice was again to be sought, this time to assist with a wet patch and a sunken patch, among others. It was also agreed to establish a grass nursery at Ascots Lane. This did not happen.When the general committee next met, on 25 September, a momentous decision was made. After reading the list of outstanding jobs requiring action, you may question its wisdom. The meeting heard that ‘all’ that remained to be completed was the plumbing, skirting, and drainage. This was downplaying things. A recent magistrate’s hearing on the club’s application for a licence to sell intoxicating liquor had been adjourned because the building, including the electrical work, had not been completed to the satisfaction of the fire authorities. In addition, work on the car park had not yet begun. Encouragingly, it was stated that a JCB was available for the task, although the prescribed burn-off had not happened. Finally, work had not yet begun on the erection of the bar.So, despite no running water (and by definition, no toilet facilities), possibly no electricity, no furniture, no bar, and no car park, by nine votes to six, it was decided that in six days, on 1 October 1978, the traditional endof-season finale, Married vs. Single match, would be the first match to be played at Ascots Lane. In the absence of facilities for food preparation or the ability to make a cup of tea, it was decided to play the game straight through and then return to the clubhouse at 41a Park Street afterwards for food. Why do this? Without wishing to second-guess the committee, it was likely a symbolic decision, thus ensuring that the new ground was opened with a cricket match rather than a football match.Nobody knew so at the time, but the last game of cricket at Hatfield Park, the ancestral home of Hatfield CC since the eighteenth century, had already been played. Following the resolution to move the Married vs. Single match to Ascots Lane, it was assumed that Southgate Adelaide’s visit to the Park on Saturday, 30 September, would bear witness to the last rites. Nothing had been organised to mark the event, so perhaps it was fitting that the weather intervened and the players were spared the emotion 97
of the occasion. Life for the club in Hatfield Park played out on Sunday, 24 September, with a tame draw between the 2nd XI and Leverstock Green. For the record book, the last wicket to fall at the old ground was caught Roger Bardell, bowled Mick Ford.OVER AND OUT And, After a Long Innings, It Was a Case of Rain Stopping Play IT ALL began when the 7th Earl of Salisbury was created a Marquess in 1789; it ended in the reign of the 6th Marquess with wind-tossed autumn rain drenchingone of the loveliest cricket fields in England. Up to 12.30 on Saturday, the Hatfield Cricket Club first XI still hoped to play the final overs after nearly two centuries of cricket in the shadow of Hatfield House before moving to their new pitch on Ascots Lane. But then, the captain, Alan Cook, sadly surveyed the wet grass under the iron grey sky and decided play was simply impossible. A handful of tourists were the only witnesses to the end of an era. The heavy roller, which has flattened the pitch uncountable times, and the white wooden sightscreen were all that remained. In the best traditions of the English weather, rain had stopped play, and we would never see it again on the green, sloping land running northwards from the ancestral home of the Cecils. It was always going to be a quiet conclusion. No party – or wake – had been planned, and when the decision was taken, a few telephone calls released the Hatfield team and Southgate Adelaide, who would have been their opponents, to spend the September afternoon as they wished. Late in the afternoon, a perverse sun broke through too late, laying long shadows from the west. With no Committee member and second team captain Roger Bardell takes one last look 98Committee member and second team captain Roger Bardell takes one last look at the Hatfield Park Pitch
at the Hatfield Park Pitch ceremony, no valedictory, no burning of the bails, the ghosts of countless players faded away. It began as it ended in September. On the 23rd of the month, 189 years ago, two gentlemen of Hatfield beat two gentlemen of Bedfordshire in a single wicket match for a rich purse of 50 guineas. The subsequent years saw a long tradition of village cricket enriched with occasional distinguished names. The Reverend Lord Frederick Beauclerk, son of the 5th Duke of St Albans and great-great-grandson of Charles II and Nell Gwynn, played the Hatfield in 1818. Still regarded as one of the great amateur players, his presence helped decide the victory over the county. Dennis Compton, that most cavalier of modern cricketers, made his comeback to the game after an operation in a Lord Salisbury’s XI in 1956. The team was captained by W J Edrich, who then lived in Hatfield and included Lord Bailniel, Lord Kilmuir, Leslie Compton, Fred Titmus and the Earl de la Warr. Despite the richness of the talent, the game is not remembered as a classic, its highlight being the ringing of Dennis Compton’s bat as he clattered 82 runs around the ground in 45 minutes. There were changes over the years with the town side leaving the park in 1923 and the Hatfield Estate Cricket Club taking over (the town team returned after the war), but as far as the records show, every summer, fickle or fine, has witnessed the game played. The fading writing of forgotten scorers remain as the silent testimony to cunning bowling and great batting, fine fielding and skilled umpiring in the pastime which the English regard deep down as not so much a game as a morality. It is the endless stream of tourists to Hatfield House who have stopped to watch the movement against a backdrop of field, tree and sky, who have brought about the move. It was perhaps inevitable, but it was also a pity. Early in 1975, Lord Salisbury decided that the danger of towering shots for six causing injury to visitors was too great and told the club that they would have to go. He offered them a new ground in Ascots Lane, and it was there at one