Memories
The Veterans League was founded in 1970 with 14 teams coming together to form 10-man teams in a 4 Singles and 3 Pairs playing format exactly as it is today. Bowlers could only play in the League after they had passed their 62nd birthday and were retired or only working part-time. That age being determined by the Management Committee who were mainly comprised of ICI members and 62 was the retiring age for ICI employees at that time.
The 14 teams were split into two sections which wasn't based on playing strength but bus routes! The major consideration was transporting bowlers to their matches and no match should require a bowler to make more than two tram journeys to reach the match destination. It was to be 10 years before the League moved to a different model based on playing records and promotion and relegation were introduced.
The 14 original teams making up the League are shown below with the end of season tables for the 1970 season.
For the 1971 season Newsome and Paddock Cricket teams joined the League and the Newsome side topped the Section 1 end of season table. A play-off of the two section winners was staged this year at ICI where Meltham beat Newsome.
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