Stumps drawn for stalwart Ken

In two and a half hours, none of the calls concerns cricket. Stumps were drawn last Saturday and for Ken Gardner MBE an era was almost at an end.

After 40 years involvement with the North Yorkshire and South Durham League - most of it as a member of the wicket keepers' union, 25 years on the league management committee - he steps down as president at the annual meeting and with anxieties for the future.

Chiefly they concern how to attract young players and, once attracted, retaining them. "We have to make them fall in love with the game," he says, and for Ken Gardner the romance is by no means over.

He remains a board member at Durham County Cricket Club, hopes to watch even more cricket, talks a passionate game.

He's a Hartlepool lad, never wanted to be anywhere else, was personnel officer with one of the town's biggest employers and won the MBE for services to industrial relations.

"There's hardly anyone works in Hartlepool, anyway" a fellow member of the wicket keepers' union (Bishop Auckland branch) is said to have observed upon hearing the announcement.

"Aye," said Ken, "but those who do are happy."

He played football for Seaton Carew Holy Trinity, cricket for Castle Eden, became secretary while still an 18-year-old apprentice turner of the Hartlepool Cricket Combination - "I could always write" - and in 1963 joined Hartlepool CC, whom he twice helped win the championship in a 27 year playing career.

"I was a good average player," he says.

In midweek he also played for the incomparable Paragonians, whose 70th anniversary is marked tomorrow evening with a bash at the town's Raglan Club. We are unlikely to have heard the last of it.

Ken has also been Hartlepool's captain, secretary, chairman and president, was given a splendid water colour of the Park Drive ground when he stood down as president in 1996 - "I didn't want suggestions that it was conflicting with the league presidency" - lives a couple of big hits from the ground in the town's well cultivated west end.

"Better not put that in," he says, "people will think I've got money and I haven't."

It was Park Drive, however, which proved one of cricket's great attractions. "It's a beautiful ground, a good wicket, lovely people and some excellent players.

"Cricket has many pleasures, but playing there every other Saturday was really the biggest of all."

The league of which he became president eight years ago stretches from Blackhall to Bedale, Bishop Auckland to Brotton (or somewhere over east Cleveland way, anyhow).

Usually he's taken in three matches every Saturday - "I have to let people bend my ear if they want to" - finishing after tea back at Hartlepool.

He became a Durham County committee member in 1981 - "by invitation, nothing so vulgar as a vote" - helped steer the move to first class status but gives all the credit to Don Robson, Tom Moffatt and Ian Caller.

He stood down in 1991 but was elected to the board seven years later. "The ground is beyond people's wildest dreams and we have plans still further to develop it," he said. "On the field it's been a slightly better season, with lots of potential developments within the club.

"The greatest problem we have in first class cricket is the number of overseas players and holders of EU passports in the game. I'd restrict each club to one, no doubt about it.

"Durham's strength has been in developing their own young players. Geoff Cook has done a marvellous job."

The club game remains his great love, however, and his greater worry. Grounds and facilities have improved dramatically, umpiring standards risen, fitness and fielding gone up (as well they might) by leaps and bounds.

Conversely he's concerned that there's too much cup cricket, too little practice, and too much encroaching football - "bloody football," says Ken, and may be allowed the mild expletive.

He's concerned about escalating indiscipline, especially bad language ("you don't want to hear it if you're walking round with your wife and children"), about covered wickets ("we score more runs, but it discourages the bowlers") and about too many players being paid.

Until recently, only the nominated professional received a little brown envelope.

"I think it's to be regretted that money has crept into the game. Well meaning sponsors are putting up funds to pay players which would perhaps be better spent on the ground.

"It's not as bad as people feel, but there are two or three clubs who could be described as giving inducements to players.

"If someone has five grand to spare, it should be used on improving the pavilion, or the sight screens or whatever, not paying someone else to play cricket."

Worse, it might keep a keen youngster out of the team. "Kids won't hang around waiting to be picked. If they're interested you have to give them a game, or they're back in front of their computers."

Now 62, he's resigning the league presidency and one or two other voluntary offices to allow for other things, but will continue as vice-chairman of the Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust and an independent member of Cleveland Police Authority.

Cricket, and Park Drive, will continue irresistibly to draw him. "As someone may have said before, I'm leaving but I'm not going away."

Amid one or two recent tribulations, good news for George Reynolds, we hear - Darlington's magnificent new ground hosts its first international on Tuesday November 4 when England play Belgium at "semi-professional" level. More later.

Andy McKenna's goal in Tow Law's 6-1 win over Horden on Tuesday was the Lawyers' 5,000th in the Northern League - second in the all time list but still 565 behind Bishop Auckland, who left 15 years ago.

"We expect to overtake them in a year or two," says John Flynn, the Lawyers' lawyer. Willington are third with 4,659.

After another six matches, Tow Law also overtake South Bank's record of 2,562 Northern League games, an occasion which doubtless will be acknowledged. Willington have played 2,542.

The someone who's doing the meticulous counting is Keith Greener in Chester-le-Street.

The great gallimaufry of statistics is at

www.northernleagueclub.co.uk

Whilst Tow Law were entering the record books, the column was at Shotton Colliery - new player/manager Stan Cummins, 45 in December, as energetic as ever.

The former Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Crystal Palace star is also in the Ferryhill Greyhound team which, unbeaten, tops the Over 40s League.

"If you love football," said Stan, "you'll enjoy playing it anywhere."

Meet Greta, at 91 she's the oldest swinger in town!

Oldest swinger in town beyond argument, 91-year-old Greta Whitfield has just won the past lady captains' competition at Blackwell Grange Golf Club in Darlington.

"She's not five feet and a tea leaf tall but a truly wonderful lady and a joy to behold," says Pat Rogers, the present lady captain.

Greta's a bit pleased, too. "I'm a great believer in exercise because if you sit around all day you become the shape of the seat.

"Golf's a strange game, it comes and it goes, but after the first two holes I was hitting the ball really well."

In her youth in Keswick she'd played tennis and badminton, took up golf after moving to Whitley Bay during the war - "there wasn't much tennis" - and has been a Blackwell Grange member since 1971.

Conveniently, she lives just yards from the 18th hole, plays once or twice a week, pulls her own cart and manages a few close to home holes most eve nings.

Greta also won the club rose bowl, the oldest trophy, when she was 87 and hopes to be going around for a while yet. "I'm encouraged by my success; maybe I should play more often."

Still with the old, old story, Tuesday's Backtrack wondered if the redoubtable Bill Smith from North Cowton - between Darlington and Northallerton - were still playing five-a-side football at the Dolphin Centre.

We'd vainly tried to contact him. "It was Monday morning," the column noted, "he was probably out playing football."

Bill subsequently left a message on the answering machine, confirmed that five-a-side with the 40-odds had indeed been his pre-lunch activity but corrected his age. He's not 79, he's 80.

In turn we again called North Cowton; in turn Bill was out. It was 7 30 on Wednesday evening. He'd gone fishing.

And finally....

the Football League club known as The Terriers (Backtrack, September 24) is, of course, Huddersfield Town. Fred Alderton in Peterlee today invites readers to name the only player to score in all four divisions of the "old" Football League and also in the Premiership.

We do the rounds again on Tuesday.

Published: 26/09/2003