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ELLAND CC

Hullen Edge Road, Elland, Halifax

HX5 0QY   View Map

Altitude: 131 Metres/430 feet

Huddersfield League

Volunteer Contact:

Derek Gledhill

Club Website

 
  Club Image
 

Founded: 1860
Nearest Railway Station: Brighouse
By Bus: 537/538 Huddersfield or Halifax; 343 from Halifax
Nearest Other Clubs: Greetland CC/Blackley CC

  • Club
  • People
  • Team Photos
  • Ground
  • Oral History
  • Local Context
  • Further Reading
  • Club Archives

Club

Timeline (25kb PDF)
Early Years (2.7mb PDF)
Later Years (656kb PDF)

Club Centenary Brochure 1860-1960 (3mb PDF)

Halifax Courier Club History (2006) (95kb PDF)

History of Club by Ian Hirst (36kb PDF)

Concise History of Club (11kb PDF)

Club Origins (7kb PDF)
'Ambition and Rising Status' (11kb PDF)

1877 (21 Nov) Letter from Secretary to Todmorden CC - Fixtures (118kb PDF)

1878 'Grand Cricket Match v The Australians - Advert & Team Photos (375kb PDF)

1879 (7 Jun) Eighteen of Elland & District v United South (730kb PDF)

1886 Fixture List: 'A Capital Programme' (100kb PDF)

1889 Parish Cup Final Winners

1891 Parish Cup Final Winners

1892 Parish Cup Final Winners

1894 (24 Jun) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Evening Games Don't Count' (108kb PDF)

1899 Annual Report & Balance Sheet (53kb PDF)

1903 Report on AGM (33kb PDF)

1904 (2 Aug) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Letter of Apology' (167kb PDF)

1904 'The Annual Dinner' (390kb PDF)

1908 (27 Jun) Scorebook - 2nd XI Away v Elland Tradesmen (83kb PDF)

1908 Season Report & Averages: 'Mingled Pleasure and Sadness' (164kb PDF)

1908 Appeal: 'Clearing Off the Debt' (43kb PDF)

1909-10 v Birstall (May '09), Sowerby B (May '10) & Castleford (May '09) (307kb PDF)

1910 (4 Apr) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Groundsman Appointed' (102kb PDF)

1911-2 v Heck'wike (20 May), Clifton (27 May), Hx (8 Jun) & Brighouse (2 Sep) (2.9kb PDF)

1913 (12 May) 2nd XI v Illingworth (Home) (288kb PDF)

1914 (11 Jul) v Meltham (Home) & (Aug) Brighouse 2nd XI (Home) (777kb PDF)

1915 (7 Jun) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Member Reinstated' (151kb PDF)

1916 Yorkshire Council Champions & Report/Scorecard v Staincliffe (272kb PDF)

1917 (12 Mar) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Letter of Sympathy' (258kb PDF)

1917 Parish Cup Final Winners

1919 Parish Cup Final Winners

1921 (23 Feb) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Site of New Pavilion' (251kb PDF)

1923 (3 Jul) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Telegram Arrives' (143kb PDF)

1924 Finance & Committee Minutes (20 Oct): 'Selection of Captain' (145kb PDF)

1926 (26 Apr) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Team Photo Autographed' (280kb PDF)

1926-8 Scorebook v Lascelles Hall, Almondbury, Honley & Kirkheaton (1.2mb PDF)

1929 (27 Apr) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Secondary School and Ground' (110kb PDF)

1930s Women's Match v Holmfirth: 'A Good Home Victory' (126kb PDF)

1930 (16 Jan) AGM & Season Preview: 'Ladies Committee Formed' (273kb PDF)

1930 Scorebook - (7 Jun) 1st XI v Linthwaite (A) & (5 Jul) Primrose Hill (H) (640kb PDF)

1930 approx. Club Rules: 'Recreation and Social Intercourse' (200kb PDF)

1931 (4 Jul) Scorebook v Lascelles Hall - Sykes Cup 2nd Round (Home) (343kb PDF)

1932 'Committee Members' Attendances at Meetings' - Register (50kb PDF)

1933 (12 Jun) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Bar Man's Tea Provided' (921kb PDF)

