Club formed in 1967, played first match in 1968.

Home ground is Kinson Manor [The Manor], The Broadway, Kinson, Bournemouth. Telephone number is 01202 580293. The Third eleven plays at Slades Farm [at present].

Championships; BDCA Junior League 1972 then various [across four teams] through to BDCA Premier League in 1996,1998-2000. DCA Division 5, 4, 3, 2 from 1999-2002, then Division 1 in 2005 and 2010 with promotion to DCA Premier League on both occasions. HCL Division SW4 in 2006, 2012 and 2013, SW3 2012 and 2013, SW2 in 2013and 2014, SW1 in 2014.

Other Honours; De Zoete Charity Cup 1995, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2009, runners-up 1997-2002 and 2007. Rashleigh Bowl 1994, 1997-2000. Campbell Cup runners-up 1998 and 2005. CSSA Six a side Tournament 1990 and 1993. DCA Fair Play Award; First XI in 2007.

Representative selections; numerous including Captains of BDCA Under-14s, Paul Kendall; Under-21s, Lee Hopkins; Seniors, Andy Fitzjohn and Over-50s, Derek Hopkins.

Individual League Awards; BDCA Ronson for Fielding; Derek Hopkins 1978. HCL Bowling; Derek Hopkins 2007 and 2013 RDSW3, 2012 RDSW4. Andy Fitzjohn 2010 RDSW3. Jim Straight 2013 SW4. Paul Barber 2014 SW1. HCL Batting; Wayne Murry 2010 RDSW4, 2011 RDSW3. Matt Hollier SW2 2013.

Coaches; Garry Coffin, Frankie Fitzjohn, Derek Hopkins.

OSCA [Outstanding Services to Cricket Award, ECB/Nat West project] Derek Hopkins 2004, CCC Centenary Medal [Club Cricket Conference] Derek Hopkins, 2009 County Award; Andy Fitzjohn 2006

Umpires [members of club]; Colin Brickell, Richard Fagence, Barry Rawlings [previously Bill Foord and Clive Parsons]

Website; www.pitchero/clubs/suttonerscricketclub

Outside of school cricket in 1967 there was very little choice apart from playing for adult sides in the local leagues or in club cricket, which to many young people, especially those endowed with little confidence, was somewhat daunting. Derek Hopkins was one such person who, with support from a workmate, Alan Simpson, decided to form his own club and make up the numbers with his brothers, Dave and Gerry, school friends, workmates and their friends and relations. Too soon he realised that they needed money [a rare commodity then], some kit and a name. The latter two were solved by the one man, the pastor of the United Reform Church in Sutton Road, Bournemouth. He allowed the young cricketers to forage around the church hall for some kit that had been used, pre war, by their now defunct cricket team. The hunt was successful, uncovering two pairs of small pads, a set of stumps, a couple of well used bats, four batting gloves complete with green rubber spikes and a lump of mildew within which was a ball. When cleaned, with the exception of the ball, these items did as our kit and, out of deference to the pastor, so too was our name, Suttoners.

With help from Jim Godwin and Steve Young, two BDCA stalwarts, we joined the Junior League, a fifth division of the league proper, originally intended for second elevens, where we very gradually acclimatised and more by luck than design, and very much on the back of two excellent all-rounders, David Hopkins and Neil Hussey, we gained promotion, for the 1973 season, into the big boys league. The original intent, of giving anyone who wanted a game of cricket a chance, stayed and to this end, in 1978, we formed a second eleven and the first of our evening sides. By now we had a number of sets of brothers, fathers and sons, nephews and cousins, a peculiarity that is still, happily, with us today. In 1988 we formed a third Saturday side and a second evening team and in the early 1990's a fourth adult eleven [the fourth eleven has since disappeared and most of the evening side plays under the guise of CJI sports]. In addition to these teams we, from the outset, entered the DeZoete Cup, The Culmore Cup, The Rashleigh Bowl, the Indoor League and the Campbell Cup as well as entering, although not sustaining for longer than seven years, twice, the Sunday league. We entertained, and still do, touring sides and have played loads of friendlies including those when we have gone on our travels. Tours undertaken have included visits to Cornwall [3], Kent, Channel Islands [5], Home Counties and, with the help of Andy Kent and Peter Hargreaves, Denmark. The forming and running of all these extra sides took much work and we have been especially indebted to, past members of the club, Steve Perry, Mike Feeley, the late Dave Fox, Andy Martin, Chris Grey and Clive Parsons.

