ATTIS ECB Yorkshire Premier League North 
By Ken Featherstone 
 
I joined the Humber Don league umpires panel in 1979 – which was also the year that Fenner CC joined the league. Up until that time, Blackburn Welfare, Eastrington, Goole Town, Howden Town, Hull YPI and Kirk Ella were the only ‘East Riding’ clubs in the Humber Don – although technically at that time they were all actually in North Humberside. 
 
The Humber Don came into existence in 1975 when the Yorkshire Council elected to split into four geographical areas, each with formal league structures; the others being Central Yorkshire, Pontefract & District and South Riding. Hitherto, Yorkshire Council clubs were free to select their own fixtures with fellow member clubs, in a similar way as used to be the case in rugby union – these were later referred to as ‘the freelance days’. 
 
At that time, it is fair to say that the league was dominated by the colliery clubs of the South Yorkshire coalfield, with Askern, Frickley, Grimethorpe and Hemsworth, in particular, having strong sides, and the geographical balance of the league was heavily weighted to the west. Over the years though, this changed, as one-by-one the South Yorkshire sides started to drop out. As they did so, they were replaced by the more ambitious teams from the East Riding Amateur League, and that exacerbated the situation as it increased the travelling for those that remained, hastening their departure, with Pilkington Recs and Thorne Colliery being the last survivors. 
 
The teams all had their own individual character – and characters! I have many happy memories of standing on these grounds – they may not have been as picturesque as some in the East Yorkshire Cup, for example, but they compensated in other ways. 
 
Blackburn Welfare was always one of my favourite grounds, and it was improved dramatically when the magnificent new pavilion was built in the early 1990s. Amongst the notable personalities there were opening batsman Terry Vines – one of the best bats in the league, but who was ‘never out’; competitive wicket-keeper/batsman Adrian Dibnah; opening bowler Sam Littlefield, who by then had no great pace but could, it seemed, pitch the ball on a sixpence – I once saw him bowl 16 overs on the spin with 13 maidens. By the early 80s, Des Lewthwaite and John Burton formed a formidable pair of opening bowlers, and with the older stagers Vines and Littlefield, together with wicket-keeper/batsman Steve Bedford, hard-hitting middle-order batsman Steve Atkinson, and the experienced Nigel Ling, Blackburn won the league twice in the mid-1980s. 
 
Another ground to benefit enormously from a new pavilion in the mid-1990s was Goole Town – whose portakabin facility before that was basic to say the least. Umpiring Goole was always a challenge, with long-serving skipper and opening bat Steve Foster, wicket-keeper Les Broadley, and, later, slow left arm all-rounder Dave England always keeping you on your toes. When I first started, they had several fine all-rounders like Bob Christie, Geoff Eastwood and Pete Scoffin, and later a number of younger players came through, like batsmen Neil Webster and Pete Drury, England, and opening bowler Richard Mills, to make them a very strong side. Goole first won the league in 1989, and added a further three league championships over the following eight years. 
 
One of the league’s characters, scorer Norman Kirk, did a huge amount of work for the Goole club and was deservedly rewarded for all his volunteer efforts with the MBE. Norman was unable to play due to his serious disability, but was dedicated to the club and, like the hard core of spectators who always came to watch the games, he was hugely partisan! Another stalwart at Goole was chairman Stuart Gibbins – whose energy and determination was behind the new pavilion project. 
 
There were no showers in the old pavilion at Goole, and immediately after the end of one game against Kirk Ella, visiting skipper Trevor Dukes announced that, as he was going out with his wife that night, he would go straight home and have a shower. He proceeded to put all his gear into his bag, and walked to his car wearing just his jockstrap. What he had not bargained for, was getting stopped for speeding on the way home. 
 
Kirk Ella too was an interesting ground to go, partly due to the ground itself, and partly due to the personalities that played there. Well Lane was, and still is, a very small ground, and lost balls could be a problem; as could the low sun in the late evening – which actually stopped play on at least one occasion. Another type of delay caused by the short boundary occurred when Askern were the visitors in the late seventies, when the visiting skipper and his ‘star’ all-rounder had a violent disagreement on the short boundary on the Well Lane side that necessitated play being suspended until peace broke out. 
 
