A Brief History Of Fylde Cricket Club - Written by James Mitchell (Club President) in 2001

When the executive of the Palace Shield asked us to provide some background of the member club’s histories I offered my services on behalf of Fylde.  Little did I realise how comprehensive that background was.  My mind went back to 1939 and my first visits to Moorland Road as a boy with my father.  The family had moved North from London and my father, a cricket fanatic, sought out the local club.  Now over 60 years later, having been a happy and grateful member of the Fylde family, here is a brief resume of that story. 

The Early Years

It is generally assumed that Fylde Cricket Club was formed way back in Napoleonic times.  Despite exhaustive research no documentary evidence has been found to substantiate the fact, but the date 1810 has been handed down over the years from generation to generation.  Early minute books have survived and, from these, it is certainly possible to trace back to the 1850’s and before.  The minute book provides some fascinating vignettes of a Victorian cricket club:  committee meetings being held in the local pubs such as The Thatched House and The Bull taverns; a minimum of bureaucracy - the minutes amounting to half a page of foolscap and written in copperplate.  One item caught my eye from 1875 which I have reproduced here - note the price of bats:

The roller which still stands behind the garage was purchased in 1891.  Concern was expressed that it might prove too heavy for the club donkey to pull.  At the next meeting the sale was confirmed, the donkey to be sold and a horse to be purchased for not more than £10.  The horse was disposed of at the end of the season.  Incidentally we have had a few donkeys since - but all with two legs. 

At times the club engaged professionals, some to double up as groundsman.  In 1888 the position was advertised and out of twenty one applicants Bray of Ripon was appointed.  Sadly, Bray of Ripon absented himself and went ‘on the spree’ three times, was dismissed and given his fare back to Ripon.  Fylde played their cricket far and wide possibly of a competitive nature as ‘friendly fixtures’ are mentioned.  Fylde Wanderers played a game at Crewe, Gorton in Manchester (home and away,)  and East Lancashire and Little Lever crop up in the minutes.  Interestingly, there were fixtures against Garstang and Thornton so these clubs existed before the dates mentioned in the handbook.  They were to fold and re-form at a later date.  Games were played against other long established clubs like Great Eccleston and Kirkham and there were fixtures against St Michaels and several regimental clubs - officers only it seems.  Cricket in those far-off days being of a more pastoral nature - works teams coming later in the story. 

The Middle Years

The Plant family were very much to the forefront of club affairs from the turn of the century.  Charles Plant was interviewed by the Evening Gazette in 1984 when he was a ripe old age of 91.  He was able to furnish us with much detail of those years particularly regarding the club’s three grounds.  He was one of three brothers who played for Fylde, he himself being club captain on our entry to the Shield in 1922.  His father had been president of the club and the name ‘Plant’ appears four times on the club’s Roll of Honour presumably because these lives were lost on active service.  Charles Plant also told of Harold Edge scoring the first century at Moorland Road, of Billy Jackson the local blacksmith, who was the club’s finest player of those years and of Jimmy Ashton who was a major player between the wars both as a batsman and bowler. 

The first star name of my time was Jack Winchester, a fine all-round sportsman who had played first class football in his youth and was an outstanding batsman for Fylde up to the Second World War with more than one century to his name.  Jack (Pop) Winchester, later to be president of the club, was headmaster of Poulton C of E primary school (Sheaf Street) during the war years owing to the incumbent head teacher, Peter Vause, being away in the services.  Vause, incidentally, was also a Fylde stalwart later to captain Leyland then in the Ribblesdale League.  Jack instilled in his pupils a love of sport and was in his glory bowling to the boys in the playground.  He controlled a top class of over fifty pupils without raising his voice and had a formidable right arm when administering the cane - I remember it well.  One story comes to mind regarding Jack, long after he had retried from serious cricket, when he was called back to face Fleetwood (then in the Palace Shield.)  The legendary Dick Boothman was bowling and dropped one short.  With his team mates fearing the worst, Jack stepped inside the line and deposited the ball into the hedge. 

For the first sixty years with the Shield Fylde did not achieve much success winning friends rather than trophies.  Runners up twice in the league and in the cup being the highlights.  Fylde, for many years, had a strong connection with Baines Grammar School.  In the 1950’s when I started playing for the club there were at least six or seven members of staff on the strength - many of us were former pupils.  This had its disadvantages as, with the school holidays, a large proportion of the best players would disappear.

With the chairman of the club, John Watson, and the secretary, Jack Willacy, being Methodists drinking and Sunday cricket were not on the agenda - times have changed.  John Watson was a member of the club for over sixty years and a score box was erected in his honour on his retirement from office.  Jack was a devoted secretary for many years and, on his retirement, he was made a life member - nobody more deservedly.  Fylde, for a long time, was regarded as a trifle remote - a cricket club in Poulton rather than Poulton’s cricket club.