Our History
Woodford Cricket Club-Formed 1893
Woodford Cricket Club was formed in 1893 where the club first played on a field off Old Hall Lane before moving to ground by the Davenport Arms (Thief’s Neck) opposite Christ Church on Chester Road, Woodford. Moving to the present ground, Moor Lane, Woodford in 1936
The first recorded press release dates back to 1895 where it mentions the club:
“For a powerful eleven in the game of cricket, one would not readily look to the little village of Woodford, between Poynton and Wilmslow, but it is a fact none the less”
Until the outbreak of the First World War the club played friendly fixtures against local teams however, after the war Woodford Cricket Club joined the Adlington and District Cricket League. Other member clubs were Whiteley Green, Langley, Adlington, Pott Shrigley, Oak Grove, Norbury and Higher Poynton. Woodford were quite successful, winning the league in 1925 and K.O Cup Winners in 1933.
In 1933 the Club Chairman, Edward Robinson, suggested that the Club should hold a Sports Day and Gala to augment Club Funds. The event, which included races, tug of war, coconut shies, Aunt Sally’s skittles and refreshments, took place on a field made available by Arthur Gibson of Pump Farm.
The Gala became an annual event that subsequently included a horticultural show and was later held at the Club’s present ground with the Rose Queen pageant being included in 1939.
The Woodford Estate of over 1,200 acres was sold and the Estate was then gradually split up. The Davenport Arms and Farm was sold to Robinsons Brewery and as a long term tenancy could not be secured the Club began to look for another ground.
In 1935, the Club unanimously approved the purchase of the present ground at Moor Lane, Woodford, for an annual chief rent of £15.
James Petch, Edward Robinson, Jim Pimlott and Frank Snape were instrumental in securing the purchase later the same year and to which we are deeply indebted to.
The 1936 season saw the first game of cricket played at the new ground and in 1937 Woodford Cricket Club became Woodford Cricket and Tennis Club. Although Tennis became a thriving aspect of the club during to 40s and 50’s, Tennis membership declined and the Club were forced in to disbanding it in the early 1960’s.
1959 Woodford Cricket Club joined the Cheshire Cricket Club conference, in part due to the disbandment of the Adlington League and until this time, the club reverted to friendly cricket fixtures.
In 1969 after several years of preliminary discussions and fund raising, outline plans and estimates were approved for a new cricket pavilion. The project was completed during the 1971 season at a cost of £3,000 which was funded by a 50% grant from the Department of the Environment, a £500 loan from the Playing Fields Association, donations from Woodford Residents and Club fund raising efforts.
The new cricket pavilion was officially opened by then club President, James A Petch in August 1972 when a game took place against a Cheshire Conference XI captained by Peter Birtles.
In 1974, Woodford CC became founder members of the Cheshire Cricket League which brought great opportunities and accolades to the club.
The 80’s saw the development of an outstanding group of Woodford Cricket Club junior players who went on to win High Peak Junior Cricket League K.O Competition in 1982 and the Cheshire League Colts K.O Competition in 1982 and 1983.
1993 saw Woodford CC mark the “Centenary Season” with our “Cricket Week” with matches against The Lords Taverners & The MCC.
Throughout the remainder of the 1990′s the club remained in the Meller Braggins League until 2005, when the teams and indeed the club as a whole was somewhat in decline, this eventually led to us being relegated into the Cheshire Cricket Alliance.
All was not lost however, the relegation seemed to breathe a new lease of life into the club, and our junior set-up was resurrected from which we are now reaping the rewards both on and off the field.
Starting off with a handful of under 11′s & under 13′s in 2006, we can now boast a junior section to rival any of the more predominant clubs in the Cheshire and Greater Manchester area and have teams from Under 7′s up to under 19′s and increasing junior membership.
The resurrection of the junior section has been an amazing success story for Woodford Cricket Club, from that handful of young buck’s some have gone on to represent Cheshire at various age levels and also secured their own places in the various senior teams.
The club can now boast an even greater number of qualified coaches at all levels with at least three new coaches passing the ECB approved courses for the last few summers. We have a number of juniors who have become activators to help start them on their coaching route.
The club again saw success in 2010 with all 3 senior teams gaining promotion from their divisions along with the under 14′s & 15′s team winning trophies.
10 years later we have come through our, and the country’s most difficult year, despite national lockdowns we were able to play some cricket during 2020 for juniors and seniors who have been planning for a full 2021 season.
In 2021 we have launched a fundraising effort to refurbish the nets this is such a vital part of the club to allow high-quality coaching and practice for the junior and senior teams.
