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Post by spiderpuss on Jul 26, 2024 17:56:59 GMT
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Post by mrcoke on Jul 26, 2024 18:28:09 GMT
Surely Sobers was the greatest ever cricketer.
Brilliant batsmen, brilliant seamer (unplayable at his best in the right conditions), top class spin bowler, and brilliant close to the wicket fielder.
To top that he captained a brilliant team which was possibly the easiest thing he achieved!
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Post by redstriper on Jul 26, 2024 18:53:44 GMT
A good read - thanks for posting
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Post by 4372 on Jul 26, 2024 19:04:56 GMT
The story of my childhood right there. Summer saturdays at Sneyd Green, Norton, Newcastle and Hartshill, Porthill Park. Lost a tooth when I got hit by The ball at Longton. Can remember Sobers, Wes Hall, Lindo, Nasim-ul-Ghani, amongst others. The great years of The Rothman Cup. Playing cricket On the marsh Until 10:00 at night. I was no good though lol.
Best story I have read for a longtime.
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Post by lawrieleslie on Jul 26, 2024 19:17:13 GMT
The story of my childhood right there. Summer saturdays at Sneyd Green, Norton, Newcastle and Hartshill, Porthill Park. Lost a tooth when I got hit by The ball at Longton. Can remember Sobers, Wes Hall, Lindo, Nasim-ul-Ghani, amongst others. The great years of The Rothman Cup. Playing cricket On the marsh Until 10:00 at night. I was no good though lol. Best story I have read for a longtime. You are almost me mate. Saw all those playing at various times at Porthill Park in 60s. Gary Sobers brother Gerry was also wicket keeper for Norton CC. In those days the amateur teams in North Staffs & South Cheshire league were allowed one professional player hence all those famous players. Porthill Park CC only managed to have a Staffordshire County player as their resident pro. Something that sticks in my mind was me going to St John’s Methodist Sunday School in Wolstanton and wondering why there was Wesley Hall's name above the entrance to main church hall.🤣 Additionally never found out why Porthill Park was thus named sitting smack in the middle Wolstanton marsh. This cricket games on the marsh were epic. Moving closer to Dimsdale Parade Road lights as the night got darker to provide floodlighting. It was similar in winter playing footie. |
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Post by 4372 on Jul 26, 2024 19:36:08 GMT
Indeed. We literally had our mum coming up at 10:00 to call us home.
I did my last few primary school years at St Wulstan's. Lived right behind Wolstanton Grammar, but didn't go there. I can remember Peter Seaton, Andrew Dawes and Simon Ellis, we all lived in Sparch Avenue.
Funny to see on another thread a chap was talking about Fanzones and beer at £6 a pint. Different times.
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Post by lawrieleslie on Jul 26, 2024 19:44:37 GMT
Indeed. We literally had our mum coming up at 10:00 to call us home. I did my last few primary school years at St Wulstan's. Lived right behind Wolstanton Grammar, but didn't go there. I can remember Peter Seaton, Andrew Dawes and Simon Ellis, we all lived in Sparch Avenue. Funny to see on another thread a chap was talking about Fanzones and beer at £6 a pint. Different times. Lived in Siverdale Road and went Ellison Street Primary then Woolly Grammar. Remember a Raymond Sims from Sparch Hollow and at the bottom on junction of Knutton Road lived Matt Dillon who owned the newsagents on Wolstanton High street. Had a crush on his Mrs 😂 |
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Post by mrcoke on Jul 26, 2024 19:58:00 GMT
I am ex Ellison St Junior and Wolstanton Grammar and once went to a N. Staffs league v. Rest of World match at Burslem (I think?), which was full of West Indian players.
One hit the ball over the top of the pavilion into the car park and it put a big dent in the mud guard of the Lord Mayor's Rolls Royce.
Happy days.