1933 Byrom Shield Winners: 'Saturday's Presentation Ceremony' - Report (301kb PDF)

1934 Scorebook v (21 May) Meltham Mills (Home) & (23 Jun) Holmfirth (348kb PDF)

1934 (Nov) Club Income - Cash Book (52kb PDF)

1935 (3 Aug) Sykes Cup Final Winners v Huddersfield at Fartown & Photo (226kb PDF)

1935 Cash Book & Scorebook v (25 May) Bradley Mills (H) & Slaithwaite (H) (2.5mb PDF)

1936 (13 Jan) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Vote on New LBW Law' (140kb PDF)

1936 Parsees Jubilee, Dinner & League Champions/Bell Trophy Winners (465kb PDF)

1936 (16 May) Linthwaite (A) & (18 Jul) Huddersfield at Fartown (SC S-F) (395kb PDF)

1938 Scores - (21 May) 2nd XI v Paddock (H) & (9 Jul) 1st XI v Lockwood (A) (5.3mb PDF)

1938 Sykes Cup Final Winners

1939 Scorebook v (22 Apr) Bradley Mills (Away) & (1 Jul) Rastrick (Away) (587kb PDF)

1940 Sykes Cup Final Winners v Slaithwaite at Fartown - Report/Scorecard (123kb PDF)

1942 (19 Sep) Scorebook v Meltham (Home) (303kb PDF)

1944 & 1946 Club Expenditure (113kb PDF)

1947 (9 Jun) Committee Meeting Minutes: 'Use of Tennis Courts' (72kb PDF)

1950 Sykes Cup Final Winners - Photo (108kb PDF)

1951 Sykes Cup Runners-Up to Rastrick & Harry Broadbent's Bat and Ball (420kb PDF)

1953 Sykes Cup Final Winners v Broad Oak at Fartown (web link)

1953 2nd XI Scorebook v Thongsbridge (307kb PDF)

1954 v Broad Oak, Kirkheaton & Team Photo (801kb PDF)

1954 Sykes Cup Final Winners v Slaithwaite at Fartown (web link)

1955 v Golcar (1.4mb PDF)

1955 2nd XI v Golcar (328kb PDF)

1957 (10 Apr) 2nd XI Scorebook v Shepley (Away) (119kb PDF)

1958 Scorebook v Kirkheaton & Committee Minutes (257kb PDF)

1959 Cash Book (264kb PDF)

1961 Scorebook v Holmfirth (363kb PDF)

1962 Paddock Shield Winners

1962 Committee Minutes, v Armitage B, Paddock Shield Winners & Dinner (2.5mb PDF)

1962-9 Club Income (11kb PDF)

1963 v Huddersfield (310kb PDF)

1964 Women (1.5mb PDF)

1971 Sykes Cup Final Winners v Hall Bower at Fartown (web link)

1979 Sykes Cup Final & Paddock Shield Winners

1981 Sykes Cup Final Winners v Holmfirth at Honley (web link)

1983 Letter from Lancashire CCC (58kb PDF)

1983 Sykes Cup Final & Paddock Shield Winners

1984 Sykes Cup Final Winners v Lascelles Hall (web link)

1986-2004 Matchday Programmes (4.0mb PDF)

1989 Sykes Cup Final & Paddock Shield Winners

1998 Sykes Cup Final Winners

2002 Sykes Cup Final Winners

2003 (5 May) Fun Day (236kb PDF)

2005 (4 Apr) Heritage Exhibition Launch Event Poster (92kb PDF)
2005 (4 Apr) Heritage Exhibition Programme (19mb PDF)

2007 (23 May) An Evening with Michael Vaughan (web link)

2008 Review & 2009 Preview by Ian Hirst

2009 Match Report v Clayton West by Ian Hirst (29kb PDF)

Huddersfield & District League Handbook Entries - undated (468kb PDF)

Matchday Experience by Ian Hirst (47kb PDF)
Matchday Programmes (620kb PDF)

New College (web link)

LEAGUES: Huddersfield League (web link)

People

Who's Who (1.1mb PDF)

