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COPLEY CC

The Arches, Copley Lane, Copley, Halifax HX3 0UG   View Map

Altitude: 75 Metres/246 Feet

Halifax League

Volunteer Contact:

Richard Hoyle

Club Website

 
  Club Image
 

Founded: 1880
Former Name: Copley United
Nearest Landmark: Copley Viaduct
Nearest Railway Station: Sowerby Bridge
By Bus: 531/532/533 from Halifax
Nearest Other Club: Old Crossleyans CC

Club

Timeline (40kb PDF)

Early Years (1.2mb PDF)
Later Years (3.4mb PDF)

Halifax Courier Club History (2006) (109kb PDF)

Notes on History of Club (11kb PDF)

Club Honours (9kb PDF)

A to Z of Copley CC by Dominic Kureen (24kb PDF)

History of Ground and Club - Extract from Home Soil (28kb PDF)

Concise History of Club (12kb PDF)

Copley United - undated (425kb PDF)

1891 Parish Cup Ground Report: 'Approached by Means of a Footpath' (263kb PDF)

1901 West Vale Baptist League & 1902 Akroydon & District League Winners (56kb PDF)

1906 Halifax & District Amateur Cricket Association League Tables (69kb PDF)

1909 (1 May) Opening of 'Splendid New Pavilion' - Newspaper Report (304kb PDF)

1914 2nd XI Halifax & District League Winners - Team Photo (55kb PDF)

1924 YCF 'Questionnaire for Rating and Tax Purposes' (76kb PDF)

1932 Parish Cup Balance Sheet & Finalists v Halifax at Thrum Hall (933kb PDF)

1934 League Winners & Parish Cup Finalists v Greetland at Thrum Hall (831kb PDF)

1935 2nd XI Halifax League 1st Division Champions - Team Photo (332kb PDF)

1947 Member's Card inc. 1st XI & 2nd XI Fixtures (173kb PDF)

1949 Parish Cup Final Preview v King Cross at The Ramsdens (839kb PDF)

1951 Cartoon: 'A Visit to Copley the League Leaders' (843kb PDF)

1951 Halifax League Champions

1952 (4 Aug) Halifax League Champions & Parish Cup Final Winners (622kb PDF)

1955 Member's Card inc. Officers & Fixtures (207kb PDF)

1957 Member's Card inc. Officers & Fixtures (235kb PDF)

1960 Halifax League Champions - Team Photo (423kb PDF)

1961 Crossley Shield Winners - Team Photo (176kb PDF)

1962 Crossley Shield Winners (375kb PDF)

1963 Parish Cup Semi-Finalists & Rolling the Wicket (324kb PDF)

1965 & 1967 Scorebook v Bradshaw & Northowram Hedge Top (276kb PDF)

1966 Member's Card (229kb PDF)

1966 1st XI 2nd Division Champions (82kb PDF)

1968 Parish Cup Final Winners, Division 2 Champions & Dinner (752kb PDF)

1969 Crossley Shield Winners & Badge (983kb PDF)

1970 & 1972 Scorebook v Barkisland & Triangle (273kb PDF)

1971 Halifax League Champions

1973 Halifax League Champions

1973 Parish Cup Final Winners (183kb PDF)

1974 Halifax League Champions

1974 Parish Cup Winners & 2nd XI 1st Division Champions (86kb PDF)

1976 Halifax League Champions (73kb PDF)

1977 National Knockout Competition (199kb PDF)

1977 Collinson Cup Winners (99kb PDF)

1978 Scorebook v Blackley (131kb PDF)

1979 2nd XI Double (239kb PDF)

1980 Badge & Centenary Year (100kb PDF)

1983 Scorebook v Sowerby Bridge & Greetland (295kb PDF)

1985 Scorebook v Booth (118kb PDF)

1988 Halifax League Champions (140kb PDF)

1989 Halifax League Champions

1990 Parish Cup Final Winners

1996 Member's Card (397kb PDF)

1996 Scorebook v Walsden (140kb PDF)

1996 2nd Division Champions (390kb PDF)