o'clock on Sunday that a new chapter in the club's history began. Instead of Hatfield House and leafy trees, the new setting has a backdrop of electricity pylons and open spaces, but the team are confident that in a few years time the £35,000 ground and pavilion will be among the finest in the county. The match was the traditional Married vs. Singles fixture, played as the final match of the season every year since before the war. It was somehow appropriate that, as the players saw years of hard work come to fruition, the first ball should be faced by Club Secretary Ken Goulding, who has been such a driving force behind the club’s fight for survival. Tony Dott, one of the club’s star batsmen, had the honour of hitting the first ever six on the new ground, a shot which very nearly went from Hatfield to WGC – quite possible since the boundary is only yards from the line which divides the two towns. A closely-fought match was won by the Married team, who secured a three-run victory. But the result was not important. The feeling that at last the players could 99
forget their past matches and look to a new future was far more significant. Meanwhile, a mile or so away, the whitewashed lines on the old pitch were beginning to fade, and a little bit of history was becoming just another stretch of grass. Welwyn Hatfield Times - 06 October 1978 Had I known that forty-six years later, how useful an eye-witness account of this day would have been, I would have paid more attention to events. I was definitely present for part of the day, but in all honesty, I don’t remember it. Instead, you will have to make do with a series of firsts for the new ground, as recorded in the scorebook.1st run - Ken Goulding 1st 6 - Tony Dott 1st 4 - Ken Goulding 1st out - Ken Goulding 1st wicket - Ian Sheffield 1st catch - Nick Edwards 1st no-ball - Ian Sheffield 1st wide - Ian Sheffield 1st duck - Tony Foster 1st golden duck - Alan Cook 1st byes - Adrian Bennett 1st lbw - Roger Bardell (given by Albert Hudson) 1st run out - David Hurley (by Ron Curtis) Hatfield Park may have ceased to be its ground, but 41a Park Street was still serving as the Clubhouse of Hatfield CC, as work continued to stutter towards a conclusion at Ascots Lane. The electrical work was still causing headaches, and on 9 October 1978, it was disclosed that, as a result, the licence application had been postponed again. A further update, at the General Meeting later in the month, by which point the work was almost complete, stated that thanks to donations from a variety of local electrical firms (see earlier chapter), the electrical installation had been achieved at a total cost of less than £300 (£1,500). The work must have been finished shortly after this, as the club was issued a licence to sell alcohol on 4 December 1978. Also in Goulding’s report was the information that the drainage work was at an advanced stage, and that, belatedly, work on the plumbing was 100
to start soon.There were still a couple of outstanding issues with the ground, in particular, the erection of fencing to prevent balls from being hit into the caravan park. But for now, the focus was on the pavilion so that the club could complete the move. There was a good reason for doing so, as it was currently paying rent and rates for 41a Park Street, and with this in mind, the club set a target of leaving Old Hatfield by the end of the year. One issue that dragged on was over the seemingly trivial subject of carpeting. In October, it was agreed that the carpet tile samples obtained were not adequate for the club’s needs, and further tiles would be examined. By November, the original plan was tossed in the bin, when it was considered more appropriate to use linoleum tiles in certain parts of the building. One sensible suggestion was that it would be a better long-term prospect to spend extra on higher-quality tiles. On the other hand, a slightly perplexing suggestion was that someone thought that carpet might be available from SLD Oldings.Today, the name is familiar to residents of Hatfield because of the Oldings Corner Retail Park, home to, among others, Tesco. The junction of the A1 and A414 had long been known as Oldings Corner, due to the Jack Olding & Co factory that once stood where Tesco is today. Oldings came to prominence during the Second World War, specialising in the import and modification of tanks and tractors (notably being the sole UK importer of Caterpillars). After Olding’s death, the company merged with Scottish Land Development to become SLD Olding and continued making tractors and other agricultural equipment. This is why I’m confused that it was considered a good source for floor coverings.On the proviso that the water had been connected, after discussion on 4 December, it was resolved to complete the move to Ascots Lane on the weekend before Christmas, and hold the Christmas Draw in the new clubhouse. The plan was to organise large work squads, commencing on Friday, 15 December, followed by a final thrash at 41 Park Street with a cut-price bar. The General Committee meeting on 15 January 1979 was held at Ascots Lane, confirming that the club had formally taken possession of its new clubhouse. The exact date of the move was not recorded, but it was confirmed that the lease for 41a Park Street had been surrendered. Not that the work had been completed. Yes, the carpet had been laid; however, the floor tiling was unfinished, as was the bar, and the curtains, prepared by David Hurley’s wife, Jill, were not ready to hang until February. All that was left to complete the exodus from the old ground was to transport the club’s 101
