Greatest Moment

1911 - taking part in the highest-scoring Heavy Woollen Cup final ever.

Local Hero

Maurice Pollard - ex-Dewsbury CC stalwart, now a pillar of HMCC.

Bizarre Fact

The drinking habits of a local character known as 'Uncle Dickie' were responsible for the demise of the early Hopton Mills CC (a local mill employee, he was spending too much time drinking in the cricket club bar!).

Uncle Dickie's Drinking

Hopton Mills CC was formed in 1895 or 1896 – as the ‘works team’ for the nearby Hopton Mills. The cricket club was a recreational facility for workers, and it paid a shilling a year to the company as a peppercorn rent.

Unfortunately, the first ‘Hopton Mills CC’ was soon shut down. This was because a local man affectionately known as ‘Uncle Dickie’ – a Mills employee (probable full name: Richard Wheatley) – was spending too much time in the club bar.

The authorities at the mills were annoyed with this behaviour (it was affecting productivity!) and thus closed the club down as punishment.

Textile Heritage

Today there are photos in the Woodbottom pavilion that relate to this fascinating period in the club’s history.

As a cricket club linked to a textile company, Hopton Mills CC was ideally placed to compete in the ultimate local knockout competition: the Heavy Woollen Cup.

Originally, clubs had to be located within six miles of Batley Town Hall – no problem for a Hopton/Mirfield-based team! Hopton Mills took part in the cup between 1889 and 1892, and between 1904 and 1915.

Hopton Mills overcame Spen Victoria in the semi-final of the 1911 Heavy Woollen Cup.

Then, in one of the most amazing Heavy Woollen Cup finals, Hopton Mills locked horns with Batley. It entered the record books as the highest-scoring final ever, and carried on for two days.

Birth of a New Club

Following on from the Uncle Dickie saga, a new cricket club was born: Whitley Lower CC.

This club had no connection with the mill – it was simply a collection of villagers. Hence the new club’s name – signifying a geographical rather than occupational identity. (The new club might even have had a link with a village church).

That said, a number of ‘Hopton Mills’ players would have stayed on and played for ‘Whitley Lower’.

Whitley Lower CC joined the Dewsbury & District League. They survived right up until 1989/90 and the merger with Dewsbury & Savile CC.

In 1958 the club took its place in the ‘A’ group of the Dewsbury & District League.