Greatest Moment

1965 - completing a hat-trick of Central League championships.

Local Hero

Bob Blackburn - bagged 101 wickets during the 1923 Central League season.

Bizarre Fact

The club shut down for two seasons in 1957 while ground improvements were taking place.

On the Fringes of Scissett

Nortonthorpe's ground is only a short walk away from Clayton West's. But it is located on higher ground, amid old and new housing on the fringes of Scissett in the far south-eastern corner of Kirklees. Like Emley's ground, Springfield Avenue has a history of 'double usage'.

Today it is the home not only of Nortonthorpe CC, who play in the Huddersfield Central League, but also of Scissett AFC. This arrangement has been in place since the 1960s, and there is some crossover between the two sports in terms of personnel. The football pitch lies adjacent to the cricket field, and even in the summer months the arena is well used, with soccer training going on in the evenings.

Array of Seating

Apart from its versatility, Springfield Avenue's most distinctive feature is its height. It is situated high above Barnsley Road and Wakefield Road and the views out over Skelmanthorpe and Emley are superb. Nearby, cows wallow aimlessly in hillside fields and there is also the trickle of the River Dearne.    

The pavilion building incorporates changing rooms, bar and lounge, and facilities for making and serving tea. Outside there is an array of seating: stools, benches and chairs - some green, some white - plus a couple of large dustbins, a roller and a double white-coloured garage.

Around the perimeter of the cricket field, there are also two other buildings: a garden-shed that doubles as the scorers' box and a tall white scoreboard.

Down by the River

Nortonthorpe CC was founded in the early years of the twentieth century, when the population of Scissett stood at around 1,000. For the first few decades of its existence it played close to the River Dearne, just off Wakefield Road in Scissett. In 1952 it moved to its current venue.

The move to Springfield Avenue coincided with the death of George H.Norton, the famous industrialist who owned the famous Nortonthorpe textile mill complex, and it was he who left the land to the cricket club.

Actually, he left the land 'in trust' to Nortonthorpe Sports Club, a charity (with four named trustees) set up to manage Norton's former land. The Club inherited seven and a half acres of land - and the deeds (dated 31 December 1952) say that it must always be used for sport, nothing else.

Famous Family

Norton was part of an important family that hailed from Cuttlehurst and after whom the village of Nortonthorpe was named. The patriarch was Benjamin, a small-time clothier; he was a weaver himself, and also put weaving work out to others.

Joseph, one of his sons, bought Highbridge Corn Mill in 1825 and most of the land upon which the villages of Scissett and Nortonthorpe would eventually be sited. (Scissett's 150th anniversary was celebrated in 1980, so local people date the birth of the place to 1830).

Joseph used water power to drive his various machines. He also built Nortonthorpe Hall (now used for educational purposes) and a row of houses for his workers, on Busker Lane. In their heyday, the Norton family employed about 1,000 local people.

Birth of a Village

Meanwhile, George lived at Bagden Hall (now a hotel). One of his steam engines acquired the nickname 'Violet' in honour of his daughter, christened with the same name. George followed closely in the footsteps of his father and brother.

He was instrumental in the emergence of Nortonthorpe as a village - distinct from Scissett, but also part of Scissett. The mill, which gained an enviable reputation for its weaving, spinning, scribbling, finishing and dyeing, closed in the early 1980s, and was superseded by a business park. But the influence of the Norton family lived on.

Following their move to Springfield Avenue, the club had to engage in some necessary excavation work, and also had to level the playing surface so it was suitable for local league cricket.

Sporting Legacy

Today, Norton and his generosity are remembered fondly. Club secretary Roger Littlewood comments: 'The heritage of the club is interesting and important. My father was actually a manager at Norton's mill, so I'm very aware of the link between the mill and the cricket club. Norton was Nortonthorpe, and our club is deeply indebted to him. We're very proud of our connection with him; if it wasn't for him we would not have the lovely ground we now have.' If Joseph was the founder of the village, George was the man to whom the post-1952 cricket club is indebted.

The original pavilion at Springfield Avenue was erected in the 1950s. It was replaced in the following decade by the building that stands today.

In the 1980s it was altered and extended. Littlewood explains the appeal of Springfield Avenue as a cricketing venue: 'It's a natural ampitheatre, high up, and surrounded by a lovely embankment - we call it the grandstand. You can sit up there and watch the cricket; it's a great spot and a great view. There are also trees and grazing land nearby, a really nice place to play cricket and to take kids for a picnic and a runabout. Originally, the wicket was pitched north-south, but we swapped it around and it now runs east-west. It's a nice ground to play at.'

Founding Fathers

Nortonthorpe were one of the founder members of the Central League. They won the title on several occasions in the 1960s and also tasted success in the 1970s when they completed the league-and-cup double. Littlewood says: 'Yes, we've had our moments, but since the 1970s we've struggled slightly. Once upon a time we had the best facilities in the area, but time has moved on. It all came to a head in the mid-1990s when we were on the verge of folding. There was a time when we regularly had to field six- or seven-man teams. Eventually we sorted ourselves out, and we were greatly indebted to a group of young Pakistani cricketers for getting us moving again.'

Today, Nortonthorpe run two senior sides and one team at under-13 level. 'We would like more youngsters at the club,' says Littlewood, 'but I'm sure every club would say that.' Nortonthorpe's local-derby games used to be against Clayton West, but since this club moved leagues, it is Emley and Denby Dale who are the main local rivals.