Wallasey Cricket Club Replacement Perimeter Fence

HISTORY

Our club was founded in 1864 and this is our 157th year. After playing at various locations throughout Wallasey, we secured our permanent ground here At the KJM Oval in Rosclare Drive in 1921. This year is our centenary, the first game being played on St Georges Day - April 23rd 1921.  

THE LIVERPOOL & DISTRICT COMPETITION

Wallasey Cricket Club have been playing cricket in what is now the Liverpool and District Competition for over 100 years. This is one of the premier club competitions in the country. We currently have three teams playing in the respective 1st, 2nd and 3rd team Saturday/Sunday leagues and each team is in its respective premier division. The 2nd team are the reigning champions, having won in 2019 and due, to the sporting disruption last year, no competition was held so we are hoping to be able to defend our title in the upcoming season.

NEW THIS YEAR

This season, we've entered a team in the new Liverpool Comp. Veterans' League (over 40’s) that will be playing T20 games on Wednesday nights in early Summer.

LADIES' CRICKET

We've also started Ladies’ cricket this season. We recently had our inaugural session and were delighted that more than seventy turned out. The intention is to apply to join an appropriate league for next season.

OUR JUNIORS

Junior cricket is a major part of our Club. At all levels, we identify that they are our very future. We now have over 100 junior members (from 4 to 18 years old) and have successful teams in each of the respective year groups. Friday nights and Sunday mornings are our dedicated Junior times for both coaching and playing.

THE COMMUNITY

We very much see W.C.C. as being a community club here in Wallasey. During recent lockdowns, we have opened the ground to local residents as a safe exercise and dog walking area.

 We also run a couple of festivals during the year when we encourage everyone to come and enjoy our beautiful location and the entertainment and hospitality available. This year, in November, we are planning to have our Firework night for the first time in a couple of years, 2019 was rained off and last year we fell foul of the general lockdowns!

SOCIAL

Our Clubhouse is a hive of activity. There's a pre-school group on weekdays. We have a thriving Darts section. Our newly-refurbished bar will (when restrictions allow) once again be a focal point for meeting, watching sport on television, conversation, discussion and, no doubt, differences of opinion!

         Our fast bowler Chris Bourne celebrating his hat-trick at the Club bar!!

THE PROJECT

The cast iron railings which had been in place from our first year here had deteriorated over the years and become a major liability rather than an asset. Small sections were fine but many stretches had gone missing and even worse, in several places had rusted and become detached from the framework with a tendency to give way, leaving sharp, dangerous pieces which could have caused serious injury to passers-by on the pavement outside of the ground. We therefore decided that our centenary was the right time to replace this unsightly and dangerous perimeter with a more modern and purpose built fence around the ground.  This new fence is four metres high and replaces not only the railings but the netting above the railings that we had to try and stop well-hit balls from causing damage to the neighbours’ houses and property that completely surround our ground 

FINANCE

As with many, Wallasey Cricket Club has felt the severe financial difficulties created by the pandemic. In the year between April 2020 and March 2021, we've only been able to open for twelve full weeks.

We are very fortunate in that one of our long-standing members donated £20,000 towards the cost of the project.  

This new fencing, which we hope will serve us well for many years to come, is at a cost of c. £60,000 and so we are hoping to raise £40,000 from several fundraising initiatives during the year - one of which will be this Crowdfunding drive.

As a token of our gratitude for donations, we will be supplying a small commemorative gift to all donors, as well as providing a brick-sized plaque on our centenary wall which can be worded in any way you wish (up to 60 characters including spaces) for any contributions of £50 or over.

In addition, various rewards are available and we hope to add more as the campaign progresses.

Please help us to raise the funds we need so that we can continue to provide a safer environment for all who use and live near to the Oval and, especially, to ensure that our ground perimeter is secure for all the juniors that enjoy learning the pleasures that cricket offers.

Thank you.