Personalities there included Dukes, a determined opening batsman who skippered the side for several seasons. He did not play very many shots, but did what he did well, and was hard to get out. Trevor’s heart and soul was in the club and the league, and he would always seek to gain any advantage for them, which sometimes manifested itself in a cantankerous streak. 
 
Standing at the pavilion end at Kirk Ella usually meant 23 overs of Mike McConnell. Like Littlefield, by that time he had lost pace, but had retained his metronomic accuracy and his intense competitiveness. Many an umpire would make excuses of varying conviction for standing at the other end at Well Lane. But, as combative as Mike was on the field, he was as good company off it. No-one could have played in more games in the Humber Don than McConnell and Dukes! 
 
By the mid-90s, Kirk Ella had built up a strong side, with the likes of hard-hitting opening batsman Greg Hird, Mike’s two sons, Andrew and Paul, both very capable batsmen, the veteran slow bowing all-rounder Bob Preston, and opening bowler Colin English. They won the league championship in 1995, to go with four cup wins in the preceding ten years. Kirk Ella were lucky in that several of their former players remained active ‘behind the scenes’; people like Fred Lockyer, Peter Stevenson and Clive Wilson, and in more recent times, Trevor Dukes, who provided the backbone to the club. 
 
I also enjoyed my visits to Hull YPI, not least because it became a popular after-match meeting point for several of the umpires. In 1979, YPI did not have a strong side, but gradually, with the three Watkin brothers – hard-hitting opener Martin, all-rounder Nicky and wicket-keeper batsman Trevor – and all-rounder Steve Hewitt, they developed a strong side. Nick Watkin was a dream to umpire – not only a very good attacking batsmen but one of the dying breed who always ‘walked’ no matter how slight an edge he got on the ball – often when only he knew. Nick did not always score as many runs as he should, but in 1996, he won the League’s senior batting award with 869 runs at an average of 62.07. 
 
Stalwarts of the 1980s at Chanterlands Avenue included batsmen Gwilym Lloyd, of Radio Humberside fame, opener Martin North, opening bowler Bob Davis, and highly-respected wicket-keeper/batsman Bob Haigh, who lived in Goole but both worked and played in Hull. An architect by profession, Bob, who always wore a bow tie off the field, lived in Goole but both worked and played his cricket in Hull. He played at Kirk Ella before moving to YPI in the late 60s, later recalling that YPI had a rather ‘weighty’ side in those days. He often told the story of the two little boys at Hemsworth, one of whom remarked whilst watching Bob make his way to the middle after the likes of Sid Issitt and Ken Milner, “Bloody hell! Are they all fat in ‘Ull?”. 
 
Mention must be made of Hull YPI secretary Dave Rees, a second XI stalwart whose organisational skills were crucial to the club for many years. Things were never quite the same at YPI after the retirement of Dave. YPI never won the Humber Don, but they did have three cup wins between 1984 and 1995. 
 
The Ashes, Howden, was a picturesque ground, with the old wooden pavilion that tragically burned down a few years back. In their early seasons in the league, Howden were perennial strugglers, but by the mid-1980s, with John Waterhouse as captain, they started a revival, with batsmen like Mike Smith and Brian Lakin, opening bowler Maynard Cox, and youngsters like the Chatham brothers, and they challenged with Pilkingtons and Blackburn for the title for a couple of years before deciding to move to the Pontefract section at the end of the 1987 season. 
 
Eastrington were members of the league for eight seasons, during which time they invariably finished in the bottom half of the league, and took the wooden spoon several times. Their facilities were pretty basic, but they were a friendly club, a visit there was always conclude in the village pubs, and had they had several interesting characters. They unfortunately folded during the 1986 season. 
 
