VANDALS STRIKE

A very sad story has just appeared in the Scunthorpe Telegraph about vandalism to the cricket square at the Co-op sportsground in Brumby Wood Lane, Scunthorpe - these days used by clubs in the Scunthorpe Pubs League and the Midweek Friendly League.
Of course, older Lincs Cricket Latest followers will know it was once home to Nuform CC (remember them?) and also to Scunthorpe Town 3rds (teas being taken back at Heslam Park). Plus other sides, like West Butterwick, who hired it for Sunday games in the North Lindsey League.
The ground is now operated by North Lincolnshire Council, which inherited it from the old Scunthorpe Borough authority, removed by local government re-organisation in 1996.
Under the watchful eye of long-serving parks superintendent George Haynes, himself a keen cricketer, much Scunthorpe Borough Council time, money and effort was put into making all the town's municipal grounds (to use a modern phrase) 'fit for purpose'. Infact, they were very much more than that, being of a very high standard when compared with some of those operated by councils of similar size within a 50-mile radius of the steel town.
Grimsby readers can fill in the gaps here....
Next door to the Co-op ground on Brumby Wood Lane was what we called High Ridge - home to Scunthorpe Town 4ths (and a few others). And - just a couple of decent six-hits in the distance - was the famed Brumby Hall, home to Appleby-Frodingham CC.
A couple of times I played at Brumby Hall on what they called the Firth Brown ground - well away from the main square and not far from Brumby Wood Lane.
I think we played a couple of friendlies against a team from the British Steel Bloom and Billet Mill, so probably the Firth Brown ground was used by teams in the Appleby-Frodingham Inter-Departmental League.
Brigg Town CC acquired a great character, known to one and all as Firth Brown Freddie (aka Dave Matthews). But I never found out the exact reason for the nickname. Perhaps he had worked for the Scunthorpe heavy industrial company on Dawes Lane - or maybe he'd played cricket for them.
I can't date exactly when Firth Brown Freddie was in our team (he mainly turned out on Sundays in the North Lindsey League) but I do recall him playing in a match at Brumby Hall when Ramesh Chand (now the Scunthorpe Town first team star all-rounder) put us to the sword with the bat during his days with the Steelmen. So maybe it was the mid-1990s.