In considering the history of Ormskirk Cricket club it is worth examining its roots. Why should a socially mixed group of men wish to form themselves into a cricket team, when village sides existed in abundance around a town which already boasted two clubs, anyway? Why were they able to include a local aristocrat as a player and founder member amongst their numbers? Why were there so many problems in the Club's foundation attributable to lack of money and a permanent home?

Cricket, as we know it today, consists of village, town and county cricket clubs, owing their development to the rapid escalation of the game's popularity in the early 19th century, onwards.

Played in village communities for hundreds of years, certainly from the 15th century onwards, cricket could then best be described as a folk game.

One of many such "target" games, the object was to attack the target with a round ball-like object by throwing it towards the target, which was "guarded" by a defendant carrying a rough stave or bat. The target, shaped like a croquet hoop was placed in the ground, the object being to throw the ball through the hoop. The defendant had only stave or bat with which to defend the target. Gradually this "match" took on greater "team" properties. Whereas in the early days it was described as" -an intercourse for several energetic and competitive fellows", by the 17th century, village communities competed in rough and tumble matches played between local boundaries, over rough meadowland of undetermined size. There was little organisation and formation and the number of "players" unlimited. The enjoyment of the match came from the wild expenditure of energy and destruction to limb and flesh. By the 18th century cricket could be described, more sophisticatedly, as a game. Communities became less aggressive during play and, as skills developed together with equipment and facilities, so did the influence of the aristocracy.

Turning from other forms of pleasure and sport which supported their desire to gamble and wager, they "talent spotted" for skilled players and, paying them for their results, drafted the first "professional" cricketers into local village teams. Large sums of money were wagered on these games by the aristocratic sponsors and many "professionals" earned their sponsors small fortunes. The number of professional players increased rapidly with the advent of the games popularity as a wager placing sport. Matches were played between mainly professional teams, but sponsored by aristocratic masters and attended by many thousands of spectators, all of whom were encouraged to place wagers on individual and team performances, by attendant bookmakers.

The support of cricket by aristocracy and landed gentry, employment of professional players and increased public interest in the game, afforded the squire, parson, doctor and professional man to employ cricketing skills, now taught at University and Public school, at town and village club level. The "professional" circuit flourished, especially in the South of England. A team touring in Nottingham and Yorkshire in 1809 reported "-the quality and skill and pitch to be much inferior to that expected. All games were won with ease." By the mid 19th century, allegations of corruption amongst players to satisfy gambling opportunities, both personal and on behalf of sponsors were rife. The Counties were developing cricket clubs, attracting aristocrat, gentlemen, and professional cricketer to the ranks. However, in the wealthy Northern cotton and wool towns the professional game flourished and has maintained its influence to this day.

It is interesting to note the influence on the development of cricket as a competitive game, by the aristocracy. The "professional" was introduced as a means of enhancing gambling. Learning the skills of cricket at University and Public School, they were unable to indulge in the games enjoyment because village and town cricket clubs lacked social status.

The development of County Clubs attracted many talented players from their ranks, but social barriers remained unbreached at Club level until later in the 19th century. So what was it that prompted Baron Skelmersdale to associate himself with other founder members, with a view to forming Ormskirk Cricket Club in 1835? Many Clubs had figureheads from the aristocracy as Club Presidents, as was Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, Baron Skelmersdale, for many years at Ormskirk. It is assumed that the 1st Baron Skelmersdale, Edward Wilbraham-Bootle, born 1771, who died in 1853 was not connected with the club as President. The 2nd Baron Skelmersdale Edward Bootle-Wilbraham succeeded the 1st Baron at the age of 16. His record of a long career in the Royal Court, at which he was Lord-in-Waiting and after his education at Eton and Oxford, suggests he spent little time in Lancashire after completing University education. Most similar Presidents have restricted their involvements to those of landlord and benefactor. Baron Skelmersdale 1st Earl of Lathom a title created in 1880 appears to have been alone, locally, in involving himself as a player; for it is reported in the first recorded game in the Ormskirk Advertiser of 1853 that he scored seven runs against Southport. It is not known where the Southport side came from as the first Southport Cricket Club was not formed until 1859. It would appear that they were a group of men formed for the occasion of the match. He is reported as having performed well as wicket-keeper in a match versus Southport, which Ormskirk won by 161 runs in July 1859. Baron Skelmersdale's involvement with Ormskirk Cricket Club might suggest that other members of the team were people with whom His Lordship might be expected to mix socially. What little evidence there is, tends to disaffirm this. Possibly too great an emphasis has been placed upon His Lordship as a player. Equally, the assumption that he would choose to mix with his equals alone is not valid. His interest in cricket extended to 1878 at least, for it was then two years before he succeeded to the title of Earl of Lathom, a match took place at Lathom Park, between Lathom and Ormskirk. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded His Lordship "for his kindness and hospitality." By now, aged 41, he did not even play in his own team. It is probably safe to conclude that early active involvement with Ormskirk is attributable to his youth rather than portray him as a leading member of a team of similarly interested and socially acceptable people. Indeed upon his death in 1898, at the age of 61, his successor Edward George Bootle-Willbraham, 2nd Earl of Lathom and 3rd Baron Skelmersdale, was proposed by Club Committee as the new President. A hurriedly convened meeting of members overturned the decision and Lord Derby, 16th Earl was appointed holding the position until his death. Mr George W. Blundell succeeded His Lordship in 1912, but the transition from aristocratic to common patronage passed uncommented upon in the Minute Book of that year.

