Masham Cricket Club is raising £5,000 for an electronic scoreboard as a tribute to popular club president Tony Proud, who died this year.
Club chairman Mark Ellis told the Stray Ferret the scoreboard would be a fitting tribute to someone who had cricket in his blood.
The club is raising the money through a crowdfunding campaign.
Mr Ellis said:
“He was president of the cricket club when he died. He was there every Saturday watching the game. He was there to give advice, had a great sense of humour and was loved by everybody. He was a real character.”
Mr Proud was a former woodwork teacher at Bedale secondary school and cricket was his passion. He played for Masham CC for over 30 years with and represented other local clubs.
He also was instrumental in setting up Masham Sports Association, a charitable organisation that supports cricket, bowls, tennis and football in the market town.
Mr Proud died during the height of the Covid pandemic in April and Mr Ellis said the club wanted to do something special for his family.
He added:
“The church at Masham would have been packed out with people who played sport either with or against Tony over the years.”
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Currently, the club has an old-fashioned pull-chord scoreboard and Mr Ellis said an electronic version would “bring the club into the 21st century”.
He is confident the community will come together to raise the target of £5,000. He added:
“I’m sure the community will support what we’re trying to do because he was such a big character. Everybody knew Tony.”
If the club raises £5,000, it will have an official opening of the electronic scoreboard next year, which will double up as a celebration of Mr Proud’s cricketing life.
You can donate to the crowdfunder here.
