FRAMPTON Cotterell are preparing to celebrate their 100th anniversary with a hectic calendar of events, culminating with a dinner at the Seat Unique County Ground in October.
A major focus of the summer will be a cricket week in June along with an end of season tour to Leeds while the centenary is also being marked with the launch of a new women’s team – as well as two special beers!
Vic Cater, who must surely be one of the longest serving chairs in the entire country after taking up the role at the South Gloucestershire village club in 1980, well remembers Frampton’s 50th anniversary as he dismissed former West Indian opener Roy Marshall without scoring in a game against a star-studded Whitbread Wanderers.
And the 76-year-old is proud to be at the helm as Frampton reflect on their humble beginnings and look to the future with renewed hope.
Vic, glancing out of the pavilion at senior squad members practising in the middle, said: “Without the cricket club, this might not even be here.
“This used to be a field that belonged to the church who back in 1924 gave us exclusive use of The Park for cricket, and that was the way it was for many years until it was acquired by the parish council.”
In common with many village clubs, Frampton have had to deal with their fair share of challenges in recent summers, but there are plenty of reasons for optimism at this seminal moment in their history.
Vic, who played his first game here as a nine or ten-year-old, added: “We’ve got 60 youngsters signed up for All Stars and Dynamos on Sunday mornings, and that gives us a lot of hope for the future.
“We’re also running U11s, U13s and U15s this year and still manage to get out three sides on a Saturday in the Bristol & District League as well as a team in the Midweek League.
“And we recently held a first women’s and girls session which went well so there are lots of good signs.”
Frampton’s cricket week will begin with a parents and juniors pairs knock out on June 23 with T20s to follow against Easton-in-Gordano and local rivals Winterbourne – one of their first opponents 100 years ago – along with a special challenge on June 28 against Frampton Cotterell RFC, who are celebrating their 50th anniversary.
An Old Boys match and get-together is set for June 30 – former players are welcome to pop along to play or simply reminisce on the boundary edge – while tickets will be sold all summer for a raffle with prizes including a limited edition Jack Russell print and Alistair Cook-signed bat.
Frampton are also hopeful that their aspirations for installing permanent nets will be boosted by sales of two beers produced for this special season by South Gloucestershire-based Tangent Brewing Company.
Already available – and selling fast – is Not Out, a hazy IPA. And later in the summer there are plans for a pale ale which will be named after a poll of club members who will come up with a short list of options.