Fenners’ first season in 1979 was a very promising one – they claimed some good scalps, notably a convincing win away at champions Hemworth. Over the years, they had gained a reputation as a close-nit, well-organised and competitive club. In that first Humber Don season, they had some experienced campaigners, like prolific opening batsman Keith Anderson, stylish middle-order bat John McKenzie, all-rounder Mike Cutts, and opening left-arm bowler John Daniels. They made a solid start in the League but were not content to sit back – they wanted to be challenging for honours. They recruited some well-known local players like the McLocklan brothers from Hull CC, all-rounders Chris Glew and Paul Davy, and wicket-keeper Colin Hockney, and in 1983, became the first East Riding side to win the Humber Don. After that, some very talented younger players like the Park brothers, Trevor Richardson and David Lister started to come through, and were to form the backbone of the club’s batting line-up as they entered a successful period in the 90s, when they won three successive championships from 1991. With their five cup wins, Fenners were the most successful side in the League’s history. 
 
Marfleet may not have been the most aesthetically pleasing ground in the world, but it was well-kept and had a decent square – and you could always be sure of a competitive game of cricket. It was often said of Fenners that they would play in wellington boots to get a game in. An amusing incident took place there when Dave Beldan was umpiring, and his old pal Roger Pugh arrived towards the end of the game. Both men could talk for England, and when the pavilion was locked up, no-one realised that they were still upstairs talking. The downstairs windows were all covered with iron grills to prevent vandalism, there were no mobile phones then, and when the two realised what had happened, Dave resorted to forcing the door lock to get out. Fenner secretary Dick Ollett was less than amused. 
 
The next new club to join the league, in 1982, were BR North. At the time, they had a strong side with the likes of batsmen Ian Munzer and Billy Holmes, and Martin Pape, Bruce Dawson, Peter Fox and Dave Marsham in the bowling department, and they finished in a very creditable fifth place in the league. They maintained a comfortable mid-table position until a decline set in during the 90s. By that time, they had built an impressive new pavilion on the Chanterlands Avenue ground, financed by the sale of some of their land to a nursing home, but they lost their ‘main man’, secretary Geoff Tutill, who sadly passed away. In 1996, by which time the club had deteriorated into something of a shambles, beset by behavioural problems and struggling to attract players, they folded. It was a sad end for what had been a powerful club in the Hull area over many years. Over twenty years later, the ground, with its enormous potential, remains derelict. 
 
Humberside Police, with their wonderful batting strip on Inglemire Lane, joined the league in 1986. They had some talented players, like batsman Denis Cheater and experienced opening bowler Norman Halliday, but they suffered through being unable to field a settled side. Strengthened by prolific Mexborough-based batsman Steve Beldan and former Yorkshire opening bowler Steve Sylvester, they mounted a real challenge and finished runners-up to Goole Town in 1989. 
 
Newcomers in 1987 were Hessle. The Livingston Road ground was always an enjoyable place to visit; there was a good welcome, there were good facilities, which were often used by the league for meetings, and invariably good teas! On the playing side, Hessle had some decent players, like batsman Gary Easter, all-rounder Andy Forster and opening bowler Mark Rudston, in their ranks, but although capable of pulling off an upset, they tended to be a ‘bottom half’ side. 
 
North Ferriby followed them into the Humber Don in 1989. With a picturesque home ground and a team that was always competitive, they were a very useful addition to the League. Ferriby had a nucleus of senior players that served them well over the years – solid opening batsman Brendan Riley, talented wicket-keeper batsman Alan Lees, stylish top-order batsman Paul Meadway, and bowlers Pete Robertson, Keith Hague, and later Phil Watkin, who joined from Hull YPI, and Mathew Hudson, son of veteran all-rounder Rod. They never really threatened to win the league, but they could beat the top sides, and were always enjoyable to umpire. 
 
In 1990, there were two new arrivals in Hemingbrough and Hull Ionians. Both struggled to be competitive, although Hemingbrough fared the better of the two. A visit to Hemingbrough was always enjoyable – with a good welcome assured from club stalwarts like Malc Calvert, Alec Smith and sadly-missed wicket-keeper Ronnie Rice. Ionians struggled to field a competitive side, and there were concerns about the quality of the square at Elloughton. After three years, during which their probationary year was twice extended, they resigned from playing due to the fact that their ground was to be redeveloped. They then returned to action in 1997, by which time they had amalgamated with Coal Exporters to form HICE, playing out of the splendid new facilities at Elloughton. 
 
