Claygate
“What is clear is that whilst Claygate is small in
comparison to many neighbouring clubs, we have a
big heart, and will come back stronger and better
placed in the future”.
Despite the impact of the fire, Club Manager Russ Guyatt
who has been a member of Claygate for over 20 years sees a
positive future.
“As you can see by the strength of the fundraising and
re-building effort, we are a strong community-based club.
Senior membership is quite small at around 60, but we now
have around 150 junior members. We run four senior sides -
two competitive league teams on Saturdays, a friendly team
on Sundays and one which plays 20/20 matches. One of the
strengths of the club is the family feel. We have a number of
players in their 60’s and 70’s. and several older players now
play for Surrey Seniors.
“From 2014, our two league sides have played in the Fullers
Brewery Surrey County League. Our 1st XI has been promoted
twice since joining the League and now plays in Division One.
Our 2nd XI has had mixed fortunes and now plays in the
second tier of the Second Division Championship.
Russ continued, “Thanks to growing support, we’ve been
able to put substantial effort into developing our juniors
and the benefits are really starting to show with some great
prospects playing at the junior level. We now have eight teams
playing competitive cricket in the West Surrey Youth League
and Kwik Cricket (now All Stars) continues to flourish on a
Sunday morning. The club also started to reach out directly to
local schools running Kwik cricket training sessions in Claygate
and Esher Schools. The club has hosted several schools’ Kwik
Cricket competitions featuring local primary schools.
“We started to coach a number of girls recently and we had
our first competitive game last summer. We are now looking
for our own female coach.
“A number of years ago we invested in an all-weather
artificial strip so we are able to play junior games even after
bad weather, or if there is heavy use of the main cricket
square. Last year and before the fire we carried out three major
improvement projects: installing a second artificial wicket
so we can now run two junior matches on the same day,
purchasing a mobile net which enables use with the artificial
pitch, flattening the bowling ends and laying a completely new
pitch. Our new club nets opened two years ago and are used
extensively.
“All this has benefitted from solid sponsorship support
and community backing and we are very grateful to local
estate agent Grosvenor Billinghurst with shirt sponsorship at
both adult and junior level. The Hare and Hounds - the local
pub and restaurant - has also given us generous support and
provides a great place to meet!”
So in its132nd year Claygate is facing major challenges
created by that night in November, but with typical Claygate
spirit they are looking forward to their new clubhouse which
hopefully will be open and ready at the end of 2018.
President Steve Wells added, “What is clear is that whilst
Claygate is small in comparison to many neighbouring clubs,
we have a big heart, and will come back stronger and better
placed in the future”.
www.sportip.biz
51