Memorials, Plaques & Dedications (103kb PDF)
Wonder Women (333kb PDF)

E.S.Baines   Photo (51kb PDF)

Richard Blakey   Cricinfo

John Bower   Bench Memorial (28kb PDF)

Bill Dennis   '1,000 Wickets in 1948' (97kb PDF)

Dave Fletcher   Club Groundsman by Ian Hirst (56kb PDF)

Stuart Fletcher   'Ex-Yorkshire & Lancashire' by Ian Hirst (19kb PDF)   Cricinfo

Derek Gledhill

Wes Hall

Dennis Midwood

Arthur Noble   1933 Professional Contract (72kb PDF)

Ephraim Peel   Bench Dedication (162kb PDF)   '53 Years Membership' (49kb PDF)

Harold Robertshaw   Bench Memorial (37kb PDF)

Harvinder Singh   Cricinfo

Tom Thornton   Cricinfo

Ones to Watch in 2009 by Ian Hirst (23kb PDF)

Team Photos

1870s (197kb PDF)

1880s (70kb PDF)

1910s (179kb PDF)

1920s (56kb PDF)

1930s (237kb PDF)

1950s (137kb PDF)

1960s (127kb PDF)

1970s (67kb PDF)

1980s (381kb PDF)

1990s (77kb PDF)

2000s (57kb PDF)

Undated (106kb PDF)

Ground

3D Map & Aerial Photograph (250kb PDF)

Watercolour by Tony Haigh

Hullen Edge by Ian Hirst (60kb PDF)

1921 Pavilion (289kb PDF)

1951 Hullen Edge (118kb PDF)

1977 Opening of Pavilion (46kb PDF)

2002 Halifax League Handbook Advert (74kb PDF)

2006 Sykes Cup Final at Hullen Edge (1.4mb PDF)

2007 Elland v Honley (web link)

2007 Sykes Cup Final at Hullen Edge (2.4mb PDF)

Action (907kb PDF)

Aerial View (52kb PDF)

Club Buildings (406kb PDF)

Environs (283kb PDF)

General Views (854kb PDF)

Groundsmen (495kb PDF)

Long-Distance Views (397kb PDF)

On the Boundary (2mb PDF)

Scorebox (245kb PDF)

Signage (296kb PDF)

Spectators (3.1mb PDF)

Tea Room (68kb PDF)

Wicket & Square (163kb PDF)

Oral History

Interview with Derek Gledhill & Dennis Midwood by Peter Redding (audio)

Local Context

Profile of Elland (107kb PDF)

Elland (Wikipedia)

Town Guide (web link)

Francis Frith Old Photographs (web link)

Tony Cawdry Obituary (Yorkshire CCC)

Tony Cawdry Obituary (Yorkshire Post)

Cricket Heritage Trail: Blackley and Back (web link)

Former Cricket Clubs in Local Area (web link)

Elland Edge

Elland Primitives

Elland St. Michael’s

Elland Tradesmen

Elland Upper Edge

Elland Wesleyans

Elland White Star

Elland YMCA CC

Further Reading

B.Hargreaves, Elland (Tempus, 2005)

B.Hargreaves, Elland Revisited (Tempus, 2006)

Halifax Courier (Elland News)

Huddersfield Examiner

Brighouse Echo

Club Archives

West Yorkshire Archive Service Collection (Stored at Halifax Library)

 

With grateful thanks to Derek Gledhill (ECC).

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.

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The Ground
  Archive Images

 

Greatest Moment

Hosting the Australian Tourists in 1878.

Local Hero

Derek Gledhill – longtime official and ‘Mr Elland’.

Bizarre Fact

In 1880 Elland CC played a fixture against a team of cricketing clowns.

 

Club in Numbers

2 - Number of times Elland have won the Huddersfield League ‘double double’. In 1979 and 1989 both the First and Second XIs finished the season as league and cup winners.

3d - Cost of admittance to Yorkshire Council cricket fixtures for men in the early nineteenth century.

Pies, Beer and Raincoats

Elland - well known for quarrying, paving stones, Gannex raincoats and the fourteenth-century 'Feud' that took place between families in the town - possesses a rich cricketing heritage.


