Grappers playing on a bright summer day, Grappenhall Cricket Club, Broad Lane, Grappenhall Village, Warrington, Cheshire, England, UK WA4 3EH

Grappenhall Cricket Club played its first game in 1881 on a ground in Bellhouse Lane. The club moved to its current home of Broad Lane in 1892 with a new clubhouse. There have been several new clubhouses built on the existing site with the most recent developments coming in the late 1980’s with significant improvements to the facilities in 2011. In the early days the club played a number of friendly matches. Grappers then played regular fixtures up to the 2nd World War. In 1939, before war broke out, Grappers were founder members of the North Cheshire League but the league was stopped at the start of the war and was never resumed. From the 1960’s onwards GCC were members of the Manchester Association which was the prelude to the clubs most successful period. The 70’s & 80’s – the golden years In 1981, after a couple of good seasons following promotion to the top division in the late 70’s, the 1st XI won the top flight for the first time. One of Grappenhall’s best teams, it included some famous Grappers names such as Duncan Martindale, Rick Houghton, Chris Ashton, Neil Titchard, Jim Green, Nick Sharp and a young Neil Fairbrother, only a few years before he headed off for big things with Lancashire and England.