Although Ormskirk Cricket Club claims its origins back to1835 there is no written record of its conception. We can only refer back to a short history of the Club, written in 1935 on the occasion of the Club's centenary celebrations, by Walter Stretch, Club Secretary for over 50 years. Based on Minute books and Club records surviving at that time the history is incomplete for as Walter Stretch admits "-there is little to say of the first 20 years as no records are available but the cricket field was then in Ruff Lane and games generally played in the evenings and holidays as there was no Saturday half-day holiday in those days."

It is, of course, possible that no records were kept, and that the affairs of the club were conducted on a casual ad hoc basis. Considering, however, the penchant for cricketers to compile records, this seems unlikely and probably, as with so many other clubs, they were simply not looked after and have disappeared for ever.

Some of the later 19th century records have luckily survived, and the story of their rescue could perhaps suggest why so much has disappeared. Established clubs realised the necessity of recording their meetings, scores and so on, but there was not the awareness of the potential value and interest in these records to future generations. This is not solely a 19th century failing. Ormskirk's existing records were saved from the pyrogenic intentions of a well meaning employee some years ago by the writer, vividly illustrating how the survival of historical evidence is often purely a matter of chance. The Groundsman at that time decided to clear out the cellars, in which there were a number of tea chests containing old scorebooks, photos and items in need of renovation, taken from the Pavilion - in his tidy eyes, junk. So he decided to have a bonfire. Some Minute books and one photograph were saved but old photographs and scorebooks were destroyed. Such incidents have affected historical records throughout time and not only in Cricket Clubs.

Aristocratic patronage or not, the Club led an unsettled existence in its first 50 years. We know they were originally based at Ruff Lane. In 1853 a field was used in Southport Road and in 1870 the Club removed to "Island House", Parrs Lane, Aughton for two years, whence to Dyers Lane, Ormskirk, but even this move proved to be abortive. Despite the presence in its membership of influential people like the Ainscough family, farmers and millers from Parbold; Lingard, a wealthy farmer; Blundell's Cotton Broker. and the Stretch family, concerned with a local firm of solicitors and other members, influential in Liverpool and Ormskirk, the following record appears in Walter Stretch's booklet.

"A good pitch was laid, a new pavilion was built and a good deal of expense incurred in making a really good ground. In 1878 a Company was formed in Ormskirk to build a cotton mill and unfortunately they fixed on Dyers Lane Cricket Field as the most suitable place for the mill and although the Club protested strongly at having their field taken from them they had to give it up, without any compensation for all the money spent. This was the more annoying, as after hanging fire for a year or two the mill venture ended in smoke, but meantime the ground had been cut up and ruined."

Mr. Stretch is in error as to the date. The matter first arose at the Committee meeting of 20th July I 876 when the Secretary read out a notice to quit and it was "resolved to wait on Mr. Hale." Mr. Hale was Lord Derby's agent with whom they had dealt since moving there in 1873. By December of 1876 the Club obviously knew of the intention to build a cotton spinning mill and approached the company to ascertain the possibility of the Club still being able to play there in 1877. But the company had already begun cutting the field up and there is some uncertainty as to where they played that season. Certainly Mr. Hale attempted to charge them the £10 rent for that year, but the reply was that "under all the circumstances the Club considers it unfair that it should be called upon to pay."

An agreement was made in July 1877 to accept Mr. Hale's offer of Bryers Lower Field, situate in Brook lane, at a slightly higher rent of £12. The tenancy agreement, however, was to commence on 2nd February 1878. There are several other resolutions in the Minutes, which suggests that the Club wanted to move at an earlier date, if only to prepare the ground and to enable the members to have a practice area. It seems extremely doubtful that any matches were played there until the 1878 season, especially as in February 1878 they were still arranging to have the new ground "in playable order".