1998 2nd XI 2nd Division Champions (308kb PDF)

2000 Halifax League Champions (131kb PDF)

2001 Member's Card (497kb PDF)

2001 Great Match v Pudsey Congs by Dominic Kureen (31kb PDF)

2001 Great Match v Triangle by Dominic Kureen (31kb PDF)

2001 Halifax League Champions & 5-a-Side Champions (187kb PDF)
2002 Great Match v Booth by Dominic Kureen (21kb PDF)

2003 Member's Card (16kb PDF)

2003 Scorebook v Stainland (136kb PDF)

2003 Parish Cup Final Programme v Warley (60kb PDF)

2003 Halifax League Champions (78kb PDF)

2004 Scorebook v Mytholmroyd (138kb PDF)

2004 Halifax League Champions - Celebrations (202kb PDF)

2005 Heritage Exhibition Launch Event Poster (75kb PDF)

2005 Heritage Exhibition Launch Tickets (68kb PDF)

2005 125th Anniversary Dinner (179kb PDF)

2005 125th Anniversary Shirt (34kb PDF)

2005 Black & White Summer Ball (15kb PDF)

2005 Black & White Summer Ball - Letter to Former Members (208kb PDF)

2006 Clubmark Accreditation (48kb PDF)

2007 Season Preview by Dominic Kureen (26kb PDF)

2008 Club Publicity (54kb PDF)

Awards for All & Local Network Fund Grants (60kb PDF)

Behind Enemy Lines - Bradshaw CC by Dominic Kureen (13kb PDF)
Behind Enemy Lines - Illingworth CC by Dominic Kureen (18kb PDF)
Behind Enemy Lines - Stainland CC by Dominic Kureen (32kb PDF)

CASC Clubs (web link)

Club Badges (49kb PDF)

Club Crest (44kb PDF)

Club Rules - undated (200kb PDF)

'Family-Friendly Club' (72kb PDF)

Junior Managers & ECB Coaches (70kb PDF)

LEAGUES: Halifax League (web link)

People

Who's Who (449kb PDF)

Memorials, Plaques & Dedications (115kb PDF)

Ian Ball   Profile by Dominic Kureen (55kb PDF)

Walter Ball   Memorial Plaque (28kb PDF)

Peter Blake   1999 Seat Donation (27kb PDF)

John & Carol Cliff   1999 Seat Donation (29kb PDF)

Chris Goulden

Keith Goulden

Neil Grace   Q&A (15kb PDF)

Oliver Hannon-Dalby   Profile by Dominic Kureen (34kb PDF)   Cricinfo

Stuart Hazelton   Q&A (16kb PDF)

Peter Hoyle   1999 v Bradshaw (102kb PDF)

Richard Hoyle   Q&A (26kb PDF)

Steve Jones   April 2001 - Building of Scoreboard (36kb PDF)

Steve Priestley   Q&A (15kb PDF)

Nick Pyrah   Q&A (27kb PDF)

Keith Rushton   Memorial Plaque (38kb PDF)

Tim Rushton   Profile by Dominic Kureen (17kb PDF)   Q&A (15kb PDF)

Barbara Smith   Profile by Dominic Kureen (9kb PDF)

Roy Smith   Profile by Dominic Kureen (37kb PDF)   Photos (64kb PDF)

Andrew Thorpe   1990 Parish Cup Final Man of the Match (70kb PDF)

Judith Thorpe   Profile by Dominic Kureen (9kb PDF)

Richard Thorpe   Profile by Dominic Kureen (21kb PDF)

Tom Thorpe   Profile by Dominic Kureen (46kb PDF)   Painting of Ground (28kb PDF)

Neil Whittaker   Q&A (15kb PDF)

All Time Copley CC XI by Dominic Kureen (24kb PDF)
1924-2004 Batting, Bowling & Fielding - Club Award Winners (155kb PDF)

Team Photos

1900s (144kb PDF)

