SANTA WORKSHOP
Upcoming Events…..
🎄 SANTA WORKSHOP 🎄
Friday 8th & Saturday 9th December 2023
OUR FANTASTIC SANTA WORKSHOP IS TAKING BOOKINGS:
Tickets will be available from 10am Saturday 14th October 2023
Limited availability, so don’t wait, click on the link below.
* CLICK HERE FOR SANTA WORKSHOP TICKETS
SAD NEWS – Dave Spencer RIP
David Spencer
Christleton Cricket Club is saddened to announce the passing of Vice-President David Spencer at the age of 91.
Universally known as ‘Dave’, his funeral was held at Christleton Parish Church on Friday 5th October.
Born in Hoole, Dave gave a lifetime of exemplary service to local businesses and community organisations.
A lifelong love of sport saw Dave playing football and cricket as a young man. In cricket, Dave was a stalwart wicker keeper/ batsman in a successful Hoole side. Our own club’s scorebooks reveal some of Dave’s qualities as a pugnacious batsman scoring a high percentage of his team’s runs. Dave is remembered for his safe hands behind the stumps. If the keeper is the heartbeat of the fielding side, it is easy to imagine Dave setting a determined example as he drove his colleagues on.
When Dave’s son Chris began to play for our club, Dave’s interest in local cricket was rekindled. There was a lot of family interest as Chris regularly took over 50 wickets and smashed it over square with the bat. When Chris relocated to Merseyside, Dave continued to be a keen supporter of our club, diligently carrying out a selection of valuable roles on matchdays. For many years we were proud to count Dave amongst our steadfast group of Vice-Presidents.
We will miss Dave not just for his commitment to the club but mainly because he was such a lovely man to spend time with.
Our deepest commiserations go out to Chris and the whole Spencer family at this sad time.
Sad News – John Noden RIP
Everyone at Christleton CC was saddened to hear of the recent passing of our longstanding member John Noden.
John started playing at the club in 1974. At the time, the club was still in the Manchester Association and playing on the ‘old ground’.
The next few years saw tremendous change at the club with a move to a new ground and the recently formed Cheshire League. In those days, John was becoming an increasingly influential figure at the club, taking over as 2nd XI Captain in 1977 and doing this job for 6 seasons. Players of that era remember John as a good and fair captain. He was one of a select group of cricketers anywhere to have taken 4 wickets in 4 balls. 
John was skipper of the 2nd XI in 1981, one of the club’s most successful years, a year in which the numerous trophies won included the Aggregate Trophy, reflecting the all-round playing strength of the club at that time.
As well as his playing strengths, John was one of a small group of qualified umpires at the club whose certificates were proudly displayed for many years. It was rare to meet a qualified umpire in those days and so John; Dave and Gareth were ahead of the game and very useful reference points on the laws of the game when information was not as freely available as it is nowadays.
John became Chairman of the club in 1980, a role he held for 11 years. He is remembered as a decisive and forthright Chairman, steering the club with a reassuring calmness and efficiency throughout his lengthy tenure in this key role.
Having already given so much to the club, John then agreed to become Head Groundsman, a volunteer role that John committed himself to for 20 years. John’s pitches were always well prepared, his task made more difficult before the era of covers by a succession of wet summers and a ground prone to holding water in the middle of the square. Rudimentary mathematics suggests that John must have prepared over 500 pitches at the club, which is quite a feat.
However, when the members and friends of Christleton CC remember John, whether as a player, captain, chairman or groundsman, the overwhelming memory will be of a friendly and dedicated chap, a lovely man who gave a lifetime of service to our club.
In recent years, John’s visits to the ground became fewer as a result of heath issues. However, he remained a loyal Vice-President, always supporting the current incumbents of his roles in the club.
John Noden was a Life Member for over 20 years and a true lynchpin of the club. His contribution was massive. We will remember John and everything he did here. We send our respectful best wishes to John’s family and friends.
John’s funeral will take place on Friday 5th May, 3.20pm at Chester Crematorium.
Membership 2023
Membership fees for 2023 are now open for payment for members playing at intermediate and senior level. Online payment, preferred, can be made using the link below.
Junior membership and fees will be subject to a separate communication from the age specific coordinators.
An audience with Aggers
New club shop
Our new Masuri club shop is now up and running and ready for orders. Features a range of playing and training kit for seniors, juniors and ladies. All items delivered within 5-7 working days (rather than 18-24 months like our last supplier!).
