By Charles Randall
30 January 2013
Matfield Green CC should have a new pavilion at long last sometime next summer at their beautiful village ground in Kent, an area where the poet Siegfried Sassoon spent childhood years.
Matfield can boast former resident and England spin-bowler Derek Underwood as their president, but a fire in September 2011 exposed them to a horrendous 2012 when they had no shelter or facilities of their own in the wettest summer for 100 years. They could have been driven back towards extinction without the efforts of a spirited nucleus of players, the village pub and neighbouring residents.
Thanks to National Lottery money and the toil of Brenchley Parish Council, owners of the ground, Matfield can start their revival after receiving a £50,000 grant from Sport England's £20 million 'inspired facilities' hand-out. The destruction of the Jack Wish pavilion left the cricket club in crisis and several youth groups without premises. Forensic investigation found that the fire probably resulted from an electrical failure caused by a rodent, most likely a squirrel.
The old derelict shell has still not been demolished and building work has not yet started, but Simon Knott, Matfield's secretary, hopes that a new facility might be ready in time for the annual match against the Sassoon Society in July.
Last summer the Wheelwright Arms gave cricketers changing room space in a garage, made their toilet facilities available and provided match teas. Neighbouring residents allowed their gardens to be used for equipment storage, a very important concession. Brenchley Parish Council worked long hours picking their way through a complicated planning process.
Knott said: "The local community has been absolutely fantastic, but that awful summer has hit our ability to 'grow' as a club. The loss of the pavilion hasn't helped us to attract new players." As with so many clubs up and down the country, people became disenchanted.
Insurance compensation produced £125,000, but much more money was needed to fund an adequate replacement. In March the preliminary design of a proposed new pavilion went on display in the village hall, but no progress could be made until Sport England grant. Kent County Council added a very useful £8,000 grant plus an additional £2,709 from their Small Community Capital Grant scheme. A construction tender was awarded, but budget problems led to more delay.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council gave permission for demolition and replacement, though the obstacles to building on registered common land still had to be negotiated. Brenchley Parish Council were required to seek permission from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, having initiated the required formal consultation process.
The steady progress encouraged the setting-up of the Matfield Pavilion Phoenix Fund, and on 13 November the parish council announced that all permissions were in place. The new building, a community resource, was expected to incorporate the "best elements of modern cricket pavilion design with traditional, vernacular features associated with the Kent High Weald". The council said they were conscious that the new pavilion had to sit comfortably within the beautiful setting of Matfield Green -- the largest village green in Kent -- and its surrounding properties.
Cricket on the idyllic Matfield Green looked like dying out in the 1990s, but the club switched to a non-league fixture list, which grew to more than 20 matches and revived their fortunes. Nearby Horsmonden CC, who used to hire Matfield for occasional matches, were themselves awarded £44,610 by Sport England to renovate run-down changing facilities.
Bradfield CC, near Reading, was another club hit by fire, when their pavilion was gutted by an arson attack in November 2011. They secured £42,650 of Sport England funding towards a new clubhouse.
The Sport England grants last summer helped many clubs in crisis, such as Matfield Green and Bradfield. Another aspect of their policy was encouraging wider cricket participation.
A good example of this in the south east of England was the £50,000 given to Orpington Football Club in Kent. The footballers, to their immense credit, applied for refurbishment of the pavilion at Goddington Park as part of a wider project to renovate six football pitches and create a cricket square. They wanted the return of cricket after the pavilion and playing fields had been left unused for three years. It was felt that local residents were missing out on hosting sport and recreation activities at a prime site within the Borough of Bromley.
Lewisham Council in London secured £65,000 from Sport England to renovate the lovely near-derelict pavilion at Mayow Park, formerly known as Sydenham Recreation Ground. The facility was built in 1948, but cricket there died out some time ago. Last summer the sound of willow on leather was heard again when Streatham & Marlborough CC hired the ground as an overflow from their Dulwich Common base. The money was used towards upstairs changing rooms, public toilet facilities with showers and an indoor café with seating to provide refreshments for cricket participants, spectators and the general public.
The Mote CC, the former first class ground in Maidstone, were given £31,490 to refurbish their majestic 101 year-old pavilion and bring it back into use.
The borough of Harrow in north London benefited nicely. Harrow Town CC were awarded £49,817 to upgrade their facilities to help implement their new female playing section. Harrow CC were given £50,000 towards renovating their pavilion, used for all aspects of cricket, including schools and disability. Ickenham CC, in Uxbridge, received £50,000 to upgrade their changing facilities to encourage female cricket.
Cranleigh CC, in Surrey, were able to put £42,800 towards construction of a pavilion, pitch and artificial wicket at their newly acquired second ground. That would be a sure way of increasing participation. Another Surrey club Chiddingfold CC could look forward to a new clubhouse thanks to a £50,000 award. Their pavilion was built in 1937 and needed drastic redevelopment. Egham CC funded new brick-built storage facilities from an award of £27,876.
Roffey CC, home of cricketers and stool ball players in Horsham, including male and female and those with disabilities, benefited from £50,000 to upgrade the toilet and changing facilities.
Beaulieu CC, on the Beaulieu Estate in the New Forest District Council area, were awarded £50,000 to extend the existing pavilion to accommodate larger changings rooms, separate changing rooms for junior members, a disabled toilet and a general area for dining and meetings.
Chailey Sports Club, offering mainly football in Lewes, hoped to attract more cricket players with £50,000 to upgrade the facilities. The same could be said for Kennington CC in Ashford, Kent, with £50,000 for a better clubhouse to increase cricket and football membership.
Freeland Parish Council, in West Oxfordshire, were awarded £50,000 towards a new facility to replace a metal container used for changing, hoping to encourage a revival of cricket at their community playing fields.