possessions from Hatfield Park to Ascots Lane, with 10 March pencilled in as the date.At the first Annual General Meeting to be held in the Ascots Lane pavilion on 26 March 1979, Ken Goulding’s report began with the following update:Naturally, the most notable event of the winter was the move from Hatfield Park and 41 Park Street to this new clubhouse and ground. The moves were completed reasonably smoothly, and our thanks are due to all those who helped and to those who provided transport. Only a few things remain to be removed from Hatfield Park, and we should complete the whole transfer shortly. Most of the work inside the clubhouse is complete, and I wish to record the debt we owe to Tony Foster, Eric and Roy Simson, Stuart Osborne, and Bomber for all the work they have completed and to everyone who has helped. Much remains to be done outdoors; every Saturday/Sunday morning and Monday evening from now on will witness, I hope, large work squads. In particular, the surrounds of the building, the car parking and fencing need attention. As far as the clubhouse was concerned, there was now only one thing left to do. 102
You’re Welcome Immediately after completing the move to Ascots Lane, thoughts turned to staging an official opening. At the first general committee meeting in their new premises, Ken Goulding, Tony Foster, and Roger Bardell were tasked with compiling a list of invitees. It also came to light that D Howell had been invited to perform the opening ceremony. Despite my best efforts, I regret to inform you that I have no idea who D Howell was. This fact should be sufficient information for you to realise that the enigmatic D Howell turned down the club’s advances. When this was conveyed to the General Committee on 5 February 1979, it was accompanied by the news that the gig had instead been offered to the chairman of the Sports Council, Dickie Jeeps. At the next meeting, held on 5 March 1979, it was confirmed that Jeeps had accepted the offer, and opening night was set for Monday, 9 April 1979.Richard Eric Gautrey Jeeps (25 November 1931 – 8 October 2016) was an English rugby union player who played for Northampton, having started his career with Cambridge Rugby Club. He represented and captained both the England national rugby union team and the British Lions in the 1950s and 1960s. He subsequently became a sports administrator and chairman of the Sports Council, and was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1977. Jeeps is a rare breed, having represented the British & Irish Lions before being selected for England.It’s nice to be popular, but one issue that needed to be addressed ahead of the official opening was to limit the number of attendees. Goulding had issued invitations to two from each of the grant-giving bodies, two from supporting clubs, and one to each of the firms that had donated towards the development fund, and all club members. Ten members of the darts team and fifteen of HBBOB FC had also received provisional offers, and it was agreed that every effort would be made to include all members’ wives if possible.Returning to the discussions of 5 March 1979, a draft plan for the evening emerged. It was envisaged that it would go something like this: Eric Simson to welcome the guests, Ken Goulding to give a speech providing a review of the development, Dickie Jeeps to perform the opening ceremony by unveiling a plaque, and to finish, either Roger Bardell or Tony Foster to respond with a thank you. Ahead of the evening, there was some husbandry to be taken care of, such as updating the Walter Whitby Memorial honours board and, impressively for an event taking place on a Monday, a 103
bar extension. Regarding the commemorative plaque, if you needed one produced, where would you turn? Chances are, you wouldn’t have reached for the same solution as Hatfield CC. Who better to turn to than a firm of undertakers! To be fair to the club, it was well-connected in this sphere, as John Burgess, of J J Burgess & Son (now & Sons), was a former player.Happily, this gives me the perfect excuse to retell an anecdote that was once shared with me by the recently departed Peter Tyler. One season, John Burgess, who only played on Sundays, played in a solitary home game all year, the traditional end-of-season, inter-club match, Married v. Single. This was because he had the “company car”, a Bedford van, known as the “blood wagon.” There was seating along the sides where the players sat, and in the middle stood a wooden slab holding an empty coffin, into which the players would place their kit (kit bags were MUCH smaller in days gone by). One Sunday, when playing away at Rickmansworth, Burgess was on police “call out.” After one over, the police arrived, and John left the field, arriving back during the tea break. After this ideal preparation, with Eric and Roy Simson opening the batting, Burgess, at number three, soon came to the crease and promptly departed, out first ball. At this point, Tyler modestly added that he and David Sankey went on to win the game for Hatfield. For the remainder of the story, I will quote directly: “We were now ready to go home, and we're about to get in the blood wagon, but the coffin had its lid on, thinking no more, the club kit bag was put on top, and the players’ kit on top of that. Once underway, ‘Keys’ Hudson, who was sitting in front with John driving, said, ‘Why has the coffin got its lid on?’ The answer put the shits up the six sitting in the back. ‘THAT’S BECAUSE THE MAN WHO WAS KILLED IN THE ROAD ACCIDENT IS IN THERE!’”On a brighter note, the Truman brewery had offered to donate two kegs of beer for the evening, with Albert Hudson generously providing another. It was further suggested that drinks could be free until after the opening ceremony. Seven days before the official opening, the general committee met on 2 April to finalise the arrangements.Official Opening Agreed format as follows:- 1. Eric Simson to welcome everyone Lord Salisbury to make a short speech 104
Ken Goulding to speak Dickie Jeeps to open premises Roger Bardell to thanks 2. Agreed Mick Debenham, Andy Foster, + 1 on car parking duties. Pink tickets only on our park. The rest in hospital and, if agreed, the caravan club. 3. Drinks are free from 7:30 pm until the opening ceremony is finished. 4. Ken Goulding to arrange for a microphone. 5. Minimum seating in the hall. Tables for food around the edge. 6. Jobs allocated to various committee members. 105
