CHANGING TIMES AT EMLEY CLARENCE CC
by Chris Knowles
There was once a time when Emley only had a handful of pads and bats at their disposal, the Upper Lane pitch was maintained with unbelievably old-fashioned machinery and equipment, and basic utilities were a dream away. However, fast forward a few decades and, as the standard of cricket improves, so do people’s expectations of the club.
For example, traditionally speaking, the involvement of women at the club was limited to tea-making and occasional kit-washing, yet Emley president Mick Onions is quick to explain that this is no longer the case: ‘Recently we’ve had more involvement from many women linked with the club. It’s helping the club but it seems to go in cycles really. It was different before but now, as the club is more family-orientated, women are getting more involved.’
The notion of improvement in all areas is something which Emley Clarence are steadily working on and, after strengthening their teams on the field of play, they can now turn to other aspects of the club. The expansion of the clubhouse is something which will help the club progress forward, bringing more profits through improved refreshment facilities. With planning permission obtained, it will be the case, in the next few seasons, of raising the necessary finance through different sources such as fundraisers and sponsorship deals.
Another relatively new initiative is the recently reinvigorated junior set-up. Perhaps one of the best in the league, the club hope to attract in the region of 50 children of many different ages in readiness for the forthcoming season. Parental involvement and help to support the junior set-up is something which the club urges for the continued success of the juniors in the future.
And, a sign of the times…the website will become an increasingly important part of the club in the future due to the potentialities of improved communication and public awareness. One could argue this is a far cry from the years spent with no basic amenities…
On a different note, one of my articles for the website was going to be based about the name of the club. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to obtain any information about the origins of ‘Clarence’ either from public libraries, the internet or anyone closely linked with the club.
If there is any information out there I’m sure many people at Emley, including myself, would be interested in this story and I would be happy to investigate further on behalf of the club.
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