Woodhouse Grange CC - Club History
Although the father of the famous International Cricketer, Bill Edrich, managed the Woodhouse Grange Farm in the 1930’s, the Club was founded in 1942 when Mr T.H.Hobson established the present ground as a place for his workers recreation for both cricket and football. The farm workers, who were exempt from military service, enjoyed these facilities each weekend throughout the year as they competed against local sides.
The club quickly became a force in the league winning the York & District Senior League Championship in 1955 and 1956. Club founder Tommy Hobson also became a driving force as president of the league overseeing its expansion from two to five divisions. In 1964 the club formed a second XI and in 1990 won promotion to the second division ensuring that Woodhouse Grange, at that time, were the only club to have both sides in the top two divisions of the league.
The club has worked hard over the years to improve its facilities mainly through member’s efforts and bolstered by various grants from organisations including the Lottery Sports Fund, East Yorkshire Borough Council and Sport England. Woodhouse Grange was awarded Clubmark status in 2007, followed by the prestigious Focus Club category in 2009.
In 1994 a third XI was formed followed in 1999 by a fourth team, both playing in the York Vale League. These two important advances for the club meant yet another major expenditure with the purchase of a second ground. This ground complete with sight screens and brick score box now rivals the first XI ground where it all began in 1942.
The club has had unprecedented success over the years being York Senior League Champions no less than eleven times between 1955 and 2009 including a record four consecutive titles from 1994 to 1997.Woodhouse Grange have appeared at Lords in four National Village Cup Finals winning twice in 1995 and 2007.In keeping with this tradition, in 2008, the club became the first ever to win both Senior (first XI) and Junior (second XI) York Area Charity Cups in the same season.
It is no surprise therefore that when the York Senior League carried out a results analysis some years ago, Woodhouse Grange was declared the most successful club in the League in the previous five decades.
The club founder, Tommy Hobson, was very keen on promoting cricket to youngsters from any age and the Club has happily maintained this tradition with junior sides at U15, U13, and U11 age groups, and an Academy side which is a mixture of Senior and Junior players. The true worth of the Club’s Junior and Academy system could be fully appreciated in 2009, a season of unprecedented success for the first X1, nearly all of whom started with Woodhouse Grange as juniors.
“The road to success is always under construction”