DICK JEEPS OPENS NEW £35,000 CLUBHOUSE FOR HATFIELD CC The start of the cricket season has been heralded in Hatfield by the opening of a new £35,000 clubhouse for the cricket club. Some 200 members and guests were present at Ascots Lane to see the clubhouse officially opened by R E G (Dick) Jeeps, chairman of the Sports Council and former rugby international. The clubhouse incorporates changing rooms and showers, kitchen, cellar, storerooms, and the all-important bar and lounge. To aid the opening night celebrations and to drink to the club’s success in the coming season, supplies of Carlsberg lager and Ben Truman Export Draught were donated by Truman Ltd. Our photograph shows Mr Jeeps unveiling a commemorative plaque with Ken Goulding, club secretary and Eric Simson, club chairman, with Mrs Ivy Simson on the left, and the Marquis of Salisbury, club president, and Ken Garwood, Truman area manager, on the right.Sports Development Bulletin - Spring 1979 £35,000 PAVILION The Cricket season got off to a cracking start at Hatfield with the opening of a new £35,000 clubhouse for the local cricket club. The opening night celebrations were considerably enlivened by the supplies of 106
Carlsberg lager and Ben Truman Export Draught, donated by the brewery. Pictured (above) is former rugby international Dickie Jeeps, who is chairman of the Sports Council, performing the official opening ceremony. Others in the picture (left to right) are: Ken Goulding, club secretary; Eric Simson, club chairman; Ivy Simson; the Marquis of Salisbury and club president; and area manager Ken Garwood. Truman Times - July 1979 THEY’RE BOWLED OVER BY THEIR NEW HOMEA new chapter in the 150-year history of Hatfield Cricket Club was begun on Monday when Dickie Jeeps, Chairman of the Sports Council, officially opened the new ground and clubhouse in Ascots Lane. The ceremony came after a four-year fight for survival by the club, which began when they were told they must leave their old pitch in the grounds of Hatfield House. Much of the £35,000 that the project cost had to be raised by the club itself through jumble sales, sponsored events, and competitions. In addition, they were helped by grants from the Sports Council, the New Towns Commission, Welwyn Hatfield Council, and the Herts Playing Field Asso107
ciation, as well as loans and donations from other organisations and companies. More than 180 members and guests were present at Monday’s opening including the club’s president, The Marquis of Salisbury who said: “This is a great landmark step forward in the history of the club.” Pictured from left to right are Ken Goulding (Hon. Secretary of the Club), Eric Simson (Chairman of the Club), Jenny Johnson (Representative of the National Playing Field’s Association), Dickie Jeeps (Chairman of the Sports Council), The Marquis of Salisbury (President of the Club) and Ken Garwood (Trumans Brewery). Welwyn Hatfield Times - April 1979 HATFIELD’S NEW GROUND Just over four years ago Hatfield were asked to vacate their playing facilities in the grounds of Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, home of the Marquis of Salisbury. Recently more than 180 members and guests celebrated the opening of a new ground in Ascots Lane, Hatfield. The opening ceremony was performed by Dickie Jeeps, CBE, chairman of the Sports Council. The project cost in excess of £35,000 and more than £20,000 was raised by the club itself. The Cricketer International - June 1979 And that just about wraps things up. There were still a few jobs to complete, by the end of April 1979, grass and concrete still needed to be laid in front of the pavilion, netting around the perimeter was still a work in progress, and “builders are to be urged to finish asap.” The truth of the matter for clubs such as Hatfield is that the work is never complete, and year after year, unpaid volunteers continue with an uphill battle to keep their clubs afloat. Hatfield CC came incredibly close to disappearing in the mid-1970s, all of those mentioned in these pages are owed a debt of gratitude. Some were recognised at the time. The Club Prize was awarded to the HBOB FC in 1978 for their assistance in building the pavilion, and in 1979 Tony Foster was the recipient in recognition of his work on the interior of the clubhouse. I will leave you with an open letter from Ken Goulding to the residents of Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City.WARM WELCOME AT THE CRICKET CLUB From Mr Ken Goulding, Hon Secretary, Hatfield Cricket Club. DEAR SIR, Just over four years ago the Hatfield Cricket Club was faced with the problem of having to move from its ground in Hatfield Park. Our new ground in Ascots Lane, Hatfield, was opened on Monday last week 108
by Dickie Jeeps, chairman of the Sports Council. The opening was made possible by four years’ hard work by club members and friends, including in the last year members of Hatfield Boys Brigade Old Boys Football Club, who are sharing the new facilities with us. During this time a great deal of fundraising has been carried out and, in order to cut costs, much of the necessary building and groundwork has been done by members. We have received most generous help and constant encouragement from Welwyn Hatfield District Council, from the New Towns Commission, from many fellow cricket clubs and from a large number of local companies. On Monday evening we had a chance to thank them when they were represented at the opening. We have not, however, had a chance to thank those to whom we perhaps owe the biggest debt. May I, sir, through these columns, express our sincere thanks to the people of Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City who have supported what has been a constant stream of raffles, jumble sales and other fundraising events. Without their generosity, Hatfield Cricket Club could not have survived. I would like to extend an open invitation to anyone in the district to visit us on our new ground. They will be assured of a warm welcome and some enjoyable entertainment. In this way, we hope to repay some of the debt we owe. KEN GOULDING, 13 Heathcote Avenue, Hatfield. Welwyn Hatfield Times - April 1979 109
110The Cricketer International: June 1979 issue.