They certainly faced an uphill task with this new ground. A photograph in our possession shows a threshing machine in the initial stages of clearing the field of corn which was about 5ft. high. John Bryers, the previous tenant, had also left the fences in a very bad state of repair. The field, when cleared, was found to be 4 ft. higher in the middle than at the sides and had to be levelled. The pavilion, generally referred to as "the tent" was moved to Brook Lane from its previous site in Dyers Lane and required repairs. All of this caused heavy expenditure, although the annual rent was offset by allowing Mr. Snape to graze his cows on the field from April to October for £12. Understandably "during the playing of cricket or meetings of any kind, cows be not in the field."

It seems strange that the club did not seize this moment to secure their future by purchasing the land. Perhaps it was simply that the cost of such a venture was deemed prohibitive. It was not until 1923 that, in the face of rumoured building schemes in the neighbourhood, the club raised through donations £500 towards the total cost of £760 to buy the Brook Lane site. It is worth noting that the chairman of the time, G. W. Blundell, was the prime mover and himself headed the subscription list with £250.

Such generous donations were not regularly forthcoming and various fund raising efforts were conducted. A bazaar and soirees, which those who have been to social events at Ormskirk in more recent times may find incongruous. Entertainments with the Christy Minstrels, one of which caused the abandonment of a committee meeting, as the secretary dolefully recorded "the last member having left to hear the Christy Minstrels I closed the meeting." Visits from the "Clown Cricketers of London" at which, in addition, there were stalls selling flowers, fruit and vegetables, pony races, athletic meetings and raffles for a thoroughbred puppy, are recorded for more than 30 years as fund raisers.

By dint of these efforts and the hard work of many members, the Club managed to stay afloat, but they seem to have been regularly in debt in the first years at Brook Lane.

The Treasurer in 1884 detailed the state of affairs, which showed the Club to have overspent by £43.18.8. This seemed to justify raising the subscription from 10/6 to one guinea and asking Lord Derby to forgo the rent for the 1883 season. However, even these draconian measures failed to stem the tide as the debit balance for 1884 was even greater at £48.16.0. The balance sheet for 1884 was made up of the following major items. The complete balance sheet is not recorded.

Receipts
Subscriptions                     £60
Gate Money                      £20
Sheep Grazing                   £ 8
Horse Show                      £ 3
Sports                               £ 9
Christy Minstrels               £11

It perhaps helps to put into perspective the progress which the Club was making and its standing amongst other cricket clubs to compare this with the balance sheets of Liverpool in 1883 and Bootle in 1885.

 

Receipts
Subscriptions
Gate Money
Fund Raising
Sub-Letting

 

Expenses
Wages
Rent
Cricket Goods
Repairs
Sundry Ac/s

It is clear from this that despite having been in existence for over 50 years, Ormskirk was still a very small cricket club. It is consequently surprising how quickly they came to the forefront of Merseyside clubs after these inauspicious beginnings. They could never hope to become a club on the scale of Liverpool C.C., the nature of the town and the size of the population determined this.

Despite the existence of at least two other cricket clubs in Ormskirk, Ormskirk c.c. became the senior club. By 1869 it was certainly not a village club as one imagines a village side with its mix of squire, parson and a cross section of the rest of the community. There seems to have been a deliberate policy to make the club more select socially and the members became increasingly drawn from businessmen and the wealthier farmers.

By the late 1870's Ormskirk seems to have attracted the sort of people who were considered desirable, but not a fixture list which was likely to retain them for long. As much as anything else, the three moves in that decade did not help, hearing in mind that the pitches could not have been of a very high standard, as each time plough land had to be levelled and made suitable for cricket. Until a permanent site could be found, there was little likelihood of the top clubs condescending to visit them.

The playing strength of the Club obviously did grow rapidly during the 1880's. Towards the end of the decade, matches were played against Manchester, Bootle, Wigan, Preston, Chorley and Leyland as well as the majority of the top Merseyside clubs. Only the coveted fixture against Liverpool C. C. seems still to have eluded them, although they had clearly not given up trying. The Minutes of February 1888 deferentially record that the Secretary was "requested to write to A.G. Steel Esq. and ask him if he could see his way to bring an eleven to C Ormskirk some day during the coming season."

By the 1890's Ormskirk was recognised as a worthwhile member of that loose federation of clubs known collectively as the Liverpool and District Clubs. Indeed by 1895, two of its players the brothers T. and J. Ainscough, were deemed good enough to play for the representative Liverpool and District XI against Cambridge University. Tom Ainscough was later to score 195 for them against Jessop's Gloucestershire side, the highest score ever made in these representative matches, on either side.

The members in the 1880's knew how essential it was, not just to improve their playing facilities, but to change their predominantly parochial fixture list against Halsall, Croston, Pemberton and Newburgh, for one against opponents drawn from a much wider area.