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Post by lawrieleslie on Jul 26, 2024 20:01:08 GMT
I am ex Ellison St Junior and Wolstanton Grammar and once went to a N. Staffs league v. Rest of World match at Burslem (I think?), which was full of West Indian players. One hit the ball over the top of the pavilion into the car park and it put a big dent in the mud guard of the Lord Mayor's Rolls Royce. Happy days. I was at Woolly Grammar 64-69. Left after GCEs in 5th form. |
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Post by redstriper on Jul 26, 2024 20:16:26 GMT
A good read - thanks for posting
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Post by 4372 on Jul 26, 2024 20:40:13 GMT
I am ex Ellison St Junior and Wolstanton Grammar and once went to a N. Staffs league v. Rest of World match at Burslem (I think?), which was full of West Indian players. One hit the ball over the top of the pavilion into the car park and it put a big dent in the mud guard of the Lord Mayor's Rolls Royce. Happy days. If i remember correctly, the Burslem ground was in Cobridge. Madness... |
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Post by 4372 on Jul 26, 2024 21:18:45 GMT
Newcastle and Hartshill.
Porthill Park
Stone
Leek
Crewe RR
Longton
Bignall End
Knypersley
Great Chell
Norton
Sneyd
Silverdale
All the teams I can remember from the NSSC, early 1960's. Can remember Sandyford too, but not sure about them. Top Division only.
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Post by misterj on Jul 26, 2024 22:07:18 GMT
I am ex Ellison St Junior and Wolstanton Grammar and once went to a N. Staffs league v. Rest of World match at Burslem (I think?), which was full of West Indian players. One hit the ball over the top of the pavilion into the car park and it put a big dent in the mud guard of the Lord Mayor's Rolls Royce. Happy days. . Fairly sure my Dad played in this match @ Burslem CC (which was in Cobridge) Tom Johnson, seem to remember it was shown on midlands TV - either live or highlights later - I reckon 1963 ish, I was about four y.o. |
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Post by mrcoke on Jul 26, 2024 22:15:20 GMT
Yes, definitely Cobridge, just couldn't place it when I posted.
(Left the Grammar school in 66.)
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Post by AlliG on Jul 27, 2024 12:28:36 GMT
The biggest disappointment as a kid was going to Longton CC to watch West Indies v Minor Counties in 1969 only to discover that Sobers had decided to rest himself for the game. Just to make it worse, Minor Counties batted all day so I didn't even get to see Clive Lloyd or any of the other stars bat. My old history teacher Jim Flannery (captain of Norton) in the second picture. I often wondered how that worked. "Gary I want you to ............?", though I guess in reality it was Sobers as captain in everything but name. Jim was a great eccentric. He used to keep a golf club and practice his swing walking round the classroom and used to hide in his storeroom if he thought the nun from the classroom opposite was heading his way. I have him to thank for my love of history. I don't think he would have been very impressed with T20 or "BazBall". He was umpiring a school game in 1975. I had seen Alan Knott uppercut Lillee and Thompson over slips during the 74/75 Ashes tour and when the opening bowler sent a short fast one outside off stump I played the same shot, middled nicely,cleared slips by 6 or 8 feet for 4 down to 3rd Man. After I had taken a single to get to the end where he was umpiring he just looked at me, very disappointedly, shook his head and said "Don't do that again". Uninteresting fact. Jim lent me a pair of Seymour Nurse's cricket boots when I made my debut for Norton in the Kidsgrove League. Gordon Bennett they were uncomfortable. I guess they were about 12-15 years old, stiff leather soles and uppers, no padding whatsoever and you could feel every spike. (Size 9 by the way  ) |
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Post by 4372 on Jul 27, 2024 22:49:20 GMT
The biggest disappointment as a kid was going to Longton CC to watch West Indies v Minor Counties in 1969 only to discover that Sobers had decided to rest himself for the game. Just to make it worse, Minor Counties batted all day so I didn't even get to see Clive Lloyd or any of the other stars bat. My old history teacher Jim Flannery (captain of Norton) in the second picture. I often wondered how that worked. "Gary I want you to ............?", though I guess in reality it was Sobers as captain in everything but name. Jim was a great eccentric. He used to keep a golf club and practice his swing walking round the classroom and used to hide in his storeroom if he thought the nun from the classroom opposite was heading his way. I have him to thank for my love of history. I don't think he would have been very impressed with T20 or "BazBall". He was umpiring a school game in 1975. I had seen Alan Knott uppercut Lillee and Thompson over slips during the 74/75 Ashes tour and when the opening bowler sent a short fast one outside off stump I played the same shot, middled nicely,cleared slips by 6 or 8 feet for 4 down to 3rd Man. After I had taken a single to get to the end where he was umpiring he just looked at me, very disappointedly, shook his head and said "Don't do that again". Uninteresting fact. Jim lent me a pair of Seymour Nurse's cricket boots when I made my debut for Norton in the Kidsgrove League. Gordon Bennett they were uncomfortable. I guess they were about 12-15 years old, stiff leather soles and uppers, no padding whatsoever and you could feel every spike. (Size 9 by the way ) That sounds like it was a Catholic School. Do you mind saying which one? |