Appendix There are two known contemporary reports on the events of 1975-1979. Thirteen years after the event, Tony Foster, the chairman of the development subcommittee, reflected on the move in the club’s newsletter in 1992, while in 1978, John Gray and Ken Goulding co-wrote an article for publication in the Hertfordshire Countryside magazine to highlight the struggles faced by the cricket club. The majority of the text, concerning the club’s history, was written by Gray, with Goulding contributing the concluding passages relating to the move to Ascots Lane.For the reasons of completion, they are both reproduced, unedited, except for the correction to the captions of two of the photographs accompanying the magazine article, which, where possible, have been sourced from original prints. [In the article, the photograph of the opening of the Show Field ground was incorrectly labelled as the opening of the Stonecross Road ground, while the scene of a cricket match in progress at Hatfield Park was said to have been taken in 1960; however, it appeared in a newspaper article in 1959.] Finally, this book is accompanied by a playlist. In the past, I have occasionally slipped songs from my eclectic collection into chapter titles and sub-headings; however, on this occasion, to keep myself amused, I have gone the whole hog and, except for the introduction, have done so throughout this book. It was harder than you may think, as I wanted to ensure that the song titles had at least a passing connection to the subject matter rather than simply shoehorning in my favourite tunes. 111
Edited by Steve Stevens July, 1992The Move to Ascots Lane: by Tony Foster Some time ago, I wrote about cricket in Hatfield Park and why we were forced to move from the Marquess of Salisbury’s grounds. To recap, in the mid-1970s, the growth in the number of visitors to the Park was creating a dangerous situation as the main thoroughfare was only 50 yards from the wicket. The club itself was looking to upgrade its facilities, including the return of the bar from Park Street to the Park itself. The two problems were incompatible, but fortunately, the estate was able to offer various sites on leasehold for cricket usage. These sites, all technically within Hatfield but well away from the town centre, included:- Corner off A1000 & Dixons Hill Road in Welham Green- Field off A1000 opposite Mowlems (now Tesco, etc.), Travellers Lane- Ascots Lane / Gypsy LaneThe first two were basically marshland, although over recent years, both seemed to have dried out. So, although not ideal, we opted for Ascots Lane. The site was an undulating horse field with three or four raised manholes at odd points. Research found they were surface drainage from a wartime army camp, and much of the runs were still intact. The cover near the water point is the only visible remain, but at least two runs can be seen in different grass growth during dry spells. We contracted out £5,000, the job of grading the field with the removal of the raised manhole and the laying of the square and seeding of both. As luck would have it, this was 1976, just before the major drought. So by July, only extensive watering was keeping the square viable and the outfield was covered in a jungle of 5-foot-high desert-type weeds and no grass. This all had to be ploughed in and re-sown, and another blow to finances. (Nothing ever changes.)Besides the field, we also had to find a clubhouse. Fortunately, we were 112
able to get grants from the National Playing Fields Association and minor amounts elsewhere. These grants were made on the basis of a pound grant for every pound raised elsewhere, so we had to fundraise like mad. Tony Paulson and Ken Goulding were the drivers of the jumble sales and square dances. Raffles, etc., were a way of life. The major event was a car competition where, for 25p, you could win a new Vauxhall Chevette. An investment of £1,000 raised a profit of about the same. Many options were considered for a building, from a secondhand portakabin (ex Barclays Bank) to a brick-built monstrosity like Broxbourne, incorporating Parkway Squash Club. Eric Simson, the club treasurer, gave all architectural services free and eventually found both a building (Medway) and a builder we could just about afford. By autumn 1978, the shell and services were complete at a cost of around £30,000. We played that year’s Married vs. Single as the first game on the new square from a building with concrete floors and no internal doors. The pitch was a major worry as to how it would play, but it was perfectly alright, although slow and low. (Nothing changes!)One stipulation about the grant was that the field had to be multi or at least dual sport. This began our association with the Hatfield Boys Brigade Football Club. It was they who built and fitted the original bar whilst we laid the carpet tiles and fitted shutters and whatever we could afford to do to be ready for the following summer. A tremendous team effort enabled the transfer to be made at minimal financial cost. It was inevitable that the effort exhausted most people’s enthusiasm, and together with the geographical shift from the town centre, the club lost both vice presidents and playing strength in a very short period of time. Even now, we are not supported like a town club should be. We do not see enough of our vice presidents. We don't have enough of them, and current members should encourage more support from friends, colleagues and family. 113
Hatfield Cricket Club Severing a Cherished Link BY H J GRAY AND K H GOULDINGAfter more than 125 years, Hatfield Cricket Club will be leaving the ground in the forefront of Hatfield House and moving to a new site in Ascots Lane, Hatfield.Only the parish council and the house of Cecil, apart from some buildings in Old Hatfield, have greater longevity in the town than Hatfield Cricket Club.The church and the Cecil’s together, and separately, can claim much credit for the continuity of the game in the parish. Indeed, one of the earliest references to the existence of cricket is contained in the definition of theword “sigrittare” to be found in a book entitled the World of Words by one Giovanni Florio, who was a tutor in the Cecil household in the sixteenth century. He published his book in 1598 and defined “sigrittare” as meaning “to make a noise like a cricket; to play cricket-a-wicket and be merry.”Cricket in its modern form c.1750 (when Hambledon CC introduced the first written laws of cricket) until the second half of the 19th century, was very much a church and state game. Clergymen of Hatfield were no less bastions of the sport in the town than their brethren elsewhere. Undoubtedly, the most distinguished of these was the vicar of Kimpton (and from 1827 the vicar of Redbourn and St Albans, which livings were held concurrently), the Rev. Lord Frederick Beauclerk, DD, who first played at Lord’s in 1791 and became president of the MCC in 1836.114The Rev. Lord Frederick Beauclerk, DD (1773-1850). The fourth son of the 5th Duke of St Albans. Lord Beauclerk was vicar of Kimpton 1797-1827, and vicar of Redbourn and St Michael’s, St Albans, 1827-1850. He was president of MCC from 1826, and the first of the great amateur cricketers. He played for Hatfield.