A last minute crisis in the week before the 1991 season occurred when Pilkington Recs had to withdraw from the league, as the parent company had decided to sell the sports ground. The fixtures had to be hastily reworked, and were adopted at an emergency meeting at Kirk Ella on the Wednesday before the season started! Pilkingtons were not subjected to any disciplinary action, and were retained as non-playing members of the league – although in fact they never played as a team again. 
 
Reckitts joined the league in 1992, but lasted only one season due a lack of sufficiently good players, and were replaced by Fruit Trades, playing on the same ground at Chamberlain Avenue. Fruit Trades, although not at the outset the strongest batting side, had a formidable attack, based on the Powdrell brothers, both dangerous left-arm opening bowlers. Their batting was subsequently strengthened by the arrival first of Stuart Robinson from Brandesburton and then Nigel Redfern from Kirk Ella, and they won the league knock-out cup in 1996. 
 
Scunthorpe Town became the first North Lincolnshire side to play in the Humber Don, when they joined the league in 1994. They had a good ground, but rarely fielded the same side two weeks running. They were captained by Salim Uddin, a former Pakistani test player who was a wily old campaigner. Some unrest in the club resulted in a new committee taking over, and a rebuilding process started. In consequence they decided to resign from the League at the end of their second season. 
 
At the end of the 1994 season, Thorne Colliery resigned from the league to join the Pontefract League, thus ending 
 
the League’s representation from South Yorkshire. Since 1978, when Frickley Colliery resigned to move into the 
 
Pontefract League to reduce their travelling, ten South Yorkshire clubs left the league Grimethorpe (1980), Hickleton 
(1981), Askern and South Kirby (1982), Hemsworth (1983) all joined the Pontefract League; International Harvesters 
 
(1981), British Ropes (1985) and Pilkington Recs (1991) all folded. 
 
In 1995, another South Bank side, Barton Town, joined the League. Barton were a very stable unit with decent facilities and a side that included the former YPI opening bowler Bob Davis, and his step-son Dan, a very talented opening batsman, and a number of good players. They exceeded all expectations by finishing third in their first season and fourth in their second. 
 
The League was further strengthened in 1996 when Brandesburton and South Holderness joined. Both were good clubs with decent facilities and capable playing squads. Nick Warley at Brandesburton was a very good batsman/wicket-keeper, and the club were well served by the Atkinson brothers, Kevin and Mike. Steve Duell and Mark Brooks formed a formidable opening pair at South Holderness, and the club had quality in the bowling department in the likes of Andy Johnson and Glen Berry. 
 
1997 was to be the final season of the Humber Don before its incorporation into the newly-formed East Yorkshire Cricket Alliance. Cottingham and North Hull Engineers joined the League, whilst Ionians, in their new guise as HICE, returned to the fold. Ironically, for the first time since the late 1970s, the League had 16 clubs in membership, and, numerically at least, it was as strong as ever. On the playing side though, as in most leagues across the country, this was far from the case. Fenners dominated the season, winning their third cup and league double; Doug Park was their top batsman and left-armer Paul Fuller their leading bowler, but, as always with Fenners, it was essentially a team effort. 
 
The Humber Don had some very good umpires in its 22-year existence. One of the best was Fred Minter, an instantly recognisable, very dapper, silver-haired official, who was the last survivor of the League’s original umpires panel when he stood down in 1990. Roger Pugh joined in the league’s second season, and served on the panel for 22 years – no-one stood in more Humber Don games than he did. Noel Stead from Howden was a popular umpire, who stood for 12 years until ill-heath caused his retirement; Noel always played every game in his mind, continually thinking about what he would do if he was the fielding captain, the bowler, or the batsman. Dave Beldan of Mexborough joined the panel with me in 1979; he was a highly-respected figure who served the league well for 19 seasons and was as good an umpire as you will find. Jack Yates, one of the real characters of the umpiring world, never short of a quip or two, graced the panel during its’ last ten years; whilst Keith Lamb and Alan Obridge were top umpires in the latter years. 
 