We realised, early on, that to survive, we needed a regular injection of new players, specifically youngsters. We, therefore, decided to start an Under -14s side and were one of the founder sides of the first youth league in Dorset, played under the auspices of the BDCA. Other age-groups were added through the years although they were chopped and changed to suit the playing strength of opponents. Formed initially by Derek, the colts set-up has grown in number and importance over the past twenty or thirty years, or so, due to the massive effort put in by the late and much missed Andy Fitzjohn, supported, obviously, by a team of coaches, managers and helpers, albeit there are never enough! We have never won trophies in Colts cricket and, in fairness, don't try very hard to, preferring, unlike many other clubs, to give everyone a game, keep all the players involved and interested and, therefore, hold on to the biggest percentage of them that is possible, at least until work, university or women take them away! 2013 saw a downturn in the youth cricket but, mainly through the efforts of Jim Straight, we maintained a presence in some schools and we hoped for better things in 2015. Sadly these better things didn't materialise but, at least, we have a number of good colts playing within the club set up.

We have an excellent social basis and following the taking in of the old Civil Service football section, along with two other clubs, the Suttoners has grown very quickly with year round activity at the Manor. We have, with support from the Council, without who's help we wouldn't have been at the Manor at all, changed the pavilion quite drastically from being , basically, a breeze block shell with showers, into a pavilion housing a large, recently expensively refurbished, comfortable club room with a bar, Sky tv and pool table, modernised ladies and gents toilets, reshaped and secure changing rooms and a loft area for storing whichever kit is not needed at the time. An asphalt path has also been laid, from the car park to the pavilion, into which we intend placing lighting. This, we hope, will encourage the ladies to attend the various social functions we hold without ruining their 'heels'! All this takes a lot of work and organisation and we have a Management Committee, chaired by Richard Rigler, to oversee this and keep control of the bar and canteen. Both the cricket and football sections have their own committees and Chairmen whilst Derek is honoured to be President of the Suttoners Sports and Social Club.

Our club cricketwise, also, has been involved in whatever Association we have played in on the administration side of things. From 1969 when our Chairman first sat on the BDCA Junior League committee, we have been heavily committed to doing our bit for the game locally. Members of our club have served on the BDCA [supplying two Chairmen and numerous other committeemen] for 40 years, DCA Board, Executive and League, Dorset CCC, WEL, East Dorset CA [as Chairman and others], Coaches Association [as Chairman], Youth Managers [as Chairman], CCLA {Cricket Centre}, Dorset Cricket Society, Youth Forum [as Chairman] and the DeZoete Charity Cup, helped found the First youth league in Dorset, for 28 years produced the BDCA handbook, organised the BDCA Centenary week in 1996, helped to smoothly merge the BDCA into the DCA in 2003/2004 and amongst other things, organised, captained and were selected to play in numerous representative matches at all ages, ran the BDCA Sports quiz and instigated the Double Wicket Tournament which ran for 18 years. Not a bad record for a club formed only forty-eight years ago.

When the BDCA merged with the DCA, Suttoners became, for a while, the only club with four teams in the new set-up, their golden-yellow banded sweaters and caps appearing all over Dorset rather than just the locality of Bournemouth and it's suburbs. Subsequently, we have moved all of those sides into the Hampshire League in an effort to widen the club's horizons, possibly giving us another ladder to climb in a never ending challenge to improve ourselves and to give all the players a change of scenery. A gradual upward momentum is already being witnessed. This arrangement also gives players from a wider area a better chance of playing on a Saturday without being caught in the ever increasing volume of traffic that snarls up across Dorset. [2012 was worse with the Olympic Sailing events being held in Weymouth] The A31 across the New Forest is no better but the direction in which we are travelling to and from the matches in Hampshire is usually 'against the tide'. So, plenty of cricket, nicely varied, a number of friendlies and cup matches and, sometimes, the Indoor league in the winter. Both colts and adults have organised nets from February until the end of April in the cricket centre at Hurn Bridge with the possibility of extending throughout the season in 2016..

In 1998, after thirty years of being self-sufficient, the strains, mainly financial, were increasing and were it not for a local firm of Turf Accountants, Parsport, becoming involved, initially through Tony Parsons, the owner, and our Clive Johns, we would not have been able to improve ourselves to the required standard and, consequently, we would not have achieved all that we have. We are still very grateful to Tony and his family for their valuable support. Following the selling of their business to Corals, we became indebted to the company for whom our club Treasurer, Steve Warwick, worked, Merlo UK, with the blessing of their Chairman John Iles. They sponsored the club, as a whole, and their input was invaluable to our progress. Currently, the cricket section is without a dedicated sponsor and has to manage it's accounts carefully. All help is appreciated and we thank those companies and others who have assisted in the past. Please feel free to donate to a good cause!

