The historic link between Exeter City Football Club and Topsham St James Cricket Club was celebrated at the Blackpool match.
A plaque was unveiled at St James Park to mark the 150th anniversary of the forming of St James Cricket Club, which played its first games at the ground.
Representatives of the cricket club were joined Nick Hawker, club chair and chair of the Supporters’ Trust, and club director Clive Bawden, to unveil the plaque in the Optimising IT Adam Stansfield Stand.
The chair and committee of Topsham St James Cricket Club said they were grateful to Exeter City Football Club for facilitating the installation of the plaque and the opportunity to celebrate the link between the clubs’ history.
St James Park, which was known by a number of different names, including Pig Meadow, Parish Field, St James Field, Circus Field and Bradford’s Field, was originally sub-let for football and cricket as well as fairgrounds and circuses. It even hosted a visit by the Imperial Clown Cricketers, a well-known touring team.
In 1907 the Rev Edward Reid, then a Clergyman at St James Church, was playing both cricket for St James and football for Exeter City. As he was born in Newfoundland, he was probably the first overseas player at both clubs!
The Cricket Club also played at other grounds in the late 1800s and finally left St James Park in 1908, by which time Exeter City had turned professional and joined the Southern League, so work was carried out to level and expand the size of the ground.
During the next 80 years the cricket club led a nomadic existence, but in 1989 it moved to Bonfire Field in Topsham and ground shared with the rugby club for the next 30 years, changing its name to Topsham St James Cricket Club.
Since then, the club has continued to expand and there are now over 150 children between the ages of seven and 15 as well as men’s and women’s teams. In 2019 it moved to the University of Exeter’s Sports Ground.
The 150th year is being celebrated with a formal dinner at Winslade Manor on March 28 at which the special guest will be former England captain Sir Alastair Cook. In addition, on June 22 a Lord’s Taverners XI, captained by former England and Somerset legend Andrew Caddick, will play against a Club XI.
For information on joining the cricket club or attending the dinner or Lord’s Taverners Day, contact Sheila Harding (Hon Secretary), sheila@courtfield4.co.uk or 07816 665503 or look out for postings on social media channels.