Trevor Dukes served on the committee for all 22 years of the Humber Don’s existence, including two spells as chairman. Another founder member of the committee, Bert Basford of South Elmsall, who had been a well-respected captain and wicket-keeper at Frickley Colliery, continued as a very active President, rarely missing a meeting, until standing down at the end of the 1996 season. Roger Pugh took over as fixtures and umpires secretary in 1982, a role he retained until the end; I took over from Dave Beldan as secretary in 1987, the same year as Dick Ollett joined the committee, the latter subsequently becoming a very capable press and results secretary. Other long-serving committee men included Goole chairman Stuart Gibbins; Hull YPI and Blackburn batsman Nigel Ling; Hull YPI secretary Dave Rees, who joined the committee in 1989 and continued until the end as vice-chairman to Trevor Dukes; and Dave Beldan himself, who remained on the committee, after resigning as secretary, until 1995. 
 
Perhaps the most infamous incident in Humber Don history occurred in 1995, in a game between Goole Town and Hull YPI. When the players left the field after the last over, players and umpires believed that both sides had scored 186 all out. After the umpires had got changed, they were told by the Goole scorer that an error had been found in the scorebooks, and that Goole, batting second, had in fact scored 187 before the last two wickets fell. Despite the protestations of home officials, umpires Mowbray and Silvester deemed that the scores had been agreed by the scorers at the time, and had been accepted by the players, who played accordingly, and therefore the result should stand. The home club protested, and indicated that they would appeal to Lords, but the League fully supported the umpires’ decision and the result did stand. Goole’s report in the Goole Times was considered to bring the League into disrepute, they were reprimanded, and a formal League response was printed. 
 
At an Extraordinary General Meeting in 1997, the clubs voted unanimously to join the new East Yorkshire Alliance. The top six clubs were given places in the Premier Division, the next four in division one, and the bottom four in division two. In 1998, in the Premier Division, results in the games between the six former Humber Don sides and the six former East Yorkshire Cup sides were 87% in favour of the Humber Don sides. 
 
The Humber Don was undoubtedly looked down upon by some of the East Yorkshire Cup clubs, who viewed their own grounds and facilities as being superior, which in most cases they probably were; but it was a very well-run league, with some very good umpires and many very good players over the years. The cricket was invariably played in a competitive, but largely fair, manner, and there was a sense of ‘belonging’ that is not found in all leagues. Through the efforts of Dick Ollett, the local press coverage was second to none, and there were excellent end-of-season functions. Many who were involved in it still look back fondly on those Humber Don days. 
 
 
Humber Don honours table 
 
League Cup 
1975 Askern Welfare - Frickley Colliery 
1976 Frickley Colliery - No competition 
1977 Hemsworth M.W.- Hemsworth M.W. 
1978 British Ropes - Askern Welfare 
1979 Hemsworth M.W. - Pilkington Recs 
1980 Hemsworth M.W. - Hemsworth M.W. 
1981 Hemsworth M.W. - Blackburn Welfare 
1982 Pilkington Recs - Fenners 
1983 Fenners - Fenners 
1984 Pilkington Recs - Hull Y.P.I. 
1985 Blackburn Welfare - Kirk Ella 
1986 Blackburn Welfare - Pilkington Recs 
1987 Pilkington Recs - Fenners 
1988 Pilkington Recs - Blackburn Welfare 
1989 Goole Town - Pilkington Recs 
1990 Goole Town - Kirk Ella 
1991 Fenners - Hull Y.P.I. 
1992 Fenners - Fenners 
1993 Fenners - Kirk Ella 
1994 Goole Town - Kirk Ella 
1995 Kirk Ella - Hull Y.P.I. 
1996 Goole Town - Wrigglesworth F.T. 
1997 Fenners- Fenners 
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