1910s (91kb PDF)

1920s (54kb PDF)

1930s (223kb PDF)

1950s (135kb PDF)

1960s (423kb PDF)

1970s (514kb PDF)

1980s (147kb PDF)

1990s (175kb PDF)

2000s (216kb PDF)

Undated (118kb PDF)

Ground

Story of Copley Lane (673kb PDF)

1955 approx. Watering the Pitch (124kb PDF)

1969 (24 Aug) Opening of Pavilion - Photo (70kb PDF)

1969 (24 Aug) Opening of Pavilion by Roy Smith - Plaque (54kb PDF)

2004 Copley Lane - Parish Cup Final Crowd (176kb PDF)

2007 (14 Jul) Copley v Northowram Hedge Top (1.6mb PDF)

2008 (28 Jun) Copley v Sowerby St.Peter's (1.6mb PDF)

2008 (3 Aug) Halifax Parish Cup Final at Copley: Triangle v SBCI (614kb PDF)

Aerial View (91kb PDF)

Aerial View of Ground and Village (80kb PDF)
Map of Ground (100kb PDF)
3D Map & Aerial Photograph (250kb PDF)
Line Drawing by Sue Brant

Painting of Copley Lane (76kb PDF)

Action (580kb PDF)

Aerial View (123kb PDF)

Clubhouse (467kb PDF)

Flooded Outfield (185kb PDF)

General Views (678kb PDF)

Groundsman (203kb PDF)

On the Boundary (631kb PDF)

Scorebox (408kb PDF)

Signage (486kb PDF)

Spectators (1.2mb PDF)

Teatime (449kb PDF)

Viaduct (872kb PDF)

Weather Vane (58kb PDF)

Wicket & Square (271kb PDF)

Oral History

Peter Blake

Nice and Flat! (32kb PDF)

One-Club Man (32kb PDF)

Roy and Tom (25kb PDF)

Successful and Ambitious (30kb PDF)

Woods and Greenery (31kb PDF)

Documentary on Copley CC - Featuring Interview with Keith Goulden: Produced & Presented by Dominic Kureen (audio)

Local Context

Profile of Copley (56kb PDF)

Copley (Wikipedia)

Edward Akroyd (Wikipedia)

Copley Primary School (web link)

Former Cricket Clubs in Local Area (web link)

Copley United CC

Further Reading

Halifax Courier

Club Archives

West Yorkshire Archive Collection (Stored at Halifax Library)

 

With grateful thanks to Peter Blake, Keith Goulden & Tom Thorpe (CCC) and Dominic Kureen (University of Huddersfield).

If you have any information about this club or any others in this area that could be of use please feel free to contact us via p.j.davies@hud.ac.uk.

Note:
You will need the Adobe Acrobat Plug-in to view these files.

 

 

   


 

Select Images to View Below:

The Ground
  Archive Images

 

Greatest Moment

1952 – the first Parish Cup triumph.

Local Hero

Roy Smith – stalwart club and league official.

Bizarre Fact

Groundsman Tom Thorpe says he visits the club’s Copley Lane ground 365 days a year.

Explosions and Intersections

The village of Copley lies on the floor of the Calder Valley, two miles south of Halifax between Elland and Sowerby Bridge, and at the intersection of the historic townships of Greetland, Norland and Skircoat.

Possibly the most famous person in the history of the place was Edward Akroyd who, in the middle of the nineteenth century, built a large mill in the area and created a model village for his workers (a school arrived in 1849 and a library the year after).


Between 1856 and 1931 Copley had its own railway station; and in 1917 its ammunition factory was the scene of a huge explosion. Today, the village is famous for the computerised information centre built by the Halifax Building Society. The building cost £25m to erect and employs 600 people.

Under the Viaduct


One huge architectural structure dominates the Copley Lane ground - 'a substantial stone viaduct'. It is a wonderfully impressive sight. Tom Thorpe, groundsman and ex-player, says: 'I visit the ground every day to see to the wicket and I never get tired of the viaduct. I love looking at it, even now.'


