Cricket Whitewash
 

I went to Accrington Grammar 51-56. Left the area when I was 20 but still come back to watch Stanley most weeks.

Im very interested in cricket and had two seasons with the 1st team at Enfield.

In the 1950s someone used to whitewash the scores and result of the Accrington v Church games on a stone wall on the Accrington side of the traffic lights at Church.

Can anyone tell me the history of this activity and when did it finish.

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

Dont agree with grafitti, its wrong lol

No idea they even did that, I cannot remember it being done (but i wasnt born until 81 and probably didnt take in things like that for a long time after so no idea when it finished)

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

I used to remember that practice but its a long time since to was done, must be thirty years ago, don't know why the practice started, but that wall was virtually on the boundry between the two towns, guess it was one-upman-ship

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

The Lancashire League started in 1892 following a meeting in the Commercial, Acc in 1891. A whitewashed line showing the boundary between Acc & Church was already on the lodge wall , probably put there by Churchites who wanted to keep themselves separate from Accrington, whose new corporation wanted to incorporate Church into Acc.
Following the 1892 match, won by Church, the score was whitewashed/painted at the line. After the 1893 match, when Acc won,some Churchites waited at the line for the 2am arrival of the Accy lads, who were intent on setting the record straight. A battle with stones took place, resulting in the Accies retreeating, leaving the chjurchites free to restore the 1892 result.

After that, each year the winning team appeared to have the right to brag in whitewash. until the next match I don't know when it stopped.

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

Should have thought about that, If Bob Dobson doesn't now about local history, nobody does

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

on the right hand side - under events

http://www.churchcc.co.uk/photo.htm

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

We may have to resurrect that tradition; we play Church this Sunday !:)

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

Not sure of the facts , but I remember one time when Accy beat Church and the white caption gave the winning score followed by "CHURCH WOR SICK!" - Alan Worsick being the local Accy pro. who helped win the match. I think that two of the Accy team spent the night in the cells for their artwork.

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

This thread prompted me to post this.

Church cricket team 1952.
The chap 2nd from left on the front row was our next-door neighbour at the time, Tom Clayton, one of the nicest men you could wish to know. I was going to marry Tom, when I was 3 and he was 19 (I was 9 when this picture was taken), and he said he'd wait for me. Alas he didn't and - I didn't - and well, that's life isn't it? :D

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

Yeah I remember they used to put the score on the wall.I used to go in the Oak Tree and it was nearly right opposite on the wall to the resevoir before they built them new houses.

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

Thats a good photo West Ender, my mothers cousin Alan Burke is at the top right hand corner, I have a feeling that Tommy Law is next to him, I would think Sammy and Harry Pickington are on it too, and Syd Edmunson, but I can't for te life in me pick them out

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

I don't know any of the others, jaysay, although I did know some of them at the time. I think this was the year before Polly Umrigar joined as their "pro". He used to fascinate me - not because he was Indian but because they called him Polly. :)

Re: Cricket Whitewash
 

You are right Jaysay Tommy Law is on there