Norcross Cricket Club
About
|
|
Officials
Please click here for up-to-date club officials
History
Taken from the Palace Shield 2002 Booklet
Originally formed in 1919, the club started life as the Ministry of Pensions CC in London. As the name implies, the club’s players were primarily drawn from that organisation. When part of the Ministry was relocated to Blackpool in the late 1930s, the club also transferred and was accepted into membership of the Palace Shield competition in 1947. The first match played by the club was in the old Third Division against St. Annes on May 3rd at the club’s then home, King George’s Playing Fields, Fleetwood. The match resulted in a win for Norcross.
As the range of government departments and the number of sites occupied in the Blackpool area have increased in the intervening years, the original name of the club was altered in 1953 to Norcross and Warbreck CC to reflect the sites occupied. Further changes resulted in the adoption of the current name in the early sixties.
In 1955, the club obtained a ground of their own within the government complex at Norcross. The first game took place on 23 April against Springfields which was won by the home team.
Since the reorganisation of the competition in 1969, the club has spent most of the time in the B and D Divisions. Over the years, winning trophies has proved to be an elusive business for the club, although it has not been without pieces of silverware to keep spirits up. However, despite finishing as Champions of the B Division in 1955 and runners-up in 1963 and 1966, the club were not promoted to the higher division of the competition. The then rules allowed for a vote to be taken as to whether clubs should be promoted and Norcross CC was not elected on any of those occasions. Indeed, it had to wait until 1987 before making its debut in the top echelon of the competition, being promoted the previous season. The club subsequently lost top¬flight status after three seasons before regaining it in 1998. This year also marked the club’s first appearance in the Meyler Cup final, a feat that was repeated last season.
The second eleven have had a number of promotions and relegations since the formation of two divisions for second teams, but have now been in the higher division since 1997. Additionally, the team reached successive Loxham Cup finals in the mid¬ 1970s when the competition was played as an evening tournament.
The biggest crisis the club has had to face in recent times occurred in the early nineties when it became clear the club’s ground would be required by the Government for building work. There was no proposal for an alternative venue to be provided and the club’s very existence was in serious doubt. However, the members of the club mounted a ferocious campaign to save the club and fought, and eventually won, the biggest “match” of their lives. As a result, a brand new sports facility was provided near-by, which opened in time for the start of the 1994 season. The first visitors to the ground were Kirkham & Wesham’s first eleven who managed to hold out for a losing draw.
Whilst Norcross CC is still primarily a Civil Service club, nowadays a relaxation in the rules governing membership means that all are welcome and a junior section serves the needs of the sons of civil servants as well as boys from the local community.
Trophies
| Trophy Name | Awarded For | Won in |
| Fylde Cup | Division One (B) Winner | 2008 |
| Deveney Cup | Division One (B) Runner Up | 19511, 1963, 1966, 1986, 1997, 2002 |
| William Sharples Cup | Division Two (C) Runner Up | 2003, 2013 |
| Shaw Cup | Division Three (D) Winner | 1970, 1976, 1996 |
| Langton Birley Cup | Division Three (D) Runner Up | 1968, 1985, 2010 |
| Tom Croft Trophy | Division Four (E) Runner Up | 2014 |
| Steven Kennedy Cup | Runner Up in Meyler Cup KO | 1998, 2001 |
| British Aerospace Cup | Runner Up in Loxham KO | 1974, 1975, 2005 |
Key to notes
sun - The Sunday Competition has had various formats. 1996-2005 - Divison F, 2006-2007 - Two Sections, 2008 Decided by Playoff, 2009- Two Divisions
jw - Joint Winner
1 - Club known as Norcross & Warbreck
Directions
Norcross Cricket Club
Anchorsholme Road
Norcross
Blackpool
Tel. 07398-512133
