History 1 of 2

1. History 1


Trafford MV Rugby Football and Cricket Club is a thriving independent community amateur club based in Sale, Cheshire and conveniently accessed from all areas of Manchester. In the cricket section currently there are 3 senior sides, two junior sides at under 13 and under 9 level and a women's team. This, combined with a friendly, welcoming environment makes the club an excellent place to play and socialise.

Prior to becoming fully independent, the club was originally formed on May 2nd 1923 by a group of 17 apprentices at an engineering company called Metropolitan Vickers (later becoming AEI Ltd. and eventually becoming GEC Ltd.) to provide a sports facility and the opportunity to play rugby against other companies around the region under the name of Metrovick RFC.

25 years after the rugby section came into existence, by very popular demand, a cricket section was founded in 1948 and the club became Metrovick Rugby Football and Cricket Club. The cricket also prospered and within two years of forming, three regular sides were playing friendly matches against other company sides in the area.

Over the years, with regular help from the company, the club upgraded its playing facilities to four full size rugby pitches and two cricket squares. As well as the playing arena, the club also added a clubhouse and two separate changing facilities.

The playing side of the club continued to develop after the war, with players staying loyal to the club. Whilst the rugby section continued to play in friendly matches and gained an excellent reputation, in 1960 the cricket section made a formal application to join the Cheshire Cricket Association and were accepted.

The 1st and 2nd XI won the 2nd Division titles in 1980, the 1st XI were 1st Division runners-up in 1982 and won the league knock-out competition on three occasions.

There are other significant years in MV's history. In 1980, the club ground was renamed MacPherson Park, in respect to one of its long-serving members, Jim MacPherson, who had passed away earlier in the year.

In 1989 the cricket section joined the South Lancashire League and, over the following nine seasons, the 1st XI were placed in the top three on four occasions and won the Wilkinson Sword Knock-Out in 1994 and were runners-up on two further occasions. The 2nd XI won their championship in 1990.

With league cricket in the North West facing a complete shake-up in the mid to late 1990s, the club saw that it was time to join a more organised structure with the possibility of upward mobility. In this respect it was decided that an application be made to the Cheshire Cricket Alliance, a new alliance between clubs of the old Cheshire Competition and South Cheshire Alliance, and return the club to its Cheshire roots.

In 1998, the club was placed in the 2nd Division of the Cheshire Cricket Alliance, effectively the bottom rung of the Cheshire Pyramid, but were immediately successful. The championship was won at a canter and the 1st XI were promoted to the 1st Division. Success for the second XI was only 12 months behind the 1st XI and the 1999 season saw the 2nd XI running out comfortable winners of the B division and were promoted, whilst the 1st XI consolidated their position in the top flight. 2001 saw even more success for the club, with the 2nd XI, under the captaincy of Duncan Eckersall, winning the league comfortably and being beaten finalists in the cup.

After only three seasons in the top flight of the Alliance, 2003 brought even more success to MV with the first XI coming runners up in the Alliance 1st Division and gaining promotion to the Meller Braggins Cheshire Cricket League.

If 2003 was a good year for MV, 2004 was even better. With the intention of establishing themselves in the new league, the 1st XI went on to win the league at a canter by over 40 points and were promoted to the 2nd Division.

In 2007, the 1st XI finished runners up in the 2nd Division of the Meller Braggins Cheshire League and have remained in the top division ever since. They are currently the club which risen furthest in the Cheshire pyramid structure.