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In 1972 Max Muir
was challenged by Denis Stewart, the proprietor of the
Nether Abbey
Hotel, North Berwick, to a cricket match.
The Nether Abbey side played
occasional evening games on the High School grounds,
using the school kit. There was no tradition of cricket in
Gifford but Max
himself was a
keen cricketer and had for some time been
looking to start up cricket in the village.
So, by asking around, he raised a side
which inflicted a resounding defeat on
Nether Abbey.
Unfortunately,
no written records survive of those early days;
the first
score-book was presented to the
club by Peter Waddell of Tanderlane in 1980.
However, it is not the object of this brief history to produce long
lists of names
and scores. Suffice it to say that membership of
that first team was not
confined to
those with claims to call themselves
cricketers.
Max asked them to play and that has continued to be the
only necessary qualification.
The first game was played under Nether
Abbey rules which have since been
adopted,
with slight modifications
over the years, by the Goblin side.
That is to say, each team has a maximum of 20 overs in which to
score as many
runs as possible, with
any batsman having to retire after the stroke which takes
him to
20 or beyond, while the other side,
excluding the wicket-keeper,
bowl
two overs each.
When to this is added the condition that the bowling
order must be the reverse
of the
batting order, you have four restraints
which ensure that everyone has
a
turn and which prevent play from
being dominated by
the great and the good.
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 It would be nice to be able to record the names of all
those who
played in that first
game but, so far, this has not proved possible.
Max
Muir was, of course, captain and his team included Henry
Wallace
and Ian Henderson who with
bat and ball more or less
won the game between them.
Jimmy Renton, Jimmy Martin, Peter Blake and Paul
Lyons also
played and,
perhaps, John Overall and Ken Inglis.
Of these, only Max and Henry
are still regular members.
Following the game, the club
acquired its first trophy, the Muir Mug -
a pewter 1/2
pint tankard presented by Paul Lyons for Cricketing
Endeavour. |
The challenge was renewed the next year (1973) and a
pitch was
cut on the
Bleachfield so that the fixture could be played at home and
away,
but still the opposition provided the kit.
The chance arrival of
an Irishman employed as a gardener at Yester enabled the
fixture list
to be extended. Somehow or other, this chancer had - and
was
willing to donate - a cricket bag with all the necessary gear.
Thereafter it was
possible to look for other opponents without being
dependent on
borrowing equipment.
The availability of the Bleachfield as a
ground was a prime attraction,
despite the
unpredictability of its
playing surface.
Various friends mustered teams of
colleagues who
wanted a game but in
most cases had nowhere to play.
The first of these (also in 1973)
was Alan Henderson.
Next, James Bowman, art master
at Edinburgh Academy, arranged home
and away games against the
Academy Masters; the away game at Newfield
has come to be valued as more
or less the only one played on a decent wicket.
John
Beaman and Jim Irvine also brought sides.
A friendly and light-hearted spirit has always been
characteristic
of the games.
People try their best and like to win but not at the
expense
of enjoying themselves.
This atmosphere, coupled
with the conviviality in the Goblin after
the game, attracted more
requests for
fixtures and the list soon
included teams under Laurence
Air(Edinburgh
builder), Michael Laird (architect),
the Golf Taverners under Graham
Robertson (wine merchant), the Woodcutters,
the
National Westminster Bank and, in 1978, the first game
against the
Jesters,
a team composed largely
of rugby-playing farmers.
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 Their special kind of assertive
arrogance immediately made this a needle
match which it was important to
win. By 1985 a trophy had been
established, made by local
craftsmen in imitation of the Ashes cup.
This stands behind the bar and in
five seasons has only once had to
stand with its face
to the wall,
the signal of defeat. |
Mention should be made at this point of the other
trophies which
have been
assembled in recent years to be awarded annually for
individual achievements.
For the best all-round performance, i.e. the
highest in batting and bowling averages
taken together, the Gwen
Turquand Award is a painting by a local artist,
David Junkier, of
cricket on the Bleachfield.
Gwen was Colin's first wife and after her
death an award was inaugurated
in the Annual Art Exhibition for the
most improved artist.
David Junkier's painting won that award in
1985 and was acquired for the
club by Max Muir. The
following year,
for the best bowling average over
the season the Alistair
J. Scott
trophy was presented by his widow, Beryl.
Alistair had been the Goblin's most faithful supporter and sometime
scorer,
even after moving to
Haddington.
In 1988 Jim Irvine presented a glass decanter for the best batting
average and
in 1989 Richard Milner donated 'the
Umpire's Coins' to be awarded by the
umpire to the player making
the most outstanding
single contribution.
As was noted earlier, written records of the club date
only from
1980.
By that time there were 15 fixtures of which three were against
sides who
offered
away as well as home games - Nether Abbey
(extended in 1978 to include golf),
Edinburgh Academy and the Woodcutters.
Games took place on Monday evenings between early May and
mid-August starting, nominally,
at 6.30 p.m. and lasting
about two hours.
As the number of fixtures increased to 20 during the
1980s, it became necessary
to play
on some Tuesdays as well during June and July.
Fortunately, with the
growth in fixtures has come an
increasing pool of potential
players
making it possible to field totally
different sides on consecutive
evenings.
Up to 40 people now have at least one game in the season, and the
opportunity for
them all to
assemble is given by the cricket dinner held in the Goblin Ha' Hotel
in
March at which one or more
visiting speakers entertain the
company
and the trophies are
awarded.
As from 1989 it was decided
that the winners of the batting and
bowling trophies
should have the honour of speaking at the following
dinner.
David Hill, as the resident umpire for many years, was doubly qualified
to take
the chair at these
occasions.
Of the dozen or so additional fixtures played in the
1980's, three
have become permanent -
the Golf Club, Haddington C.C.
and
Scottish Widows.
The record of the Goblin side has always been
good, belying the
informality
of some of the dress.
Until recently defeats were rare
and, even latterly, against some
improved
opposition, have
been well outnumbered by victories.
In addition to
the regular 20-over games, four 40-over matches have been
played,
in two of which centuries have been scored for the Goblin, one
by Peter Blyth
against the National Westminster Bank on the Bleachfield,
the
other by
Rodney Doming against Selkirk.
Rodney, a South African,
was
lunching in the Goblin with Ian Henderson
when the team was about to
leave for Selkirk, one man short.
He said he had played a bit
of cricket, so he was taken along
to make up the number.
A 40-over game also featured in a short tour, the first
of its kind,
made in
1989 to Hampshire. Adam White had worked at Knowle
Hospital
near Southampton and
in 1988 a party from there had come
up to
Gifford
to play cricket and golf,
so Adam organised a return
visit.
Much could be written about those four eventful days, most of it
outside
the scope
of this account.
A touring party of 16 played four
matches varying from 20 overs to a
full afternoon game,
of which
they won only one but were not disgraced.
Two souvenirs of the
exchange of visits
- a signed bat and
a plaque - adorn the bar in the
Goblin,
which also has on display a
rather unattractive little cricketing
figure
of doubtful purport and
a photograph of the side
which
played Newhaven in 1980.
The final paragraph must be reserved for Max Muir who,
having
founded the club, has ever since acted as player, selector,
fixtures
secretary, transport manager, catering manager,
treasurer, patron and
impresario.
In the early days he cut the pitch and captained in every game as well;
these are the only two duties he has been allowed to delegate.
It is his club and its happy atmosphere stems from him.
A
great many people have reason to be very grateful.
John Simpson.
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