Arbroath United Cricket Club: History

History

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CRICKET IN ARBROATH

It is reputed that cricket was first played in Arbroath in 1825, on the Low Common opposite Seaforth, and it was considered to be one of the first towns in Scotland to play the summer game.Around 1840 the honour of forming the first cricket club in Arbroath, according to an old cricketer – ex-Bailie Chapel, was due to a Dr. Binnie, an able exponent of the game. The bowling was all underhand in those days, and it has been said that the powerful doctor, who was a man of good physique could swipe the daisy-cutters from the pitch o Tutties Neuk. The club was called Arbroath Cricket Club, but later changed to Arbroath United Cricket Club.The committee of the day decided that to improve the conditions, for play, with the permission of the Town Council, they levelled and turfed, at great expense, a pitch near the centre of the West Common, adjacent to the Arbroath/Dundee Road, but after a few years, the summer game seemed to be on the wane, and as the club had no private ground, it was impossible to get first class clubs to come and play matches at Arbroath. It was decided that if the game of cricket was to flourish in this district, it could only be by the club acquiring a private ground. This materialised at the end of the 1886 season. The club was fortunate in getting the lease of over six acres on the Lochlands estate owned by Mr W.F. Macdonald a former player and ardent supporter of the summer game. The persons responsible for the negotiations with the backing of the committee were Mr Robert Gleig, Mr A.D. Lowson and Mr F.F. Macdonald.There was a good deal of levelling and excavating work required and some difficulty was experienced in getting turf, which was eventually procured at considerable cost. A large pavilion was erected on the east side, and the whole ground was laid out in such a manner as to make it one of the finest cricket grounds in Scotland. The official opening took place on Saturday 14^th May 1887, when a match was played between the United and Perthshire Cricket Club, who claim to be the oldest club in Scotland. The game ended in a draw.