In the early-evening twilight, the structure, along with the surrounding trees, brings a lovely sense of shadow to the playing arena. Thorpe comments: 'Lots of people have managed to throw a cricket ball over the viaduct, but only one batsman has cleared it. He played for Blackley - and yes, it was quite a hit!'


Atop the viaduct runs the Manchester-Halifax railway, successor to the famous Lancashire-Yorkshire railway - the first train line through the Calder Valley; high above the other side of the ground runs a freight-only line.

Hidden and Pristine

Wedged in between is a well-sized playing surface, flat and in pristine condition (on occasions the wicket is pitched slightly towards the viaduct side).

Benches line the raised boundary's edge and a good proportion tell their own story: THIS SEAT WAS KINDLY DEDICATED TO COPLEY CRICKET CLUB BY JOHN, JOANNA, KATE AND EMMA WASYLIW 2000…THIS SEAT WAS KINDLY DEDICATED TO COPLEY CRICKET CLUB BY THE LILEY FAMILY 1999.


To the first-time visitor, Copley's ground is not the most straightforward to locate. It is situated at the end of a long track, and the entrance to the track is easy to miss as one turns off the main road through the centre of Copley village.

But when the ground is eventually located, there is plenty of space for parking and the sight of the viaduct is immediately appealing. One spectator describes the Copley ground as 'hidden', and also as a lovely contrast to the rugby pitches that are sited just across the road. One player says it's probably the 'flattest' cricket ground in Halifax.

Benches on the Main Road!

Cricket was first played at Copley Lane in 1880 (John Hampshire helped to celebrate the club's centenary in 1980).

And there have been significant landmarks ever since: a wooden pavilion building was opened on 1 May 1909 (it was situated at the top end of the ground, where the scorebox stands today); the club bought the ground for £100 on 31 January 1924 (thanks to money raised by lady members); a new pavilion was completed in August 1969; and a new scoreboard added in April 2001.


Locals also remember the day in 1946 when the River Calder burst its banks. Thorpe explains: 'The ground used to get flooded, and then the whole of the village. The water just used to seep through the whole place. On one occasion some of our wooden benches were transported by the torrents onto the main road!'

Today, the venue is safe from flood alerts. Mounds have been built around the ground - and the village - to stop the spread of water, and the Water Board has made strategic adjustments to the water flow.

The floods used to affect Copley in the winter months; not in the summer, thankfully. Even so, cricket at Copley Lane has been curtailed for some very odd reasons. On one occasion, with Greetland 200-0, the players had to go off because the sun was too bright…and in the old days, when passing trains used to give off lots of black smoke, the umpires did not hesitate to send batsmen, bowler and fielders back to the pavilion for a breather.

Mr Ball and 'Mr Halifax'

Today, the framed memorabilia in the pavilion bar emphasises the history of the club: superb paintings of the ground by Thorpe and Geoffrey Beck; team photos from the early twentieth century ('West Vale Baptist League Champions 1901', 'Akroydon and District League Winners 1902'…); and a special tribute to veteran club official Roy Smith (known also as 'Mr Halifax' and 'Mr Cricket').

Former groundsman Walter Ball is also honoured - a wonderful photo shows him cutting the square in a loving and tender manner


An intriguing document from yesteryear also hangs in the pavilion bar. A Yorkshire Federation report stated that Copley's ground covered 17,545 square yards, that motor hire cost the club £4.10 per year, and that gate fees raised £14 per annum and tea sales £18.

It was also noted that seating facilities were 'not sufficient' - a minor problem that has been well and truly rectified since.


By anyone's standards, Copley Lane is a distinguished cricketing venue and, as a by-product, stages its fair share of big cup games when a neutral ground is required. And an interesting fact: it has witnessed two 'obstructed the field' dismissals in the last decade. Quite a rarity.

Disclaimer - Designed and programmed by Lee Booth.

 
Heritage Lottry Fund University of Huddersfield