Stoolball news in April 2005

People are intrigued when they hear of stoolball, particularly if they are not from south-east England. We have had six recent enquiries from around the world that will, hopefully, spread the stoolball gospel.

‘A load of old balls’

The first came from a couple writing a book for English Heritage on old balls used in sport. The project started out as a poster featuring really old sporting balls (from football, rugby, bowls and so on) but, because the topic became so interesting, by the time the couple visited Kay and John Price at their house the poster had developed into a book called ‘A load of old balls’.

They spent nearly three hours taking photos of balls dating back to the 1920s and photocopies of memorabilia. They also bought a stoolball video.

Gulf radio

The next enquiry came from Philip Jay, who does a weekly radio broadcast to the Gulf States. A 30-minute interview was recorded, and broadcast on 6 March 2005. All aspects of the game from 1400 to the present day were covered.

Televised stoolball

The next two enquiries came from TV companies. The first was from the BBC via Peter Cheesman’s son following receipt of our video, ‘Let’s Play Stoolball’. The BBC hopes to produce a programme focusing on the youth side of the game.

This was quickly followed by a request from John Wright of Trans World Sport, who wanted some material on stoolball for the “unusual sports” part of their programme. They have asked to film a game and we have provided them with dates of some interesting fixtures plus, of course, the offer of a video.

The Stoolball Federation of India

Our next and most distant enquiry came from Mr Pravin Manwatkar, representing the stoolball Federation of India based on Kamal Chowk, Nagpur, India. Pravin wants as much information as possible about the game and is anxious for him/them to develop the game throughout India and the rest of Asia!

We shall be sending him our video and rules of the game booklet. He has also issued an invitation to anyone from the stoolball world to visit India and give first-hand instruction. In view of this southern hemisphere interest we would love to hear from anybody who has contacts in or who travels anywhere near the Nagpur district of India.

The French connection

The last enquiry came from Neville Goward and his wife, who are living in France and played their stoolball in Sussex - his wife in Mountfield and he in Haywards Heath.

They volunteer help to teach English to the children in their village and have been asked to demonstrate a typically English game - stoolball, a good choice. We are working out how to get wickets, bats and balls to them in time for a particular school occasion in May.

Being involved with a sporting governing body throws up all sorts of challenges! With all these enquiries we think our modern-day developer of the game, WW Grantham, would be proud. We have been in email correspondence with his grandson, David Grantham, who lives in New Zealand.

There has been a marvellous response to our request for old scorebooks. Kay Turner (nee Hitchcock) has turned out a box full of East Preston scorebooks going back to the 1950s.

Kay is still a member of East Preston Stoolball Club (near Rustington, West Sussex) and is also secretary of the Coastal League.

The East Preston club is over 100 years old and it was very exciting to receive not only the scorebooks, but also scorecards of games between Sussex and Kent, Surry and the Sussex Divisions, and between the Coastal League and Chanctonbury League. These scorecards are very similar to those produced at county cricket matches, and include the phrase: “this scorecard may not include the fall of the last wicket.” Very professional!
Read more on Memorabilia…

A book produced some 30 years ago, ‘West Sussex as seen through the eyes of the WI’, has some excellent articles including ‘Village Stoolball’ by Enid Dunlop from the Funtington and West Stoke WI.

She recalls how she started playing in 1917 and how the team travelled to away matches in a horse-drawn wagonette driven by a farmer, who also acted as umpire when they got to their match.

Later on she tells how the local coal merchant invested in a motor coach as a sideline to his business, which enabled the team to go further afield for away matches. Away games became an “outing” with at least one stop on the way home to “treat the driver” and buy fish and chips for the family’s supper. That really brings back memories.

She goes on to relate that the blacksmith’s wife and her three buxom daughters who possessed “remarkable hitting power” were amongst the keenest and best players. However, on one occasion when the umpire from the opposing team gave one of her daughters out, she disagreed with his decision:

“You wasn’t out Gert!” she bellowed from the scorebox. “You stay in!”

“She is out and she goes” asserted the umpire, swivelling on his heel to address the pavilion.

“Don’t you dare come out, my gal!” threatened the irate mum, but finally their captain had to intervene to pour oil on the troubled waters and the match continued.

There is a lot more to this most amusing article, and it’s worth contacting your WI to see if their records have any local history about stoolball. This book was compiled from information supplied by every WI in the county, and there may be similar publications for Hampshire, Surrey and Kent produced at the same time - 1975. There may even be some photographs because over the years they have produced postcards featuring local scenes.

Ever wondered where you could get a new stoolball wicket? You don’t see them on sale often, so why not build your own?

We’ve added a simple guide for how to do it on our Buy equipment from Stoolball England page, so there’s no reason not to make it your next DIY project. I’m tempted to have a go myself - why don’t you?

How to build a stoolball wicket