I've been looking at some old Ribb league handbooks recently and noticed Lucas had a few decent players playing for them.

Jut wondered what the rules were to play for them?
Did you have to work there to play?

I don't think you had to work there, one thing is for sure it was a magnificent place to play with the outfield as good as the square.

Had a few good players back in the 80's, opening bowler Hodgson and I think the opening bat was called Derek Carter, one of the regular Lucas players is a regular following the Clarets away.

Didn't need to work there to play. They had a great setup at the end, always enjoyed playing there

They had an overseas amateur around 92/3 so obviously took it seriously.
I don't think they lasted after 94 though?

Not long after upgrading changing rooms and bar area too.

Wonder what happened, did Lucas as a business start to struggle, so the club was wound down as a cost saving ?

Not sure what happened now. Probably right that the business was struggling at the time. Shame

Just spoke to my dad who said it was all sold to be a housing estate but never happened.

The Bushells ,Roger Law,Swift,Ronald Harrison ,and David Higgins all worked and played for Lucas as well as in the Lancashire League.

https://crickethistory.website/league/r ... index.html
Here's a link to all the Ribb league handbooks they have put on line so far, they seem to be adding one every day.

A lot of swiping to get to the stats at the back but we'll worth it if you played and remember the names.
Each year has the seasons before stats and tables etc..

bodge wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:05 pm

I don't think you had to work there, one thing is for sure it was a magnificent place to play with the outfield as good as the square.

Had a few good players back in the 80's, opening bowler Hodgson and I think the opening bat was called Derek Carter, one of the regular Lucas players is a regular following the Clarets away.

Fantastic place to play cricket.

Derek Carter I know well, he went on to become groundsman at Rawtenstall and then Burnley. He’s also a Claret.

Really was a cracking setup.

Well manicured ground.

Was the second pitch lower down used as well? it was always well cropped. Only at games played on the top.

I remember a few names who played back in the late eighties including;
Donald Tyman and son
John Waite
Jim Heaton and Craig Heaton (on the odd occasion)
IT Carruthers (thought he was Botham)
Gary Moorhouse (and brother?)
Sure there was a Diamond in there and two brothers (Robertson's?).

Best tea in the Ribblesdale league.

Happy days.

I worked for Lucas between mid-80s -early 2000s and played for both their apprentice football team in the Burnley league & also the team they had in the West Lancs league.
The set-up at Reedley was fantastic & some great days up there.
The sports ground was actually originally purchased & ongoing funded by the contribution of employees through the ‘sports & social fund’ that each could opt into from their wage.
Needless to say, it wasn’t well received when the company made the decision to sell-off the land & pocket the money.
Looking at satellite, can clearly still see the cricket ground & the top football pitch - although the clubhouse is long gone and the location of bottom football pitch is now housing.
They were good times, with good people.

Zero wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 8:31 pm

Really was a cracking setup.

Well manicured ground.

Was the second pitch lower down used as well? it was always well cropped. Only at games played on the top.

I remember a few names who played back in the late eighties including;
Donald Tyman and son
John Waite
Jim Heaton and Craig Heaton (on the odd occasion)
IT Carruthers (thought he was Botham)
Gary Moorhouse (and brother?)
Sure there was a Diamond in there and two brothers (Robertson's?).

Best tea in the Ribblesdale league.

Happy days.

Yes: Gary Moorhouse’s brother, Chris, worked at Eastern Ave plant and played
Andy Dymond
Dave Keeley also: great sportsman with a mischievous sense of humour

sportak-mustgo wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 8:38 pm

I worked for Lucas between mid-80s -early 2000s and played for both their apprentice football team in the Burnley league & also the team they had in the West Lancs league.
The set-up at Reedley was fantastic & some great days up there.
The sports ground was actually originally purchased & ongoing funded by the contribution of employees through the ‘sports & social fund’ that each could opt into from their wage.
Needless to say, it wasn’t well received when the company made the decision to sell-off the land & pocket the money.
Looking at satellite, can clearly still see the cricket ground & the top football pitch - although the clubhouse is long gone and the location of bottom football pitch is now housing.
They were good times, with good people.

I was an apprentice at Throstle Mill and they wanted an improved scoreboard so had to walk up to Reedley every morning to invent a rod and universal joint system to make it easier to move the scores round in the mid 60’s .

Yes.

Fuzzy memory.

Its a lifetime ago.

There was a Gregson in there as well..

I played both football and cricket against Lucas teams and the facilities at the club were superb and all sorted by the firm. I assume that originally you would have had to work there, but as time had gone on (late 80s/early/ mid 90s) many (good ) players clearly didn't (Jimmy Heaton, John Waite er al). It seemed almost criminal when it closed and the land was eventually sold for housing. Rolls Royce at Barlick was (maybe still is?) a very similar set up. Great facilities, but definitely not strictly employees of the firm.

Rolls Royce had to change their name to Ghyll in the early 2000s as there was a serious incident with one of their sports teams I presume.
Rolls Royce didn't want the bad press.

They haven't played in the Ribb league for a while though.

Dark Cloud wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 8:51 pm

I played both football and cricket against Lucas teams and the facilities at the club were superb and all sorted by the firm. I assume that originally you would have had to work there, but as time had gone on (late 80s/early/ mid 90s) many (good ) players clearly didn't (Jimmy Heaton, John Waite er al). It seemed almost criminal when it closed and the land was eventually sold for housing. Rolls Royce at Barlick was (maybe still is?) a very similar set up. Great facilities, but definitely not strictly employees of the firm.

You're right on Rolls Royce as I played there for a number of years

Most names on this thread have played for Belvedere since Lucas closed.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:38 pm

Fantastic place to play cricket.

Derek Carter I know well, he went on to become groundsman at Rawtenstall and then Burnley. He’s also a Claret.

Derek Carter was the step dad of 3 brothers I used to know well. They were all good cricketers themeselves.
I actually played football a few times with Derek for Grammar School Old Boys - I was only 17 and our team was entered into the Lancashire senior league. Most of our team was my age but we had 2 or 3 older players who usually turned out for us to look after us !! Derek was one of them….as was Steve Emmott and Ray Walne (Ray was a class player).

Derek’s first love was definitely cricket though and he played for Lucas for years.

The facilities at Lucas were brilliant - they used to play the local league football finals down there if it wasn’t at Turf Moor. I’ve played in a few finals at Lucas and a few on Turf Moor too and the Lucas pitch was always far better.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 18, 2024 7:38 pm

Fantastic place to play cricket.

Derek Carter I know well, he went on to become groundsman at Rawtenstall and then Burnley. He’s also a Claret.

There's a story Derek tells about how he nearly got divorced shortly after getting married..he was playing for Lucas one weekend and it was a very wet day that required a lot of mopping up. No sponges were available so they required material to roll onto the wicket to bring up the water..

Derek promptly popped home and got a luxury duvet set and bedding they'd been gifted as a wedding present and used that...didn't go down too well with the new Mrs Carter