When Hatfield CC sought to avenge two defeats inflicted by the County of Hertford XI’s on June 2-3, 1818 (a three-day match) at Nomansland, Wheathampstead Common, and on 24-25 in Hatfield Park, it called upon Beauclerk to bolster its strength. In the defeated XIs were Lord Cranborne (1791-1868), who became 2nd Marquess of Salisbury in 1823, and Rev. Francis J. Faithfull, LB, a curate of Hatfield who became rector in the following year until he died in 1854, the year of the Crimean War. In the match in Hatfield Park, Edward Bruton (cousin of Charles Lamb), who farmed Kimpton Hall, scored the earliest recorded century (125) in Hatfield CC annals for the County of Hertford XI. In the two following matches (reported in the County Herald and Advertiser on August 1 and September 5, 1818), when Lord Frederick assisted Hatfield, the town club won by 46 runs in Hatfield Park and won by 10 wickets in the away match.The 1st Marquess was created on August 18, 1789, his father, James, the sixth Earl of Salisbury, having been satirised by Alexander Pope (in his fourth book of the Dunciad), who wrote c.1710 in another early reference to cricket: “The Judge to dance his brother Sergeants call. The Senators of cricket urge the ball.”The earliest known reference to cricket in Hatfield is to be found in the St. James Chronicle, September 26, 1789, which records that on Wednesday, September 23, 1789, two picked men of Bedfordshire played two men of Hatfield at single-wicket, for fifty guineas, in the park of the newly created 1st Marquess of Salisbury, at Hatfield. The result was Hatfield 29 notches, Bedfordshire 4 only, in one innings.The game has thus enjoyed continuity, for certain, in Hatfield Park, for all but two centuries throughout the tenure of six Marquesses of Salisbury and ten rectors of St. Etheldreda’s.The Rev. William Cecil Grove (died 1788), illegitimate son of James Cecil, 6th Earl of Salisbury (1713-1780), only just failed by one year to complete the eleven rectors known beyond doubt to see cricket in Hatfield Park. Yet, doubtless, he did, too, for another James Cecil, the 4th Earl (1666-1694) has been cited as an early vice-president of St Albans Cricket Club, so the game will, assuredly, have been played in Hatfield before the mutiny on the “Bounty”, April 28, 1789, or the fall of the Bastille, July 14, 1789).From the Maidstone Journal of September 7, 1790, one may learn that Hatfield lost by 140 runs to the County of Hertford at Wades Mill. On June 7, 1797, they had the measure of an XI of Hertford Town, a reference to this game recording that “Hatfield won hollow”. They actually won by 110 runs.115
To get the era in perspective, old Hambledon petered out c.1791 and the MCC was founded in 1787. With the demise of the former, the latter took control of the game and has been the maker of the laws of cricket ever since. Underarm bowling only was allowed at this time, and round-arm not until 1828.When the County of Hertford XI went to play MCC in 1812 on the first of the two Lord's grounds (opened 1811) at St. John’s Wood, NW8, John Rowley of Hatfield CC was in the county side, which won by 10 runs. John Rowley (c.1778-1851) was a draper at 20 Fore Street, Hatfield. A match between Hatfield Junior Club and Haileybury College (begun by the East India Company) was played in Hatfield Park on July 4, 1840. The East India Company cadets lost by 20 runs, and the report of the match concludes: “We have no doubt that the Town of Hatfield will have a far superior eleven to what they had 20 years ago, thanks to the unremitting exertions ofthat cricket lover, Mr Rawley, in instructing the juniors of the place.”The very first match played on the present Lord's ground took place between MCC and Hertfordshire on June 22, 1814. It seems highly probable that Sibley of the Herts XI may have been Robert Sibley (born Ipswich c.1798), who became a sergeant in the Herts Militia, which was quartered in Batterdale, Hatfield. Equally, Taylor, who was in the county side, may have been one Edward Taylor, a Hatfield shoemaker, for R Sibley and E Taylor were certainly in the Hatfield CC sides against the County of Hertford XI's in 1818. J Sibley, who went to Lord’s in the same Herts X1 in 1814, was almost certainly Joseph Sibley, parish clerk at Kimpton.Opponents of Hatfield in the 1820s were the famous North London side, Islington Albion, who played on the Cattle Market Ground (where Middlesex County CC played its 116This 1865 photograph of the Hatfield team was taken when they met North London at Islington on July 4.In the photograph are J. B. Dunham, J. Cox, and H. H. Hankin who were all secretaries of the club.
first matches after its formation in 1877) and Welwyn and Ware, who played on Ware Marsh. In 1828, John Hart (1788-1863), a butcher, and Thomas Hammond (1810-18510, a tailor, were in the County of Hertford XI, which lost to St. Albans CC. John Hart and Thomas Hammond both lived in Fore Street, Hatfield, at this time, the latter with his father, Sidney Hammond, who was also a tailor and Hatfield cricketer who played with Lords' Cranborne and Beauclerk in 1818.John Hart’s son, William Hart (1818-1854), was the first known secretary of Hatfield CC. He was in office in 1850, but the Rev. F J Faithfull was probably secretary of the club at some time after he came to the town as curate in 1812. He was rector when his third and talented son, Francis Grantham Faithfull, took over the secretaryship of Hatfield CC in 1851 from William Hart. Both the Rev. F J Faithfull and William Hart died in 1854, at which time the Faithfulls removed to Hoddesdon when F G Faithfull, who was sometimes secretary of the Merchant Taylors Company, resigned his secretaryship of Hatfield CC. During his stewardship of the cricket club, fixtures were made against the notable Clapton, London, a club for which WilliamNicholson, who bought for MCC the freehold of Lord's, played against 117This superb photograph was taken when Hatfield met Cross Arrows at Lords on September 13, 1897.
