Tony Awarded the MBE!

The Club is delighted to hear that Head Coach Tony Eustance has been awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List!

Tony has spent nearly 50 years working with young people as a teacher and a sports coach. His nomination for the honour came from his old pupils and their parents, and his former colleagues at the schools where he taught in Liverpool and Cheshire.

Tony started his teaching career in Toxteth, Liverpool on 1961 and worked for many years at Parklands School in Speke, where he taught English, Drama and of course cricket (and football!). From 1991 to 2002, Tony was based in Cheshire, where he worked with people of all ages in cricket - from county squads to handicapped teams, and with all ages from 4 years to 70.

Tony “retired” from teaching five years ago and moved with his wife Irene to the Holme Valley, and it did not take him long to link up with Holmfirth Cricket Club, and it is largely through Tony's drive and enthusiasm that the club is expanding its junior side so effectively.

Everyone at the Club sends congratulations to Tony, and to Irene, on this honour - one that is very well deserved!

Improving Training Facilities

Following the installation of the new all weather wicket before the season started, the club is now looking to build the new double practice nets. The Junior section has been busy fundraising for some time, and we now understand that Head Coach Tony Eustance has been successful in obtaining a grant that will go a long way towards the cost.

The plan is to install the two practice nets on the rough land near the Bowling Club during the Winter. Negotiations are ongoing to finalise all the arrangements, but the Club is hopeful everything can be in place for the start of next season. This facility will be a huge step forward for the Club, and will be of benefit to all levels of players, young and old.

The club continues to buy equipment to help coaching, including a new catching net, cones, balls and other equipment.

Holmfirth Club Gear

All new junior members have been provided with a Holmfirth Cricket Club shirt, thanks largely to the generosity of our sponsors. The Club has now developed a range of other cricket gear, which will be available for players and supporters to purchase. Some of the junior players are already wearing very smart tracksuit tops.

We have a range of training shirts and sorts, as well as tracksuit bottoms etc., all with the Holmfirth Cricket Club badge. All the clothing is of very good quality and looks great.

Robert Drummond has agreed to handle the sales of Holmfirth merchandise in the future. We also hope to post details of what is available and an order form on the website shortly.

Pendragon boost for Juniors

Mike Hulsey from Huddersfield Pendragons presenting the cheque for £500 to Head Coach Tony Eustance and junior player Ben Brook.

The Club has received a timely boost ahead of the new season, with Huddersfield Pendragon Round Table donating £500 to go towards the purchase of new cricket equipment.

Mike Hulsey from Huddersfield Pendragon 843 presented the cheque to Head Coach Tony Eustance at the Junior Signing On Evening on 1st February, with many of the Club's young players and their parents looking on. Mr Hulsey said the Pendragons were keen to strengthen their links with Holmfirth Cricket Club. The Club in turn has agreed to organize a cricket match against the Pendragons during the coming season.

The Huddersfield Pendragons organize the popular Duck Race in Holmfirth every year. This year's event will be the 25th anniversary, and promises to be the biggest ever, and will take place on Sunday July 6th, starting on the bridge in the centre of Holmfirth. Of course the ducks will race past the round on their way to the finish at Sands.

Sunday Cricket

The Club is forming a “Sunday” eleven for 2008, to play a number of friendly fixtures against other cricket clubs.

The team will be a mix of some Under 15 players who are looking for more experience, and more “senior” players, perhaps parents or “retired” cricketers who want to play some cricket primarily for fun.

We are currently arranging a number of fixtures, home and away, for the coming season. If you are interested in playing for our “Sunday” team, please contact the Club through this website.

Under 15 team who completed the double over local rivals Shepley in the last season

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Summer Schools Latest

Due to limited demand, we will now be combining the Summer Schools into two weeks during the upcoming Summer holidays.

The school for the Under 9s and Under 11s will run from Monday 21st July to Friday 25th July at the cricket ground; and the school for the Under 13s and Under 15s will run from Monday 28th July to Friday 1st August, again at the cricket ground.