The club, which formerly, and briefly, existed as Providence Independent Sunday School CC, was formed in 1860.

One of its early encounters was against local rivals Brighouse: 'The Brighouse umpire game too many lbw decisions against the Elland team with the result that he was chased off the field but he managed to escape to a safe place. The game was stopped and the Elland Committee complained because their pies and beer had not been bought!'

Hull to Hullen Edge


In its early years, the club played at Elland Lane (the other side of town from its current site).

They were founding members of the Yorkshire Cricket Council and thus took on the likes of Hull CC. (At one such fixture, around the turn of the century, women were admitted to the ground free of charge, while men had to pay 3d).

In 1876 Elland moved to Hullen Edge Road, and in 1926 the club decided to join the Huddersfield League (a 'happy day for local cricket,' according to one observer).

Today, the ground is in tip-top shape. Club secretary Derek Gledhill explains: 'There's a slight slope from side to side but it's a big playing area and a big square - there is a choice of 16 strips. We have got a full-time groundsman and the fact that we get a Yorkshire 2nd XI game each year is testimony to the quality of the arena.'

Sir John and the Aussies


Two events dominate the history of Elland CC (or Elland Cricket, Athletic and Bowling Club, as it is formally known).

The first took place in 1887 when the Hullen Edge ground, plus the nearby recreation field, was given as a gift to the townspeople by Sir John Savile (in celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee). Forty-five years later, on 1 September 1932, Elland CC bought the Hullen Edge Road from the Savile Estate for £1,000.


In the years following, Elland cleared off its debts and gained a sizeable membership. In 1957, the club proposed that on matchdays, league clubs should substitute ground collections for fixed-rate admission charges.

This issue was the subject of much debate, but in the end Elland's motion was passed, although clubs retained the option to operate either system.


The second memorable event occurred in June 1878 when Hullen Edge played host to a never-to-be-forgotten fixture between the '18 of Elland' and the first Australian tourists (who included Messrs Spofforth, Bannerman, Gregory and Boyle in their ranks).

Thomas Tong turned out for the home side and, as the Halifax Courier said, 'he could recall vividly the three-day match…which attracted excellent attendances including hundreds from Halifax and Huddersfield.


His most outstanding recollection of the match was facing the fearsome Australian bowler, "Demon" Spofforth, in the second innings when the Ellanders were facing an uphill battle.

After scoring a single, Mr Tong was struck in the face by a rising ball from the Demon and sustained a broken nose. Pluckily, he continued batting, adding another single, before being caught by Murdoch.

During the second innings, Spofforth took 10 wickets for 35 runs and the Australians won the match easily with scores of 90 and 85 to 29 and 66.'

It should also be noted that Aussie bowler Boyle took seven wickets in eight balls during one sequence in the match. (In 1886, Elland played another tourist side - the Parsees from India - and were defeated again).

Shooting and Tennis


There are other key dates in the history of the ground:

1889: First bowling green laid.


1891: Running track built around the perimeter of the ground.


1899: New pavilion built.


1905: Players' wives were asked to 'manage the tea and eatables department'.


1907: Arthur Naylor became professional and groundsman.


1914: Committee resigns over its decision to ban professional shooting matches due to the gamblers they were attracting; annual athletics meetings ceased with the outbreak of war.


1915: First tennis courts constructed.


1921: The former wooden chapel at Ripon army camp was bought for use as a tea room and dressing rooms.


1956: Women allowed in the bar for the first time.


1957: Ex-Yorkshire and England bowler Bill Bowes opens games room (now the pool room).


1977: Red Rum opens the Baines Hall (which replaced the 1921 building).


1985: Ealandians FC first use the adjacent football pitch.


In 1951, a representative of the Huddersfield League argued that, 'the Elland club has probably the finest amenities of any club in the league…delightfully positioned and well conducted.' Today, these remarks still hold good.
In recent years Hullen Edge has hosted Yorkshire 1st XI and 2nd XI fixtures, and throughout its history, Elland CC have won more than their fair share of silverware.

Disclaimer - Designed and programmed by Lee Booth.

 
Heritage Lottry Fund University of Huddersfield