BY STEVE McHUGH: DAVID Fare has stepped down after being one of the longest-serving chairmen in Heywood Cricket Club history.

The 62-year-old, who took over from Clive Ellis in 1994, handed over the reins to Mike Law at the annual meeting.

But Fare, who is still turning out for the second team and is the club’s all-time record wicket-taker with 789 victims, is still planning to play a prominent role at Crimble if he is, as expected, elected as Cricket Chairman.

He said: “I never expected to be chairman for that length of time but it just seemed to roll on and on. A lot has happened while I have been chairman, but no more so than in the last two or three years.”

Fare was at the helm when the club hit one of its lowest financial points in 1998 and he called an extraordinary general meeting to inform the membership of the grave situation.

But things have been on the up at Crimble ever since.

“The situation was grim at the time,” he recalled. “There was hardly anyone doing anything for the club. It just couldn’t go on, but that meeting seemed to focus the minds of people and we are where we are now.”

Fare was referring to the club being awarded Clubmark status, resulting in a grant for the refurbishment of the pavilion frontage and being chosen as one of three showcase clubs in 2012 for NatWest CricketForce – which will see hundreds of volunteers undertaking a whole host of jobs at the ground on March 31.

He added: “Our fortunes soon turned around after that crisis meeting and the first decade of the new millennium was absolutely fantastic for the first team.

“We won the Championship twice and the Wood Cup four times, and during that period we were a very good side.

“I am very proud of where the club is at the moment. I never thought we would have such a high profile as we have now, and there is only one way forward. It’s a good time for Mike Law to take over.”

Law will be assisted in his role by new vice-chairman John Rhodes, himself a former chairman at Crimble.

“I’m taking over from David Fare at a time when the club is at its most buoyant,” said Law, “and I am extremely honoured and flattered.

“I have talked to David about the possibility of him becoming Cricket Chairman and I hope that he will accept.

“I can’t fill his shoes but you can be sure that everything I do will be for the good of this club.”

President Bob Cross, who handed over a gift to the outgoing chairman on behalf of the club in recognition of his long service in the role, also thanked the various people and sections of the club who had made donations during the past year.

They included £4,000 from Ken Barker to help prepare for the work on the pavilion frontage, which was financed by a grant from Viridor Landfill Community Funding.

Cross reflected on the death of former player Bob O’Keefe, who was also one of the club’s auditors, and said: “He was one of the most popular members of the club and certainly one of the funniest!

“Donations received in his memory, which stand at around £2,000, are going towards the refurbishment of the patio, and his wife Jean wants that area to be named after him.”

Treasurer Gill Knowles, presenting the balance sheet, revealed that income was down by almost £9,000 on the year, mainly due to bar takings being reduced by more than £5,000.

Sponsorship also went down from £10,200 to £7,270, with Biwaters phasing out their long association with the club.

But that was offset to some degree by wages and expenses for stand-in professionals going down from £9,411 to £5,532.

She said: “The bar turnover was down partly because of the poor weather and the fact that it was closed for most of September while the pavilion refurbishment was going on. But the lower professionals’ expenses helped to offset that.”

[Show as slideshow]

Similar Posts:

• Cricket Meeting Called By David Fare To Discuss League Re-structuring
• Heywood CC and John Willie Lees – A Match Made In Heaven
• BREAKING NEWS: Travis Townsend Named As New Heywood CC Pro
• Heywood Cricket Club Monthly Draw Results
• Fare: Something Had To Change To Halt Rapid Decline
• Huge Finish To Season At Crimble On Sunday
• Bruce Hara: Bury, Curries And Passionate John Farrar
• Why NatWest Cricketforce 2012 Is Such A Big Deal for Heywood CC
• Royce Blight: Great Times And Great Celebrations
• Town Right Behind Heywood CC’s CrickeForce Venture