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Post by AlliG on Jul 28, 2024 10:35:17 GMT
The biggest disappointment as a kid was going to Longton CC to watch West Indies v Minor Counties in 1969 only to discover that Sobers had decided to rest himself for the game. Just to make it worse, Minor Counties batted all day so I didn't even get to see Clive Lloyd or any of the other stars bat. My old history teacher Jim Flannery (captain of Norton) in the second picture. I often wondered how that worked. "Gary I want you to ............?", though I guess in reality it was Sobers as captain in everything but name. Jim was a great eccentric. He used to keep a golf club and practice his swing walking round the classroom and used to hide in his storeroom if he thought the nun from the classroom opposite was heading his way. I have him to thank for my love of history. I don't think he would have been very impressed with T20 or "BazBall". He was umpiring a school game in 1975. I had seen Alan Knott uppercut Lillee and Thompson over slips during the 74/75 Ashes tour and when the opening bowler sent a short fast one outside off stump I played the same shot, middled nicely,cleared slips by 6 or 8 feet for 4 down to 3rd Man. After I had taken a single to get to the end where he was umpiring he just looked at me, very disappointedly, shook his head and said "Don't do that again". Uninteresting fact. Jim lent me a pair of Seymour Nurse's cricket boots when I made my debut for Norton in the Kidsgrove League. Gordon Bennett they were uncomfortable. I guess they were about 12-15 years old, stiff leather soles and uppers, no padding whatsoever and you could feel every spike. (Size 9 by the way ) That sounds like it was a Catholic School. Do you mind saying which one? Bishop Bright. |
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Post by LDE76 on Jul 28, 2024 10:55:02 GMT
My dad watched him playing in a match in Cheadle.
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Post by 4372 on Jul 28, 2024 11:13:00 GMT
That sounds like it was a Catholic School. Do you mind saying which one? Bishop Bright. Thank you. It's not a school I knew. My dad was a cricket nut. He would always be pointing out cricketers, like "That's Tony Morley / Sammy Norcup / Jim Flannery" etc. Later on it was "Graham Hick, even Kevin Pietersen, when he played at Cannock. So he might have known Jim via cricket. But my dad was also big on his faith, at least in the laity. He may have gone to St Joe's with him, or to Teacher Training College. My dad had a habit of meeting with friends after going to mass in Newcastle. They would meet at the Castle Hotel, with those revolving doors. Now I have got it in my head that Jim Flannery was someone he met there. Anyway, it just struck a memory chord with me. |
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Post by 4372 on Aug 3, 2024 9:01:28 GMT
Indeed. We literally had our mum coming up at 10:00 to call us home. I did my last few primary school years at St Wulstan's. Lived right behind Wolstanton Grammar, but didn't go there. I can remember Peter Seaton, Andrew Dawes and Simon Ellis, we all lived in Sparch Avenue. Funny to see on another thread a chap was talking about Fanzones and beer at £6 a pint. Different times. Lived in Siverdale Road and went Ellison Street Primary then Woolly Grammar. Remember a Raymond Sims from Sparch Hollow and at the bottom on junction of Knutton Road lived Matt Dillon who owned the newsagents on Wolstanton High street. Had a crush on his Mrs 😂 I have just been reading the newspapers online. I just saw an obituary in the Guardian for a lady named Joan Winfield. It mentions her being Headteacher at Ellison Primary School, sounds like a great lady, RIP, did you know her? |
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Post by lawrieleslie on Aug 3, 2024 11:26:32 GMT
Lived in Siverdale Road and went Ellison Street Primary then Woolly Grammar. Remember a Raymond Sims from Sparch Hollow and at the bottom on junction of Knutton Road lived Matt Dillon who owned the newsagents on Wolstanton High street. Had a crush on his Mrs 😂 I have just been reading the newspapers online. I just saw an obituary in the Guardian for a lady named Joan Winfield. It mentions her being Headteacher at Ellison Primary School, sounds like a great lady, RIP, did you know her? No. When I was at Ellison St the head was Mr Saunders. That was 1958-64. |
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