Crimble Memories – David Fare

David Arthur Fare joined Heywood from Worsley in 1976 and has done it all at the club, a stalwart on the field, Wood Cup winning captain in 1993, a remarkable 790 first team wickets to his name, club Chairman for many years and now involved as a Director of the Greater Manchester Cricket League. Here Dave looks back on his memories of playing for the club:

1. Do you remember your Heywood debut?

My debut was 1976, first match of the season at Littleborough on a Sunday. The day before was my last rugby game of the season, we were playing away at Bury, at 5.00pm I was in Bury General having 15 stitches inserted in my top lip and removal of 2 teeth. At 3.30 pm the following day I went out to bat at No 7 with no helmet, towel for a thigh pad, pink plastic box, mickey mouse batting gloves and a very sore gob. The first ball received in  CLL cricket was delivered by Joel Garner! Will never forget it.

What was your best performance for the club?

My best game came in a Wood Cup semi final at Crimble against Milnrow. In the days before you could only bowl 10 overs. Myself and Paul
Jazwinski bowled 24 overs each I ended with four wickets and then got 67 with the bat.

3. What was your favourite away ground?

My favourite away ground to play at would be Middleton. But I liked Ashton and Stockport because I always did quite well there.

4. Who was the best Pro you played with and against?

Difficult this one. Steve Wundke would be the best all round professional I played with, his stats speak for themselves. May be a surprising choice that considering I played with the likes of Lawson, Ambrose and Flower.

As for best professional I played against, there are too many to mention but bowling at Carl Hooper was not much fun. One bowler who really showed me the difference between my standard and test cricket was Andy Roberts. Faced 6 balls from him, first 5 balls were either leg cutters off cutters and never laid a bat on them, padded up to the 6th ball and lost middle stump!

5. Who was the best amateur you played with and against?

Best amateur (I will discount overseas) was Bob Cooke when he took on the captaincy or possibly Colin Gradwell.

Best I have played against would be either Paul Rocca or Chris Dearden (don’t tell him I said that!)

6. What was your best on field memory?

Winning the 1993 Wood Cup final is the best on the field memory, followed closely by beating Littleborough in the semi (if not for the only reason they had champagne in their dressing room to celebrate their assumed victory).

7. Best off field memory?

Celebrations in my first season when we won the league, lasted all Sunday night and most of Monday. Wood cup celebrations in 1993 was nearly as good!

8. Any other memories you would like to share?

I will always remember Curtley Ambrose in his first game for us against Rochdale. Won the toss and stuck them in for no reason other than we had a 6’8′ West Indian bowler at our disposal, who when I asked him what field he wanted said  ‘you de captain man you set de field’.

At 70/0 things were looking bleak with Ambrose going all over the shop, I had to take him off ‘no problem man’ was his response to this. Then at 90/0 had to bring him back at the pavilion end, he took 8/11 in 4 overs, the rest as we now know is history.

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