MID-60S STEELMEN

The Lincs League was very much in its infancy when this picture was taken at Foxhills sportsground, Scunthorpe, in the summer of 1964, featuring the Normanby Park Works team (then known as Lysaght's).
It's taken from a copy of the Open Hearth newsletter, produced by the steelworks which supported, and gave its name to, the team.
However, it's still possible to make out Keith Graham (third from left, back row) who later gave such fine service to the Lincs League as an official. Plus fellow bowler Allan Pashby(front, second from left). Long-serving batsman Mick Blanchard is on the back row, extreme left. The skipper, holding the Phipps-Fea Trophy, is Hubert Norris.
In this issue of Open Hearth, dated September 2, Lysaght's were "still riding on the crest of a wave with the first X1 battling on strong at the top of the Lincolnshire League."
An unnamed club spokesman told the Open Hearth: "Providing there is no slip-up it looks as though the championship may finally be on the way to our Works X1 who really have played well all season. It really has been a pleasure to be associated with this successful team who have played as a team and not relied on individual performances. At the time of writing we still have two matches to play, one of these being against the strong Ross Group (Grimsby) side. The other is against local side Scunthorpe Town."
The Lysaght's 2nd X1 were "struggling along" in division two of the Grimsby League, being fourth from bottom. It was a similar story for the 3rds, in the lower half of Scunthorpe League division two, and for the Works' Broughton Evening League side.
However, the club insider was pleased to report the Intermediates still had a chance of winning their competition, having yet to play Scotter and Winterton.
Just in case older readers are wondering about the oddly-named Phipps-Fea Trophy, it was an inter-steelworks competition, Lysaght's winning the competition for the third successive season - defeating Garringtons and Brymbo in the finals played at Bilston, in the Midlands.
Meanwhile, notice was given to sports fans that the 1964 cricket club dinner-dance was to be held on Thursday, October 24 at Scunthorpe's Wortley Hotel, starting at 7.30pm, with dancing until 2am. Guest speaker was to be Brian Close, the Yorkshire and England all-rounder, who went on to skipper his country.
Brian returned to northern Lincolnshire as chief guest at a recent Lincs League dinner.