To this end, attempts were made, as early as 1883, to arrange fixtures with the three largest and most successful Merseyside Clubs, Liverpool, Sefton and Birkenhead Park and also with Preston, Wigan and Warrington. Apart from Warrington they all lost little time in turning down the offer and the secretary was instructed to issue "challenges" to the rather less august Clubs of Southport Alexandra, Northern, Stanley and Wavertree. Possibly as a result of this rebuff from the Merseyside Clubs, Ormskirk appear to have looked eastwards for improved fixtures. In 1885 they joined the newly formed East Lancashire Cricket League. In the League's knockout cup they beat Middleton and Church before losing in the semi final to Darwen. There was apparently a large crowd on the day of the match against Church at Brook Lane, over 700 paying at the gate. Despite their success, this episode seems to have been only a passing flirtation with proper league cricket and the inclination still seemed to be to build up the Liverpool connection and the type of "friendly" cricket in vogue there.

1891 brought further ground improvements, when at a cost of £250 the new pavilion was built on its present site in Altys Lane. (The postal address to this day is Brook Lane, reflecting the original positioning of the first erected 'Tent' there). From 1893 to 1896 soil and rubble from extensive building work in Chapel Street was used to fill in the ditches and steep sloping sides of Brook Lane and Altys Lane. The introduction of unstable infill along those stretches account for the "wave-like" appearance of the outfield in those areas. A careful monitoring of those undulations shows an ever changing profile. A survey conducted in 1968 of the sub-soil beneath the Pavilion showed that at 1.5 metres no natural sub-soil was evident, giving an indication of the extent of the original infill work. As Walter Stretch reported, 800 loads were used. The centre portion of the existing Pavilion, built in 1893, was eventually extended by two wings to provide dressing rooms, as part of the 100 year celebrations in 1935. Further extensions took place in 1975.

The first Tea Pavilion was built in 1910 at a cost of £30 on the site of the present Tea Pavilion, which was erected in 1954, costing £350. The original structure still serves (just!) as the groundsman's hut. Money for the first Pavilion was collected from playing members, on the understanding that they would be repaid from cash taken from sales of teas by the ladies and before the club benefited from the profits.

The professional cricketer, important in the history of cricket and its development was an early subject for discussion by the club. In 1876 the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, held in the Ormskirk Institute, an imposing rambling building, standing for many years on the site of the new Bus Station, carries the following resolution. "That a professional man be engaged for the coming season." At the end of the meeting several members expressed their willingness to double their (1O/6d) subscription for the present year, consequent upon the extra expense incurred in the engagement of a professional man." Edward William of Liverpool and John Nicholls of Runcorn answered advertisements placed in the Liverpool Courier and Sporting Life asking wages of 35 shillings and 33 shillings per week respectively. John Nicholls was eventually offered 21 shillings for 3 days and 3 evenings work, the rest of the time being his own, which he refused. The 1935 History Booklet indicates F.Huggins was appointed, but the minutes show that Nicholls was eventually appointed but employment details are not recorded. During 1876 the club was served notice to quit its Dyers Lane ground and no cricket was played there during 1877, except for practice, and no professional employed. It was not until 1887 that, as the minutes of December 1886 read "It was unanimously decided to offer H. Home (late of Flint County), £2 per week and a Benefit Match." Home played 12 seasons with Ormskirk from 1887 to 1898 and was both successful and popular, although records indicate stormy passages in Committee over his wages and conditions of employment. Ormskirk employed a professional continuously, the years of the Great War 1914-1918 apart, until outbreak of war in 1939. J. T Bartley was professional at that time. His 139 wickets that year will stand as a Club record for all time, without doubt. Ormskirk were Liverpool Competition Champions in 1939, needless to say. Although Fred Heath in 1946 and Stan Powell in 1956 were appointed Coach/ Groundsman and Coach/Ground Advisor, no paid professional cricketer was ever appointed again. For very many years the professionals followed the general tradition of the national game by entering and leaving the pavilion by a door separate from amateur members. The outline of the door, bricked up during the extension of 1935 can be seen at the rear of the building to this day.

Since its conception, 150 years ago, the Club has lacked membership in substantial numbers. Development of the town continued to West and North and away from the Club. Development of the Clubhouse, now much more than a Cricket Pavilion by usage is curtailed by its position in relation to road and surrounding property. Rrevenue therefore will always remain at low level whilst efforts to raise it must continue at high level. It was initiative and determination which carried the Club and members through the early years prior to permanence at Brook Lane. Those same qualities of enterprise and effort, allied to a dedication to the game of cricket, produced the Cricket Club of which we are so proud today. Names change; personalities come and go, leaving their mark on memory and record book, whilst each generation of members regards its achievements as crucial to the continued progress of the Club. The uniqueness of Ormskirk Cricket Club is that by design or destiny, it has changed little over the past 90 years. Survival, to celebrate 200 years, will not come easily, so to quote the last words of the 100 years booklet, voiced by Walter Stretch

SLOG ON. SLOG ON.
Ken Lea