Guiseley Cricket Club

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How did Guiseley get its name?

After the collapse of Roman rule here in the fourth century, wave after wave of Germanic invaders made their way up the river valleys. They were led by petty chieftains who selected promising locations for settlement. These newcomers associated Roman culture in general, and city life in particular, with decadence. They took pride in a hard life. To pursue manliness they cleared areas of forest, lived in wooden huts, kept sheep and cattle, ploughed the soil, planted grain crops and and hunted. These forest clearings were called “leahs” and the word still survives as a suffix to many local places including Otley, Ilkley, Burley and Shipley.

The precise date, during the seven hundred years of barbarian invasion, when Gislic created his new settlement here cannot be determined. He sited it a mile or two from the nearest river and might have been drawn to the spot after noticing the abundant supply of fresh water provided by the spring which for centuries in the future will feed the village well. “Gislic” is a diminutive, a pet name, which the Saxon chief who came here continued to use in adult life. The survival of the new community was problematic, rather than guaranteed, but Gislic’s leadership was efficient enough to ensure its continuance after his death. The pioneering efforts of this blond – haired Angle are commemorated in the name given to his village, Gislic’s leah, or Gislic’s glade.

And in more recent times…

The earliest Guiseley Cricket Club can be traced back is to 1853 with a newspaper cutting advertising a game between the “Kirkstall Education Cricket Club” and the “Guiseley Union Cricket Club” dated 22nd August 1853. It is believed that the club was in existence long before this date.

In 1880 an Aireborough Guide (circa 1950) leaflet quotes “Guiseley United CC ground near the Commercial Inn (now the Yorkshire Rose) which later became the home of Guiseley St Oswalds CC from which, according to the note Guiseley Cricket Club was formed and subsequently played there for a few years”.

Fixture lists for 1887 (Guiseley) and 1888/89/90 (Guiseley Cricket and football club) set the club at Netherfield, New road (two minutes from Guiseley train station). The fixture lists vary from year to year as they were pre-league games

Guiseley was one of the founding members of the Airedale and Wharfedale league which, was formed during the winter of 1892 and began as a competition in 1893. The league competition lapsed in 1916 during the great war and Guiseley (amongst others) joined the Yorkshire Cricket Council League comprising of some 90 clubs.

Matters relating to the club off the field brought change in 1919 the land in Guiseley had a change of ownership. The owner W.W. Thompson Esq sold the property to Jonathon Peate a textile mill owner and he generously gave it to the Guiseley Unitary Development Council to be used for recreational purposes. This is now the current home of Guiseley Cricket Club on Netherfield Park, Otley Road.

1925 saw the formation of the Airedale and Wharfedale Section within the Council and ten years later the section resigned from the council en-bloc and formed the present league the Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League (A&W.S.C.L). (Guiseley C.C. in 1926 Pictured opposite with the northern section cup and league winners trophies.

In 1933 the name of Norman Threapleton (Club President and A&W.S.C.L Vice President) appeared on the team sheet where it was to stay through out his long and distinguished career at Guiseley. Other ‘famous cricketer’s’ to grace Guiseley Cricket Club and to go on to represent county/country are the irrepressible Brian Close (1946/47) and Jack Van Gelowan. Jack went on to play for Yorkshire and Leicester in the late 1940’s and 50’s having the distinction of taking 100 first class wickets and 1000 runs having started at Guiseley and made his first team debut at the age of 16.

During the 1960’s Guiseley the good times rolled with the 1st eleven League Championship being held at Nethermoor in 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1969. The Waddilove Cup found its way to Nethermoor Park in 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967 and 1966 as well as the second eleven league in 1960 and the Birtwhistle cup in 1968. This was undoubtedly Guiseley’s finest period of cricket success spanning a decade since the club first entered the A&W.S.C.L back in 1935.

Early in the 60’s the club looked to the future, thinking in terms of a new (third) pavilion with up-to date facilities and perhaps a bar. Embarking on prolonged negotiations with Leeds City Council for planning permission the then secretary Ralph Standen bore the brunt of the work involved. This came to fruition in 1972 when the new club opened, but in partnership with our next door neighbours Guiseley AFC and this proved a lifeline to both clubs

The 1970’s and 80’s could not live up to the glory years of the 60’s with the first eleven winning the League championship in 1971, 73 and 1984 before being relegated to Division ‘B’ in the early 1990’s before winning the Division ‘B’ Championship in 1996 to be promoted back to the top flight.

The Second Eleven had a very successful 1980 and 90’s winning the League in 1980, 84, 86, 87, 90, again in 1994 and recently in 2002.

The Birtwhistle Cup was also won in 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001 (a League record four Cup wins in succession).

The 2000 season was a good year and 2001 has proved to be just as successful for all teams. 2001 has been very successful at Guiseley for seniors and juniors alike winning two senior cups (including a new senior league cup record) and one junior cup. The 1st eleven has won the Waddilove Cup (The Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket 1st League Cup) making the final for the fourth year running (retaining the trophy in 2002) and finishing as runners up in the league. In 2000 the 1st eleven were Division A Champions and Runners up in the Waddilove Cup (for the second year running) .

In 2001 the 2nd eleven won the Birtwhistle cup (The Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket second League Cup) for a league record fourth time and also hold the cup record for most unbeaten matches played. The 3rd eleven have finished high in the league this year despite winning Ian Chappell Cup and finished 2nd in the league (having won it the before in 1999) in 2000.

A steady stream of young players have come through the juniors and three of these Glen Taylor, Andrew Paley and Adrian Threapleton have devoted their cricket to G.C.C as well as representing the league at all age levels as well as captained Guiseley. Joe Sayers who started his cricket at Guiseley, has now Captained the England u19 XI and Oxford University. He is now a fully contracted player with Yorkshire CC and has gained his 2nd XI Cap.

The Club has provided to the League a President, Mr G. E. Schofield, a Treasurer Ronnie Claughton and a secretary Norman Threapleton as well as many committee men. The club has been served by many people, Dennis Kirkbright, Treasurer since 1974 and life members John Whittaker and Michael Mitchell. The wives too have many years of service, Phyllis Stocks, Dorothy Kirkbright, Jean Threapleton, and Carol Whitaker again, to mention a few.