committee@westgateonseacricketclub.co.uk
Club History Researched by Colin Osborne.
Colin(pictured left) has been a valued member of Westgate Cricket Club for over 50 years. He started playing for the First Team as a 14 year old in 1967, when the team was short. No Junior Section then. His roles have included Player, Club Photographer, Committee Member, Ex-President and a Life Member. Pictured alongside Bernie Taylor, former Player, Committee Member, Ex-President and a Life Member. Bernie has maintained the Club Pavillion and Facilities for over 30 years.
A Brief History of Westgate Cricket Club
Westgate Cricket Club have been playing cricket at Hawtrey’s Field on a regular basis since 1950. Since then they have welcomed visiting teams from the Thanet area, Dover, Canterbury, Medway Towns and further afield from Luton and London teams such as the Crown & Manor, London Cosmos and the Commonwealth & Caribbean.
The Westgate Cub has developed over the years to become one of the most successful local clubs in the area and probably Kent. Most of it has been played behind the gates of the Westgate Primary School Field, but the long history has undoubtedly been due to the dedication and hard work of the committee, that has left a 95 year legacy.
You might be interested to know that Westgate Cricket Club begun as a Church Side. St Saviour’s Church once played an important role in the founding of the Westgate-on-sea Cricket Club way back in 1927. There was two clubs running in the village. One was known as Westgate, which was composed of Masters from the private schools in the District and the other was the St Saviour’s Club.
The Westgate master’s team played at Hawtrey’s Field during the summer term, while the Church Club could only play there during the summer holiday. This arrangement carried on until 1937, when the Westgate Club disbanded.
At the A.G.M. meeting of the St Saviour’s Club in March of that year, it was decided that they would be known as WESTGATE-ON-SEA CRICKET CLUB. The annual subscription then was 5 shillings and 6 pence.
From then until the War, the club played on various school pitches. Even when cricket re-started in 1945, Westgate were obliged to play on Corporation pitches in Margate.
It was in 1947, (approx. time of photograph) 75 years ago that the development of the Westgate Club really started. That year a determined Committee, fully supported by club members and the local community made applications to ensure cricket was played at Hawtrey’s Field, with a new pavilion being built a few years later.
On the 4th April 1947, Margate Town Council has decided against the acquisition of Hawtrey’s playing field as a public recreation ground. The matter was given full consideration at a meeting of the Council Committee.
11th April 1949. Westgate Cricket Club who play their matches at Hartsdown Park are to ask the Town Council to provide a sports ground in Westgate. This was decided at the A.G.M., at which Mr F.A. Burgess of the Westgate Club presided. It was also decided to ask the Westgate Chamber of Commerce to support their request.
17th June 1949. In response, Margate Town Council has indicated that it is unable to consider the provision of a cricket ground at Westgate at the present time
31st March 1950 - A four man delegation from Westgate Cricket Club is to have an interview with the Chairman of the Kent Education Committee, Alderman W.C. Redman, Mayor of Margate.
14th July 1950 – WESTGATE FIND A HOME AT LAST. KCC GRANT THE USE OF HAWTREY’S PLAYING FIELD.
The Westgate Club will play their first home game against Barham and have sent an invitation to Alderman W.C .Redman, Chairman of Kent Education Committee to watch tomorrow’s match. Westgate celebrated with a narrow win over Barham.
3rd July 1954 – WESTGATE SET AN EXAMPLE, THEY BUILD A NEW PAVILION AND PLAN A FIRST CLASS GROUND. SLIDE 3.
At the Pavilion Opening Ceremony on Saturday, Club President Mr. T.E. Gullick welcomed Alderman Redman to officially open the new pavilion. Westgate were playing Herne Bay and Alderman Redman was introduced to the teams by skippers Arthur Foad of Westgate and Mr. A turner of Herne Bay.
The new pavilion which is their own property cost £200 and they have to bear the cost of all maintenance expenses. No help has been received from the Kent Education Committee. A pavilion fund has been set up to help meet the annual expenses.
