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28
Sept
‘We need a miracle’, says Nidderdale cricket groundsman, 89, fearful of closure
An 89-year-old Nidderdale cricket club groundsman has raised concern that his cricket club may go under.
Ken Hainsworth has lived directly next door to Glasshouses Cricket Club since 1960, helping with groundskeeping for 65 years.
But now he is growing increasingly concerned that the clubhouse may have to close its doors for good.
Glasshouses were unable to assemble a team last year, and this trend may persist into the new season. They currently don’t have a men’s team, women’s team or junior team.
In the previous few years, when the club was struggling for numbers, the 89-year-old even stepped in to make up numbers at the age of 87. It’s fair to say he’s had a solid innings.
With the lack of a squad to play at the ground, though, and bills to pay to keep it running, there is a chance that the clubhouse may be forced to close.
Mr Hainsworth's house sits right next to the ground.
Mr Hainsworth said:
Village cricket is dying. I think about 10 clubs have gone under in the past few years. There’s a lack of juniors who want to play here, too. I’m not sure if they play much cricket at school these days.
Picture taken by Theakston Nidderdale League / Tim Carrington
Glasshouses was one of the oldest cricket clubs in the Nidderdale League, having been established in 1886. It was one of the founding members of the league in 1894.
And the groundsman has witnessed many teams play there since 1960.
The ground was a popular venue for many years, with the club even hosting an international ‘Golden Oldies’ tournament in 2010, which brought players from Australia, New Zealand and Japan to Nidderdale.
Mr Hainsworth said a women’s final, the Charles Spence Memorial, was also often played at the ground, which attracted so many people that they were “three rows deep” trying to watch.
But Glasshouses’ women’s league has since folded, he added.
The ground has a rich history. Framed on the clubhouse wall is a fixture booklet from 1890.
A picture of a team from the 1950s is up in the groundsman's shed.
The clubhouse still has its pricing sign up from the 1960s.
As is a collection of pictures from the 2010 'Golden Oldies' tournament.
So, what would it take for Glasshouses to get back on its feet? Mr Hainsworth said:
A miracle. I just don’t see what can be done. As I’ve said, village cricket is a dying sport. I do miss it, and it would be sad to see it go – it’s been my whole life. I’ve spent all these years living right next to it. It’s been my beck and call.
In some ways, it is a relief, though. I’ll be 90 next.
The Stray Ferret also contacted Callum Bonny, secretary of Glasshouses CC, who said there may still be hope.
Running a cricket club isn’t cheap, with bills, ground maintenance, machinery maintenance and insurance as some of the major expenses.
But, as of the 2026 season, Starbeck’s second team will be hiring the ground to play on.
Mr Bonny said:
We want cricket to carry on being played at Glasshouses for the foreseeable future, so renting out the ground to Starbeck for Saturday matches is a win for both clubs.
It’s a joy to see how well Starbeck seem to be succeeding in keeping village cricket alive. They formed the club a couple of years ago, and the fact that they're entering a second team into the league is a huge factor, and has sparked a little fire in our hopes of resurrecting.
The changing rooms have not been touched in a few years.
As it stands, Glasshouses will not be competing in the Nidderdale League next season. However, Mr Bonny said that there is significant interest in evening cricket at the club.
He added that there are players interested in the Wednesday night fixtures in the Harrogate and District Evening League, and the club hopes to boost those numbers before the league starts in January.
But, ultimately, as one of the oldest members of the Nidderdale League, the club aims to get back up and running on a Saturday.
Mr Bonny conceded it would be difficult, though:
Players are our number one issue. We need more to join the club. We were in a similar situation at the start of the 2023 season, and we managed to find around 13/14 people to join the club. Unfortunately, these numbers dwindled in the following two years, and left us with only 5/6 players before the first few fixtures of the 2025 season.
The number one thing I’d say to the public is to support your local club. Unfortunately village cricket seems to be dying sport, and more and more clubs are folding each year. With the support of the local community, there’ll likely be more interest in the sport. More people would then like to get involved.
The secretary insisted that Glasshouses maintains an ethos of welcoming players of all abilities, as do many other village teams.
If you are interested in joining Glasshouses CC, please get in touch with Callum Bonny on 07437 851337, or email cb199906@gmail.com.
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