Cricket: Life membership honour for Crimble great

Photo: Heywood Cricket Club

Jack Wilson, second left, with Ralph Farmer, Bobby Cross and Jim Porter at a club reunion a few years past

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Jack Wilson, one of Crimble’s greatest players and benefactors, has been awarded Life Membership of Heywood Cricket Club.

The announcement was made at the annual meeting by Heywood’s record run scorer Bobby Cross, who said: “It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Jack Wilson on being awarded Life Membership in recognition of his incredible service to the Club.”

Cross was able to recount words written in a Heywood match programme in 1973, which read: ‘Sport apart, Heywood Cricket Club have Jack to thank for lending his expert knowledge to the drawing up of the plans for the extensive alterations to our Pavilion and for seeing these alterations carried through.

‘The club wishes Jack and his family every success in the future, and may the sun never set on his contributions to our club, on and off the field.’

Cross added: “Some 45 years later, those comments still ring true with Jack’s ongoing contributions to the Club.

“Jack played for the 1st XI for more than 20 years and was captain during that time. Over his Heywood career he scored some 6,027 runs, the Club’s sixth highest all-time amateur run scorer, and took 191 catches being regarded as a brilliant fielder.

“Off the field, during his professional life, Jack assisted the club with many alterations and additions that are visible to this day. These included:

Organising and supervising the construction of the back room.

Supporting the construction of the existing changing rooms.

Moving the bar back from the centre of this room to its current position and putting in place the support for the club that remains to this day.

“I am told that, at one stage, players were physically holding up the roof whilst the project took place,” added Cross.

Since retiring, Jack’s support for the club has never waned, and his projects include:

• Arranging the supply and fitting of the sign at the top of the hill.

• Arranging for the pruning of the trees on the lane down to the club and behind the scorebox.

• Providing the club with new fencing around the entire bottom field to improve the appearance and security.

• Organising and supervising the resurfacing of the access road to make the club more attractive to visitors and members alike.

• Arranging for the much-needed refurbishment of the gents toilets.

• Being involved extensively with expertise and advice in relation to the new changing room project, for which Heywood continue to seek grant funding.

• And the latest, a donation to allow the repair of the foyer roof and then the redecoration of the foyer, the decoration of the main lounge and new furniture throughout.