Joined at the hip

Woodfield Park

Posted by Peter Davies

Two grounds joined at the hip: Woodfield Park and Armitage Bridge. The players were on and off at Woodfield Park with drizzle and then heavy rain hampering things. The visitors were Edgerton & Dalton and their innings was punctuated by bizarre run outs, some massive hitting and regular dismissals. Chris Jones was one of the two men in white coats: his career as an opening batsman at Almondbury Wesleyans must be on hold. There were few supporters, just a married couple watching their son - and assisting with the scoreboard - and an elderly couple at the front of the pavilion seats. The pavilion itself is officially condemned and not in use, so for many years now a portakabin has been used for teas. Today there was plenty of pizza and a large number of cheese sandwiches all ready to be served. The portakabin walls were also emblazoned with the Woodfield Park cricket heritage exhibition display boards - a great sight! Wilfred Rhodes and George Herbert Hirst once guested for WP as 'ringers' so it's an historic place!

There is no quick way to switch from Woodfield Park to Armitage Bridge even though the two grounds are situated side by side. I tried a footpath recommended by the Woodfield Park scorer but this was too tricky under foot - in fact it was terribly messy and muddy. So I took the long way round - a 20-minute walk up the main road and then down into Armitage Bridge village. On the way I met a dog-walker who seemed to have a much better grip on local geography than I did. And then ABCC and Huddersfield League VIP Andrew Sugden in his car - leaving Armitage Fold after a spot of mid-afternoon cricket-watching. There was more drizzle at this ground. Kexborough had made only 100+ and so the home side were already at the wicket and crafting their reply. I was devastated to discover that I had missed tea and there were no leftovers available so I contented myself with a pint of diet coke and two hot cross buns and two small apple pies (available for free from the barmaid). Setanta Sports was blasting away in the bar and a succession of AB stalwarts were congregating outside the clubhouse including Robert Moorhouse, Richard Pearce, Dave Gronow and John Bunch. Tales were told of Ralph Beaumont's terrible accident on the club tractor - he steered it into the local river but was unhurt - and the wonderful Bridge Fold panoramas: one of the few grounds where you're challenged to see any other buildings so dense are the gorgeous trees surrounding and overlooking the ground. Schofield Haigh is the club's most famous old boy. Today they have a celebrity supporter in John Shires, sports reporter on ITV's Calendar programme.