Hatfield. Lord Uxbridge's XI were played at Tewin Water, and Luton and Kings Langley were opponents, as well as the 2nd Life Guards in 1854 (Crimean War).After a short tenure (1855-1857) by E H Brodie as secretary, Hatfield CC was well and truly in the care of local families, Dunham, Cox and Hankin. James Benjamin Dunham, son-in-law of John Wilkinson, huntsman with Hatfield Hounds, and groom (who is credited with crying to the 1st Marchioness of Salisbury “Damn you, m’lady, jump!” – upon coming to a fence when out riding with her when she was suffering with failing sight) was secretary of Hatfield CC from 1858 to 1865. James William Cox held office from 1866 to 1867, and Henry Hudson ‘Bob’ Hankin took over from 1868 to around 1874. He was succeeded by his brother, Frederick John Hankin, from 1875 to 1886, who again acted in this capacity for one year in 1894.During J B Dunham’s tenure, Eton Ramblers played a game in Hatfield Park in 1862, the year of their inauguration, and during Bob Hankins's incumbency, in 1871, Hatfield CC paid the first of many visits, between then and the end of the nineteenth century, to play at Lord’s ground. Sides from Lord’s used to come to Hatfield under the leadership of Ben Warsop, the well-known bat maker, or as Greville CC. (Charles) George Lambert (1842-1914), a Hatfield-born and bred man and world champion real-tennis player 1871-1885, who was professional at the court of Lord’s from 1867, was another who raised elevens from St. John’s Wood to play Hatfield, home and away in those days. The Hatfield club played uninterruptedly in Hatfield Park, possibly with a cessation of games in the years 1916-1918, until 1922. In the following year, so that the two elevens raised from servants of the 4th Marquess of Salisbury’s household and estates could play in Hatfield Park, the town club moved out to occupy the “Showfield”, St. Albans Road East, until 1927. The magistrates’ Courthouse and Clarke's Road, Hatfield, are now built upon the “Showfield.”In 1928, Hatfield CC occupied Hatfield United Athletic Club’s new ground at the Stonecross Road “Oval” until World War Two again brought cricket to a halt. During hostilities, cricket continued in the park with the support of the military. At the conclusion of the war in 1946, the Marquess's Hatfield Estate CC (which had occupied Hatfield Park since 1923) was bereft of its members, while the Hatfield CC was bereft of its pitch, which had become ruined by neglect in the six years of war.The two clubs under the chairmanship of Captain, the Hon. Robert Cecil (presently the 6th Marquess of Salisbury), were amalgamated in 1946 to 118
resume post-war cricket in Hatfield Park as Hatfield Estate (and town) CC.This club flourished in every sense under the devoted enthusiasm of its post-war officers and members alike, and achieved comparability with the better clubs in the county, notably in the 1960s - early 1970s. The late Walter Whitby was chairman of committee from c.1948-1966 and from then until 1968, when he died, chairman of club. H J “John” Gray was secretary from the seasons 1947 to 1967 inclusive and chairman of club from 1968 to 1975. Under his dedicated guidance, the club improved its fixture list, its facilities and its standing in Hertfordshire cricket. Eric Simson, presently chairman of the club, was vice-captain in 1947, committee member in 1948, and honorary treasurer from 1949 to 1972. He followed this term of office by becoming chairman of committee from 1973 to 1975, when he took up his present position in the club. These excellent years of service have been surpassed only by that of the present treasurer, Albert N Hudson. Apart from serving the town club in the 1930s, he was a committee member in 1950, and he became assistant secretary from 1954 to 1975 and treasurer from 1976 to the present time, having at some time been honorary bar secretary. When the decision was taken by the 6th Marquess of Salisbury in 1975 that cricket in Hatfield Park would have to cease in the interests of public 119Photograph taken on the occasion of the opening of the Show Field Ground in 1923 by Mr Alfred Whitby (seated in the centre).
