Kirkby Malzeard & Laverton
History
Sports in Kirkby
Photo Gallery at the bottom of the page.
Sports of varying kinds will have been played in the area going back way before any records were kept, so the earliest we can go back is the reforming of the cricket club on March 4th 1908, less than a month after the church fire!
Before the formation of the Highside Playing Field Association in 1972, sports were played wherever flat land was available.
Cricket was played in what is now Mike Atkinson’s field, to the right of Buzzards, tennis was played in the field next to the new vicarage at the bottom of Ringbeck, quoits near what is now the entrance to the playing field, and football played where the playing field now is, before moving to a field off Back Lane North.
FOOTBALL
The photo from 1923 shows the first ever Kirkby Malzeard football team. Strangely, they played their first games in the Chapel Field of Village Farm in Laverton, and changed in an old building accross the road.
Back row: S. Atkinson, J.Russell, A.H. Bland, E.Trenholme, A. Cartman. Middle row: H.Waite, J. Dent,P. Beaumont,G.Wright. Front row: C.F. Bruce, A.Lee.
CRICKET
It’s clear from the article below that a form of cricket was played in Kirkby in 1811!
As mentioned previously, the cricket team played in what was called ‘The Park’. The land was owned by Col. Cathcart from Mowbray House, and he was also President of the club.
As can be seen in the Cricket Tournament 1885 document above, there was clearly a team playing then, so it must have later ceased, and reformed in 1908. In 1908, there were 40 members of the club, of which 28 were players. In the first season they won 8, lost 5, drew 1 and one game was tied.
A particular mention should go to R. Prest v. Masham who took all 10 wickets for 21 runs, 5 wickets in 6 balls, including a hat trick. For his efforts, he shared the Leeds Mercury’s prize of £2-5-0 for the best bowling average of the week with another bowler.
Cricket in the park ended in 1975, and moved to the playing field in 1976.
TENNIS
2 tennis courts were located in a field on the left, as you go up Ringbeck, and were certainly there in the 1960’s, and was originally called The Ebenezer Tennis Club. Other than that, I have no information on the history of tennis in Kirkby.
BOWLS
There used to be a bowling green at the bottom of Longswales, close to the R&J site, but I’m not sure of the exact location.
The current location was secured in 1985, and the first matches played in 1989.
QUOITS
One of the original locations of the quoits was close to where the pavilion now is, before it was relocated next to the bowls green.
The only photographic evidence of Quoits being played many years ago is this photo of P.C. Bendilow holding a trophy and a quoit.
SNOOKER/BILLIARDS
Not all sports are played outdoors, and Kirkby has had a snooker/billiard room in the Mechanics since 1896 when the Billiard room was added. £100 was borrowed, the land bought and the new room built. Prior to the room being built, the billiard table had been moved upstairs for a few years.
As a note, in 1884 a bagatelle table was bought for £10, but soon billiards became more popular than bagatelle, so it was sold and a billiard table bought for £35.
Photo Gallery.
CRICKET
Cricket results from 1890 in the Ripon Gazette
Evening League 1949
FOOTBALL
