History

The Club was founded in 1870 but little is currently known about its history until we get into the 20th century.

The earliest surviving AGM records are dated 1920 which show that the meeting was held in the Cavendish Institute Reading Room on October 14th. The Duke of Devonshire was President, as he is today, and both Chairman and Captain was the Rev Cecil F Tomlinson. The Rev remained Chairman until 1946.

The oldest silverware in existence is a medal awarded to Joseph Tiffany (Ed`s great grandad) for the fielding prize, in 1922.

It was noted in the 1927 AGM that “the numerous defeats were not due to the falling away of the team`s ability but to the better class of teams encountered”!

The 1929 minutes told us the cost of a cricket bat was shown to be £2, whilst “the concert of 1929 realised £14.13d”.

In 1930 a dance was arranged for Boxing Day and a Military Whist Drive for the next February.

In 1931 “the season had been the most successful for some time, playing 17, 10 of which were won, 5 lost and 2 drawn”.

The minutes of the 1935 AGM make reference to a “tent” being used on the ground, probably a temporary measure until 1937 when the new Gibb Memorial pavilion was erected, thanks mainly to the generosity of one Mrs Reddin who was subsequently made a life member.

In 1947, when the rent of the ground from the Winterburn`s Red Lion Farm was £5, it was noted that “the relaying of the pitch damaged by bombs was to be left in the hands of Mr Hey” (the former Captain, now Chairman).

Old fixture cards show that some fixtures survived until the club joined the Nidderdale League in 1998. In 1938 the club`s first game was on April 30th at home to North Leeds and its last game at home to Ilkley Corkscrews. In this season the club also played evening games against Settle and Colne and Nelson Gents. Secretary in this year was one Roy Newall, who was scorer until his death in 1988. Similar longevity as player and committee member was Mr Herbert Ward, from the 1920`s until his death in 1965.

In 1952 the fixtures included Hawks, Addingham, Olicanians, Halifax Nomads, Romany and British Electric.

 In 1971 members subs were £1.50 plus 10p every Saturday home game.

In 1982 the club had decided, and agreed with The Estate, to move grounds from Red Lion Farm over the river to where it is located now, adjacent the Devonshire Arms. This feat of engineering was orchestrated in the main by William Hodgson and the 1937 timber pavilion was taken down and rebuilt piece by piece on a new concrete base.