Remembering Bob Lewis
Members of Christleton Sports Club are very sorry to hear of the recent passing of our friend Bob Lewis.
Bob began his association with our club back in the mid 1960s. This era may now be somewhat shrouded by the mists of time but fellow players and spectators remember clearly Bob’s immense contributions to Christleton Football Club.
At the time, football in this country was enjoying a surge in growth and interest on the back of the national team’s legendary 1966 World Cup win. Christleton Football Club caught the mood of the time enjoying one of its most successful and productive seasons, the club’s first in the West Cheshire League, then a highly physical and fiercely competitive competition. The club swept to a promotion from Division 2 in 1966-67 scoring over 150 goals in the process. By far the biggest contributor was Bob with a season tally of over 60 goals. Those who saw him play remember a hard-working centre forward with an eye for a goal, with good anticipation and fast movement, able to finish accurately with either foot and with his head.
Over six seasons the club enjoyed some of its most prosperous times with high placed finishes in Division 1 and many cup successes including the prestigious Pyke Cup. In 1969-70 the club won the Division 1 title, the holy grail of amateur football in this region at that time. Again, Bob’s goals were at the fore. Records from these years are sketchy but eyewitnesses can’t remember a bad match from Bob, let alone a poor season. Readers will be able to work out the likely goal tally for themselves. Bob played out the sunset of his footballing career at our friends and neighbours Chester Nomads.
Bob re-emerged at our club in the 1990s and this time he demonstrated his cricketing abilities. Bob played for our 2nd team and was a skilled performer with both bat and ball. In bowling, Bob was a canny medium pacer who would probe away and wear batsmen down with his consistency. When batting, Bob liked to bat around number 5. He was steady, looking for scoring opportunities and rarely giving his wicket up easily. He was 2nd team captain in 1995.
Bob’s commitment to the club was not just felt on fields of play. He was cricket club Treasurer from 1996-1999 and was main Sports Club Treasurer to boot. Whilst he felt at home both in a penalty area and on a cricket pitch, the world of figures really was his domain. He was a most stringent and exacting money-minder. The whole Sports Club has much to thank Bob for both on and off the pitch.
Whatever sport Bob was playing, he was competitive and liked to win. Off the field, he was the most genial chap you could ever wish to meet, with a ready wit and dry sense of humour.
All at our Sports Club send the most heartfelt condolences to Bob’s family.
Bob’s funeral will take place on Tuesday 13th September at 2pm at St John’s Church in Ashton Hayes. Those in attendance are encouraged to wear a splash of red and white.
Summer cricket camps 2022
We are excited to announce 2 summer cricket camps for 2022 with the amazing Brad Munro. To register please use the online form and payments via Advanced Summer Camp 2022
Sad News – RIP Tom Dewhurst
TOM DEWHURST
Christleton Cricket Club is saddened to announce the passing of Tom Dewhurst, a former player, officer and a Vice President of the club.
Tom was a Cambridge geography graduate and took full advantage of the opportunities to play sport whilst at University. He represented his University at both football and cricket and his finest sporting moment at this time came when he claimed the wicket of England cricket legend Denis Compton, one of the few England batsmen to post a career test average of over 50. Tom then played both football and cricket at high standards in the Lancashire leagues.
Tom moved to Chester in the 1950s to take up the post of Head of Geography at the old City Grammar School. Tom played 1st XI Cricket for our neighbours Chester Boughton Hall for over 10 years in the Liverpool Competition, then a fiercely competitive league. The wickets of the 50s and 60s were uncovered and much more unreliable than today’s surfaces. Centuries were few and far between and so Tom’s excellent hundred at St Helens remains well remembered even to this day.
After not playing for several years Tom joined us and played for 7 seasons. He is remembered as a stylish batsman, as a wily, smooth-actioned swing bowler and also as a safe pair of hands in the slips. Tom took on the responsibility of being the club’s bar treasurer. Above all, he is remembered as a friendly, cheerful chap.
When Tom finished playing, he became a Vice President of the cricket club and we know how much he used to look forward to receiving his fixture book and the prospect of another summer of cricket.
Tom’s visits to the club became fewer as he passed 90 and his health deteriorated. When one of Tom’s occasional visits did take place, it was always good to see him, an affable, friendly man who had made such a huge contribution to the sports he loved. Our condolences and very best wishes go out to his wife Pat and to Tom’s wider family.
Tom’s funeral will take place on Friday 18th March 2022 at 12 noon at Blacon Crematorium.