safety, following upon forecasts of greatly increased numbers of visitors to Hatfield House and Park, the cricket club reconsidered its status and title. As cricket in Hatfield was once more to revert to being played outside Hatfield Park, the club decided in 1976 to revert to its original and ancient title of Hatfield Cricket Club. It will play under this name when it occupies its new leasehold ground (owned by Lord Salisbury) at Ascots Lane, Hatfield. The problem of achieving this move, in these days of inflation, tight money, and economy cuts, has presented Hatfield CC with daunting and at times seemingly insuperable problems. The club's immediate response to the request to vacate Hatfield Park was perhaps a slight bitterness tinged with sadness that, after so many years, cricket was to come to an end in the historic grounds of the “stately home”. However, it soon saw the advantages of a ground of its own and set about the task of selecting a suitable site with some enthusiasm. The Ascots Lane site was chosen, and two sub-committees were established: one to oversee the development of the new ground and the second to raise the necessary funds. Naturally, the initial and heavy burden fell on the fundraisers. This is perhaps best exemplified by the fact that in three years, this sub-committee has had four separate chairmen: Tony Paulson, David Hurley, Roger Bardell, and Fred Combeer. Nonetheless, the club has always believed in the principle that “those who help themselves” are most likely to receive help, and it has organised a wide variety of fundraising schemes. These have included jumble sales, square dances, a watch competition, numerous collections, a wide variety of raffles and tombolas, a collection of waste paper, target golf, and last but not least, a car competition.Indeed, the history book of Hatfield Cricket Club, in years to come, might well record the car competition as one of the most significant events in the club’s annals. During October 1975 - February 1976, a Vauxhall Chevette was offered to the person who could guess how far the car would run on one gallon of petrol. The car was driven by Megs Wilson, wife of exArsenal and Scotland soccer star Bob Wilson, and was won by John Breen of Hatfield. The club made almost £1,000 profit from the competition. Many cold, often wet, Saturdays were spent in those winter months in the market square of Hatfield and on a site adjacent to Welwyn Department Store, selling tickets. This, more than anything else, brought the club’s problems to the attention of the public and also was a clear indication to grant and loan-giving bodies that the club meant to succeed in its adversity.Shortly after the competition, grants were awarded by the National 120
Sports Council, the New Towns Commission and later by Welwyn Hatfield District Council and the County of Hertford Playing Fields Association. Loans have also been negotiated with the National Playing Fields Association, the County of Hertford Playing Fields Association and Trumans Brewery. Numerous members and industries, both local and national, have made donations and, perhaps most hearteningly of all and an indication of the respect the club is held in by opponents, many clubs have sent donations or, like Knebworth CC, North Mymms CC and Harpenden CC, have held joint fund-raising events on their premises.The Development Committee, led by Tony Foster, came into its own once sufficient funds had been raised to commence groundwork. The ground, rough pasture in spring 1976, was ploughed, rotovated, graded, levelled, fertilised and seeded by a contractor. The club's own members, led by ex-Northamptonshire County groundsman Bert Brailsford, currently in charge at Chelsea College, University of London’s ground, prepared the “table”. Then, disaster – the hottest, driest summer in many a long year – was far from conducive to the growth of newly sown grass. Indeed, by autumn 1976, the “table was bare” and the outfield consisted almost exclusively of enormous thistles and other weeds. Work had to commence again. 121A 1959 photograph of a cricket match in progress. It shows the beauty of the setting in the grounds of Hatfield House.
In all, this cost at least another £1,500 and, equally importantly, a growing season was lost. Inflation was now at its highest. Money at its tightest. As funds were hard won, building costs escalated. Indeed, a depressing situation and one in which the club could justifiably have given up the fight. However, not without problems, the groundwork was redone, fundraising continued, and encouragement was forthcoming when Lord Salisbury granted permission for the club to continue using the facilities in Hatfield Park into the 1978 season. Moreover, the club has reached agreement with Hatfield Boys Brigade Old Boys Football Club for the use of the new ground in the winter months in return for immediate financial support and help with groundwork.Currently, the club is almost in a position to sanction work on the new pavilion and clubhouse complex. However, £3,000 is still required to meet the financial target. Further fundraising events are planned, and a £50 repayable bond scheme has been launched among club members and other clubs. The donation list is still open. Not surprisingly, with so much effort going into fundraising and the problems of maintaining two grounds, playing performances have been below par in the last two seasons. Nonetheless, the Colts teams, under the guidance of Henry Cutino, prospered last year, and it is with anticipation that the club approach its move to the new ground. The current officers and members believe that there is a bright future ahead and that generations to come will benefit from the club's efforts. The future may show that, despite its longevity and distinguished past, the history of Hatfield Cricket Club is only in its infancy.122
Playlist Taken by surprise – The Family Cat * Money (that’s what I want) – The Flying Lizards / Barrett Strong / Beatles With a little help from my friends – The Beatles / Sham 69 Ticket to ride – The Beatles / Echo & the Bunnymen The nature of reality – Oasis Dutiful servants & political masters – Chumbawamba Nous vous demandons pardon – Stereolab Revolving doors – Gorillaz In the beginning – The Slits Changes – David Bowie This sporting life – The Mekons Ping pong affair – The Slits Ready, steady, go – Generation X Give, give, give me more, more, more – The Wonder StuffThe last hurrah – Little Man Tate Money-go-round (Parts 1 & 2) – The Style Council Rip it up – Orange Juice Out of town – Skids Long goodbye – Madness You’re welcome – The Undertones (* For those inclined to do so, the playlist is on Spotify (Search for Hatfield CC - SOS), however, in the absence of the Family Cat’s back catalogue, track one has been replaced with To my surprise by James.)123
On 3 February 1975, Hatfield Estate Cricket Club received the devastating news that it was to be evicted from Hatfield Park, its home since at least 1789. This book tells the story of how the club survived an existential crisis, before successfully completing the move to a new ground at Ascots Lane, by which time it had restyled itself as Hatfield Cricket Club.