The idea
This site is an attempt to build a Casuals community with the purpose of recording a history of Almondbury Casuals Cricket Club: interactive and multi-author.
(1) The tools used to collect material include questionnaires, a selection of the minutes and interviews. Thank you to all of you who contributed.
(2) The history. There are drafts for the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
(3) Other chapters will deal with fixtures, the administration, tours and so on, rather than repeat themes within eras.
(4) Pen portraits. The Hall of Fame. Written by anyone who wants to have a go. Written about themselves or about others.
The Casuals gradually stopped playing, mainly as a result of difficulty finding players. Whilst the Casuals have always struggled to get a full side, the current culture is a far cry from the 1950s and 60s. Travelling some distance to a country house is not valued and the sense of Casuals history has gone, except amongst Will Carling’s favourites who are sadly gradually leaving us. Nevertheless there is a small cohort of Gentlemen’s cricket devotees remaining in the Holme Valley. It remains to be seen whether their efforts will bear fruit.
What has been produced
(1) We have already presented information as to how the Casuals were formed at the annual Pennine Cricket Conference, held at The University of Huddersfield, organised by Peter Davies. Please look at the website – http://www.ckcricketheritage.org.uk/. It is a comprehensive collection of all things cricket in W Yorkshire.
(2) Draft chapters on various topics.
(3) Various publications – see match reports and other cricket writing
- Journal of The Cricket Society – I met Derek Barnard when he came up to Huddersfield. Did he want some copy? “Send it me.” After the Pennine Cricket Conference 2009, I submitted a piece on friendly cricket and the journal accepted it. (2009)
- Huddersfield Examiner – This was part of a series, illustrating the funnier side of getting older. I did one on cricket, based on the odd moments from Almondbury Casuals. (2008)
- Cricket in Perspective 2 – This covers the history from 1981 to 2005, a follow up to Jim Netherwood’s ‘Cricket in Perspective 1′. (2005)
- Gentlemen, Gypsies and Jesters – A collection of chapters on wandering cricket clubs published by Fairfield Books. (2013)
August 2019
See the latest blog from York – Clifton sports – where Yorkshire CC recently turned out. The older casuals are still in touch and enjoyed the day’s fellowship. It doesn’t mean a resurgence in Casuals’ fortunes as a social cricket team.
The website is still available for contributions – I just need to get my head around marketing it. This is the Casuals so I’m not optimistic, just a tad romantic.
Enjoy the interview with Derek Bamforth, an early Casual and part of the Holmfirth postcard family. Rupe’s pieces on coaching and ‘famous incidents’. Pen portraits of Jim Netherwood, Ralph Sutcliffe and others. And much more.
The posts continue. Hopefully an additional article on the demise of social cricket.
Almondbury Casuals Cricket Club 
Comments
Fantastic start, lets get everyone involved – could do with some notes for how to use and what to do, especially for player profiles etc.
In the new post today, Getting to know you, I’ve hopefully explained how people can contribute once they have signed up.
You can write a pen portrait by choosing new post and clicking the category captain.
A template of what to include is in the menu to the left.
There are a few examples to go on.
Have a go.