Westgate Need a New Pavilion. Picture of 1954 Old One
The cricket pavilion had been in use since July 1954 and was now over 50 years old. It had now become outdated. A single changing room for both teams, the kitchen was too small and there was no social area and no shower provision. Redevelopment was needed for the club to progress.
The new pavilion was opened on the 29th June 2003. It had taken 6 years of hard work by club members starting from 1997. The membership had built most of the pavilion themselves, baring professional input from qualified tradesman. The cost to build it was £36,000.
Pictured is Mr John Hales, President of the club at the time giving the opening speech.
September 1st 2012 The Night of Disaster.
On the 1st September 2012 phone calls were frantically being relayed around to senior club members, informing them that that the pavilion was on fire.
Fire crews raced to the scene at Hawtrey’s Field and did a magnificent job in saving parts of the building. The site screen pictured helped to save the destruction of the garage and vital ground maintenance equipment.
Essentially the main social area of the pavilion was completely gutted along with years of club memorabilia destroyed, that could never be replaced. It was a sad day in the History of Westgate Cricket Club.
The Thanet Times reported that 75 years of club history was in ashes.
Westgate Councillor Simon Moores said at the time that ‘This is not Mogadishu, it is Westgate-on-sea’.
A Phoenix Rises from the Ashes.
After the initial shock was over, members of the committee led by Martin & Kim Arnold, got to work with a mission to save the club and have a new pavilion built. A complete re-build was made via many hours of work with the Insurance Company. The cost of the complete new pavilion was £72,000 and was ready by May 2013.
The official opening was made on the 29th June 2013 and the ribbon was cut by Kim Arnold to open the new pavilion and a new era for Westgate Cricket Club.
Fun Days
Every year the club holds a fun day, usually on a Sunday. This has become an important part of the club activity. This allows all sections of the club to have a get together to include current teams, along with wives, juniors, parents and seniors. The day starts with friendly short cricket matches, followed by a BBQ and fund raising events in the evening.
Fund Raising
A great deal of work is performed by committee members to generate funds for both the club and external charities.
Over the past few years the fun days has raised over £6,000 for the club to help with expenses, equipment and overheads.
Charities have also benefited with £550 raised for the Pilgrims Hospice and £2,000 for the Demelza Children’s Hospice.
Life Members John Hales and Gordon Sandwell
Since the early 1950’s two members of the club have remained from players in their primes, to Life members and supporters of club activities and spectators on match days up to last season. Their partnership extended to a remarkable lifespan of 140 years with the club.
Sadly Gordon Sandwell pasted away in July 2022. They have both set an example to all club members both on and off the field and remained committed to club activity for most of their lives. John Hales has just received an award to acknowledge 70 years of his club membership at the AGM in February.
Club Tours
The slide shows a team photograph of the 1990 Aldershot Tour. On this tour, playing at Aldershot, the team met Major Ronald Ferguson, captain of the opposition and father of Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
He was in his senior years, played a good game of cricket and he welcomed our club to the match. He was very down to earth, speaking as a fellow cricketer and was duly awarded a Westgate Cricket Club Tie after the match.
It was a custom on tour to fine club players a small sum of money to cover the payment of teas for the next match. Major Ferguson was duly fined £2 for slow play, which he duly paid up in a humorous manner and was applauded by both teams.
The club toured teams from Hertfordshire, Bath, Eastbourne, Bournemouth, Brighton and the last one being to Great Yarmouth. They were highly enjoyable, but due to recent events and changing trends, cricket tours have now become a thing of the past.
You will notice that a youthful John Hales and Gordon Sandwell are in the team 37 years after they joined and also a young Harry Osborne at 68 years of age who joined the club just after the 2nd world war and maintained the pitches for many years. CRICKET MUST KEEP YOU LOOKING YOUNG !!!!
You might ask were they any good? Gordon Sandwell and Harry Osborne both played in the match which opened the new pavilion in July 1954. On that day, Westgate batted first and scored 62 runs.
The paper reported ‘Victory for Herne Bay seemed certain, but inspired bowling by Gordon Sandwell 18-10-23-6, and Harry Osborne 18-10-18-4, won Westgate the match.
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