For forty-eight years we have consolidated, grown, consolidated, grown and so on but, it has been noticed, allied to modern day living, impatience is creeping in....to win this, to win that, get him to play-he's really good, etcetera....quickly, quickly. We will be doing everything in our power to do as well as we possibly can but, what we won't do is ride roughshod over the regulars, oldies, willing youngsters or the fringe players who may already have had a go at the top level and but for that iota of luck/bad luck, could do it again. We are proud to have attracted the likes of Seb Courage, Darren Cowley, Neil Hussey, Paul McCann, Sean Humphreys, Ashley Wallace and others to the club in the past and hope, that with the support of the rest of the players within the club we can continue to improve. Other players may want to join, of course, and this will only enhance and strengthen all the sides in the club. We have had a small number of club captains in those forty-odd years, Derek initially, skippering [the first team] for twenty one seasons, Andy taking over for the next, very successful, ten, both in the BDCA, then Kenny Morgan leading us up into the Dorset Premiership through seven and Chris Rawlings and Clive Johns taking on the mantle for two each. In 2012 Jonny Arnold became Club Captain with Wayne Murry taking over in 2016. Jim Straight, another retiree, has given four good years to the thirds and will be replaced by young Tom Lanham. Both Wayne and Jim have done brilliant jobs for the club's lower sides.The leadership within the club has remained stable with valuable experience keeping the club steady. In earlier years, Steve Perry, Jack Baveridge, Mike Feeley, Chris Grey, Clive Parsons and the late Dave Fox had good spells with the lower teams. In addition to those mentioned, Kenny, Jim , Garry Coffin, Lee Hopkins, Colin Brickell, Bill Nicholls, Jack Baveridge and Paul Rendell have all been with Suttoners for well over twenty five years, some for more than thirty and others, forty. A number of those named started in the colts in the early 1980's which, we believe, goes to show how addictive it is being a Suttoner!

We held a Fortieth Anniversary Dinner Dance in March 2008 to which nearly a hundred attended including a number of those from the past. In 2012, our 45th Anniversary, we did, as usual, have our Annual Dinner, Dance and Presentation evening, this time at the East Cliff Court Hotel, but were amazed at the number of 'oldies' who attended, some of them having travelled many miles. The names Perry, Brown, Sargent, Tubbs, Morison, Parsons, Foord, Nicholls, Wyatt, Culham, Hopkins and Hopkins, Allen and our resident old men, Rawlings, Baveridge, Straight and the chairman all being present. More can be found on the website. Incidentally, the website, initially set up by Richard Pride, has recently been brilliantly modernised and updated on a regular basis by our very own techno-star, Frankie Fitzjohn.

We look forward to every season knowing we'll have some problems with commitment, some enforced, some not so, from a few, with over- or under- levels of confidence from others and the resultant displeasure of being at a certain number in the batting order or only a change bowler or, even, in the wrong team but, armed with the experience previously described we'll work our way through it. We won't be surprised if we don't succeed at every or any level and we won't be surprised if we do well. What won't surprise us is that we'll cope, stay together, stay a club, keep smiling and stay Suttoners.

Many people have been thanked in this history but it is impossible to mention everyone; needless to say that, each season, at our presentation we make mention of all those valuable people, be they scorers, helpers, drivers, managers, tea ladies, bar staff, scoreboard operators, committee persons or just 'good eggs'. Without them clubs will not survive and Suttoners, in this regard, are no different. The listings of current [2015] club officers and the past season's [2014] award winners are to be found elsewhere in this website. The season just past was remarkable for the fact that we began maintaining our own pitches and ground, with help and advice from the council. This massive undertaking was possible, and successsful, solely through the efforts of Paul Dutton and his slave Jack Baveridge! Without their commitment we would not have been able to play every Saturday, this for the first time since 1976. Additionally, their work enabled the first team to play ay the Manor following the sad demise of Dean Park [which had been our firsts' home since 1997. We will be looking to enhance the ground further in 2016 and for this, will need extra helpers. Yes, this is a hint!

In November 2010, we were informed by the Council that cricket would have to cease at Kinson Manor due to their insurers, Zurich, ruling that, due to a ridiculous Risk Asssessment, it was deemed too dangerous. We, immediately, petitioned all our neighbours, well over a hundred, of which only three felt they weren't able to 'go with' us, gained support from local councillors and the local MP, Conor Burns and took the issue to the Daily Echo. Eventually, through the kind offices of the Dorset D.O., Keith Brewer, the ECB and SITA, we received funding to compliment the hours and hours of leg work from our very own Steve Warwick, who found a company who were able to make some temporary fencing and posts which, thankfully, sensibly and with great relief, enabled us to commence playing at The Manor in 2012 again, following one of the most difficult years in our history. Two of our teams ended th 2012 season as Champion sides which helped, no end, to put out of our memory, a very difficult year in our history. The legend at the head of this history will show that we continued this advance into 2014.

In 2009 we lost Dave Fox and in 2010 the irreplaceable Andy Fitzjohn. Since then the sad news is that both Bob Stuart, in November 2011, at the age of 52, and Pat Murphy, 75, early in 2012, the first member of the original eleven who took to the field under the name of Suttoners in 1968, have passed on. Early in 2013, we lost Rick Lee, aged 49, another awful loss and in 2014, Jocky Wilson, 73, a wonderful and much loved character.. We hope we can continue to do them credit.

Thank you for being interested.

Suttoners Cricket Club