Greatest Moment

Central League Section 'C' winners in 2000.

Local Hero

John Quarmby - local farmer who has made the club's tenure of Dean Road possible.

Bizarre Fact

In 2002 Upperthong's ground was used as a helicopter pad for a wedding.

High Location

If you look on a map, there are plenty of farmers' fields located in and around the small village of Upperthong ('Thong' is Nordic for 'a place where armed men would congregate') but no cricket ground. It is easy enough to find Upperthong; less easy to find any mention of the cricketing venue.

No-one in their right mind would attempt to walk the two miles uphill from Holmfirth town centre to the village. No-one. So, the local bus service - number H3, and subsidised by the parish council - comes into its element.

Upperthong is an old village, 925 feet above sea level, with a history based on textiles and quarrying but now home to yuppified lanes. Historian John Spencer says: 'What a place this must have been when, before mechanisation proper took woollen textile production down into the Holme Valley, many families made their living spinning and weaving their textiles in their homes for sale in nearby cloth halls.'

But as the local W.I. put it: 'Thick forestation bordering the village is long gone and new development over the last 20 years has greatly changed the face of the area.' The main building is the Village Hall - the old Sunday School - which dates from 1837.

Community Role

The UCC website states: 'The cricket club has used the Village Hall for social events such as St. Valentine’s Day dances…and now uses it for its AGM in February of each year. Teas are served in the Hall during weekend matches. The club values…its association with the Village Hall…The club is also committed to continuing to serve the villagers of Upperthong, young and old, with the opportunity to participate in, or watch, the great game of cricket.'

The ground, on the junction of two country lanes (Wickins Lane and Dean Road), is an idyllic sight. On matchdays nobody seems to be in any hurry. Everything seems to be easy, relaxed and very laid-back. 'Picturesque, scenic, rural' - this is how one seasoned cricket-watcher describes the venue.

There are sheep and lambs grazing in an adjoining field, attractive trees on one side of the ground, and dry stone walls aplenty. Birds also twitter overhead. It is quiet, peaceful, almost serene - and very reminiscent of Cartworth Moor, another farmer's field out in the sticks that has been converted into cricketing use. There is, thus, some poignancy in the fact that from the far end of the ground the hazy outline of Cartworth Moor's ground can just be made out.

Magnificent Views

This particular view across Holme Moss, plus all the others (out east towards Emley Moor, out west towards Pennine country), is magnificent. Upperthong C.C. is so high in the mountains that mobile-phone reception quality is A1 and according to a particularly knowledgeable club official, Sue Morris (tea lady, wife of the ex-1st XI captain, and practising cricketer herself), the ground is the 'second highest in Britain'.

And there is more trivia where this gem came from. In recent years:

The outfield has been used as a helicopter landing pad for a wedding; when the bride alighted on the square a band started to play!

Upperthong Gala has been staged at the ground.

The changing rooms were moved 200 yards round the boundary's edge so the owner of the ground, John Quarmby, could watch the cricket from his front room.

Black and Grey!

A UCC player talks about visiting teams' reaction to the venue: 'They love the views, but not the weather. It's usually black and grey, or snowing. Then we can't even see to the other side of the valley. Sometimes we use the Holme Moss telegraph mast for light!'

The Dean Road ground is anything but enclosed. On one side there is a large soiled area; on the other an expanse of dandelion-dominated grass. What about the wicket? The 22 yards that really matter?

At the beginning of the 2002 season, the club website stated: 'With over 100 matches this season and 50 home games, care of the square is even more important this year. This means we will not be using a new pitch if a serviceable used pitch is available. Similarly, we do not want to over-use a pitch as that will delay its recovery. Captains/managers should talk to Dave Sutton or Taffy before the start of games for advice. Practice will only take place on the square at the coach's discretion.'

Another online notice said: 'The unauthorised use of the field is not allowed. This means you can't use the field unless you are supervised by a club coach…Members ignoring this may be expelled from the club.'
But what is the reputation of the Dean Road wicket? One Upperthong batsman explains: 'Variable bounce - that's the key. The ball to bowl is the "stoater", the one that keeps low and bamboozles everyone. That said, the wicket is improving slowly.'

Rustic and Progressive

Rustic is the word, but the club, as an organisation, is extremely progressive. It boasts three qualified coaches and now runs half a dozen different teams (including midweek, under-15, under-13 and ladies elevens). It also manages its own highly impressive internet site.

Another pleasant irony: Upperthong CC is the epitome of the phenomenon we know as 'village cricket' (farmer's field, dry stone walls, animals on adjacent land, a local pub that is the hub of the club), but its squad is surprisingly cosmopolitan: one squad member travels from Westhoughton in Lancashire to play, another from Leeds.

For spectators the Upperthong experience is unique. The friendliness of the hosts, the quaint rural atmosphere and, of course, the remarkable Holme Valley landscapes. But as one visitor to the ground commented: 'I'm not sure I'd fancy it on a bad-weather day.'
The patch of land that houses Upperthong CC is owned by the aforementioned Quarmby, a local farmer.

Barker Sports Merger

The 'new' club was formed in 1999 when Barker Sports and the 'old' Upperthong CC merged. Barker Sports had previously played their home fixtures at Salendine Nook in the Huddersfield Association, but had become disillusioned with their lot. One player explains: 'People started practising their golf on the outfield at Salendine Nook and then, to cap it all, the authorities quadrupled the rent. So we started looking for another home and came across Dean Road purely by chance.

Before 1999 only midweek cricket was played at this venue; now we use it all through the week.'
Cricket was first played at Dean Road in 1977; in 2002 the venue staged a 25th anniversary fixture between 'Villagers' and 'Comer-Inners'.

Today, two key men at the club are Dave Wood (UCC founder member) and the aforementioned Sutton (groundsman and ex-landlord at the nearby Royal Oak). The spirit at the club is excellent and there are now plans afoot to build a new clubhouse. The only problem is moles: 51 were caught at Dean Road during one recent season.

But cricket is not the only pastime. One writer explains: 'The Holme Valley Beagles have been kept at Upperthong since 1928, thereby carrying on a valley tradition of over a thousand years. Hare hunting with a foot pack takes place twice weekly during the season, September to March.'