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From the early 1970,
Continental CC and Rangers CC have been “stakeholders” in cricket at Handsworth Park,
Birmingham.
They were early members of “the Park League” before joining the “Business
House League” in 1983. As the quality of the cricket pitches in Birmingham’s parks was
simply poor and getting worse, most cricket enthusiasts drifted to clubs
with better facilities.
Teams playing “park
cricket” were predominantly of West Indian and Asian ethnicities.
Currently only in two or three parks is there any serious cricket played,
with Handsworth
Park remaining the
only one entertaining ethnic Caribbean-led cricket.
By 1994 Continental
and Rangers CCs decided that the pitch had become quite dangerous to play
on, and after a meeting they mandated Mr Tony
Martin to investigate and express the teams’ concerns
to the Parks Department managers. This led to an “Agenda for Change”, and
in the autumn the pitches were dug up and relayed. In truth, the
cricketers spearheaded most of the maintenance while the Council
manicured the grass, cut and rolled the pitches. Because most of the work
was contracted out, the quality was not always adhered to.
In 1997 members of
both teams again requested Mr Tony Martin,
the then manager of RCC, to seek entry into the Warwickshire Cricket
League possibly as a single cricket club. Following a visit from the WCL
representative, acceptance was assured. And so, in the summer of 1999,
both teams amalgamated to form the “Continental Rangers CC” in any effort
not to completely “lose their identity”. However, in a subsequent effort
not to be classed as a “private club” using Park facilities, the name was
changed to “Handsworth CC” in 2001.
Placed in Division 5
of the Warwickshire Cricket League, HCC rapidly progressed to Division 1
by 2007 and to the Premier Division for 2008. In 2003 both the Women and
Youth sections were formed – and still progressing. The Women team plays
in the Midlands Women Cricket League, and the Youth section boasts active
Under 11s, 13s, and 15s teams.
Finally, HCC was
accredited the Sport England Clubmark, signifying its high quality
coaching, good child protection in-house policy, and its equal
opportunity policy and practice and good governance. Accordingly, HCC
seeks to enable high quality standard of cricket and the effective and
efficient development and management of the cricketing facilities within Handsworth Park. BUT, to do so completely and
successfully, it still needs to ensure the full loyalty and commitment of
all its playing members for both Saturday and Sunday cricket.
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Enabling Fathers
Mr Gilbert
Blackwood
Mr Francis Nation
Mr Tony Martin
Sponsored HCC Women Cricket
Week in Malvern
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