If anyone who has reserved a place on one of the schools, who now finds they cannot attend, please get in touch with Andy Gledhill on andy_gledhill@hotmail.co.uk as soon as possible. For anyone who has not booked, and would now like to attend, please also contact Andy as soon as you can. Places will be available on a daily basis, if anyone is unable to attend for the full week - again get in touch with Andy.

Players attending the Summer Schools will need to bring along a packed lunch each day.

The Summer Schools are great fun, and are run by qualified cricket coaches on a professional basis. If anyone outside the club is interested in attending - please get in touch as soon as possible.

Old Style Cricket coming to Holmfirth in 2009

Make a date in your 2009 diaries now - Sunday 12th July. On this day we are planning a really spectacular day, when the ground will host a cricket match played in the style, and to the rules of cricket as it was played in the early 19th century!

This means underarm bowling, unprepared wickets, top hats and all the fun of the fair! Cricket matches in these long gone days were colourful events, with a wide variety of sideshows. We are looking to re-create the fun and excitement of these early cricket matches here at Holmfirth. Planning is in the very early stages, but we have enlisted the help of the Calderdale and Kirklees Cricket Heritage Project, and we are researching details from old cricket books to make this an authentic recreation of olden days cricket!

If anyone is interested in helping with the planning of this unique event, please get in touch through the contact button on this website.

Clubhouse improvements

The club has embarked on a major renovation of the Clubhouse. The downstairs layout is being redesigned to make better use of the space. The large shower area has been divided into two shower units - one for home and one for away teams. It is hoped these will be tiled and ready for the first match of the season later in April.

Both dressing rooms have been redecorated and a new boiler installed to give more hot water for the showers, and to help upstairs heating.

Grant applications have been made to Kirklees, and should we be successful we will be able to commence with phase two of the project - the moving of the away dressing room into the area where the old showers were. Then the tea room will be moved from upstairs into the space freed up. This is likely to take place at the end of the current season.

In the long term, the whole upstairs area will be redeveloped, with major work on revamping the bar.

New windows with shutters are being installed. The Clubhouse continues to be a target of vandalism, and this will hopefully give more protection to the building. This is quite costly, but we are able to proceed through the generosity of one of our members, who is funding this for the club.

Ryan Sidebottom's success continues

The Club has been delighted to see the continued success of former junior player Ryan Sidebottom. Ryan had an excellent series in New Zealand with the England team, and he ended up being awarded the “Man of the Series” due to his superb match winning bowling exploits. Ryan has also being named by Wisden as one of its five “Cricketers of the Year”. He has been selected from all the players worldwide - not just England players, so this is really a fantastic achievement. On top of all this, Ryan recently got married, so he has had a great few months!

Everyone at the club sends Ryan their congratulations, and we will be following his exploits in the test matches this Summer with great interest. We hope that Ryan will find the time to come back to the club later in the year, as we do consider him to be one of our own!

Club is awarded “Clubmark” status

On 30th October, Holmfirth Cricket Club was presented with the certificate confirming that the club had achieved “Clubmark” status from the ECB.

The certificate was presented to Club Chairman David Whiteley and Janet Armitage by England and Nottingham fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom, during the Junior Presentation evening in the clubhouse.

A huge amount of effort has gone into reaching this very prestigious level, which indicates to the wider world that Holmfirth is a safe and caring club for young cricketers, and that the club is properly organised along nationally recognised lines. We would like to thank Club Coach Tony Eustance for his guidance and wise council, and to the many who have helped with the “Clubmark” project.

“Clubmark” puts the Club on a higher level, and has benefits all round, particularly to those younger cricketers who come to us to develop their cricketing skills in a fun and safe environment.

Picture shows Ryan Sidebottom presenting the “Clubmark” certificate to David Whiteley and Janet Armitage.

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