History
The
'Friends of Grace Road' was formed in October 1970 and has played a
full part in the activities of the Club since then.
In October 1970, a group of Leicestershire County Cricket Club supporters met in an upstairs room at the Old Cricket Ground Hotel (known familiarly to cricketers the world over as 'Charlie's') to form the 'Friends of Grace Road'. It was agreed that Members should pay 10p to join. The original committee was;
Chairman – Len Wallace
Treasurer – Peter Norman
Secretaries – Glenys Odams & John Maddock
together with – T Roebuck, P Barnwell, P Thornton, G Dakin, D Brown and Miss M Wells.
Although it was suggested at this time that the Friends might become a sub-committee of the Club's 'Welfare Committee', independence was preferred and has always been maintained - the 'Friends' is a completely autonomous, independent and voluntary group.
Starting Out...
The Friends' first contribution to the Club was a cheque for £140, presented in June 1971. The story of the Friends is to be found in a long and varied series of activities – social events, coach trips and in the success of the shop. The primary aim of the social events was to bring people together, especially during winter months and whenever possible, to raise money. During the first year of the Friends existence, social events were held monthly. The first fundraiser was a rummage sale, held in November 1970 which showed a profit of £69. Apart from the inevitable rummage sales, there were 'knit-ins', dances, skittle evenings, fashion shows, book sales, Christmas markets, treasure hunts, sports quizzes and sports forums – these were often chaired by the late, Terry Harris. On one notable occasion, Jock Wallace, the then manager of LCFC, was a member of the panel, without the benefit of an interpreter! Sports quizzes were organised by Alan Ross with teams from Leicester Mercury, Radio Leicester, Northamptonshire Supports' Club and of course, The Friends. Barn dances were held at the Tigers ground, where charges were kindly waived in support of the event. The Dances involved members in the preparation of food and then the washing-up after jacket potatoes, sausages and mushy peas – Sid Chamberlain being an excellent kitchen porter. The Christmas markets, especially when held in the city centre, entailed months of preparations the prelude to 3 hours of hectic selling: making pickled onions and the mathematical problems encounters when putting tickets on tombola prizes. In later times, the markets were held at Grace Road.
Going Away...
Coach trips were formerly run to all away one day matches. One of the first trips undertaken at the Club's request was to Lord's in 1972 for the Benson and Hedges Cup final, when the return fare was £1.20. Many stories are told about he trips – and not necessarily about the cricket played. There were midnight journeys to Scarborough when the game was obscured, for both players and spectators, by a sea fret; the trip to Glasgow which caused amazement amongst the Scots because of the dedication shown. Most notable of all perhaps was the Kent weekend. The 'Spinning Wheel' on the Dover Road is clearer in most memories that any spinning that was to be seen on the ground at Maidstone. Coach trips have always been noted for their friendly spirit.
Up for sale...
The Shop had a modest beginning. In 1973, a hut was erected near the Milligan Road scoreboard as the Friends' HQ, where tickets for trips were sold. In the following year this service was supplemented when a limited range of souvenirs was offered. Two years later, a shop was opened in the Meet – not far from its current location. In its early years and for some time after, the Shop owed much to the dedicated work of the late Geoff Dakin, who not only served in the Shop, but made and fitted counters and display stands. Geoff also make the catwalk for the fashion shows.
Considerable help was given by the Worcestershire Supporters' Club when the shop was being set up and in turn, The Friends gave help to a similar group at Notts. Gradually, because of Members' retirement from regular work, it became possible to open the shop for every match, including 2nd XI fixtures.
The Shop is now run by the Club, as sadly, dwindling numbers of volunteers has made it difficult to maintain opening hours.
Ongoing support...
Since that first cheque for £140 in 1971, the Friends support for the Club has grown. Monies raised has been used to provide improvements both on and off the field. One of the earliest gifts was a boundary rope, followed by covers and a motor mop. New tables and chairs were provided for the dining room an the first aid Room was equipped. Numerous seats have been presented and also cheques, not dedicated to specific items. In 2014, a cheque for £12,000 was presented to current Club Chief Executive, Wasim Khan. The monies used paid for the fitting of new medical rooms.
A plaque once displayed in the Club museum quoted: “All money raised, and all the service rendered to the Club is due to willing, voluntary service. Such a contribution cannot be measured in pounds, shillings, and pence – or the modern equivalents.” This contribution exemplifies the essentially voluntary spirit which, for over 40 years, has motivated The Friends of Grace Road.
Today...
The Friends of Grace Road run a café serving home-made cakes and hot drinks at teatimes for most home games, sells pre-loved cricket books and organises the ever-popular 50/50 raffles, where the winner can take home up to £500!
We are always in need of volunteers... would you help?
Please use the 'Contact Us' page to get in touch.
In October 1970, a group of Leicestershire County Cricket Club supporters met in an upstairs room at the Old Cricket Ground Hotel (known familiarly to cricketers the world over as 'Charlie's') to form the 'Friends of Grace Road'. It was agreed that Members should pay 10p to join. The original committee was;
Chairman – Len Wallace
Treasurer – Peter Norman
Secretaries – Glenys Odams & John Maddock
together with – T Roebuck, P Barnwell, P Thornton, G Dakin, D Brown and Miss M Wells.
Although it was suggested at this time that the Friends might become a sub-committee of the Club's 'Welfare Committee', independence was preferred and has always been maintained - the 'Friends' is a completely autonomous, independent and voluntary group.
Starting Out...
The Friends' first contribution to the Club was a cheque for £140, presented in June 1971. The story of the Friends is to be found in a long and varied series of activities – social events, coach trips and in the success of the shop. The primary aim of the social events was to bring people together, especially during winter months and whenever possible, to raise money. During the first year of the Friends existence, social events were held monthly. The first fundraiser was a rummage sale, held in November 1970 which showed a profit of £69. Apart from the inevitable rummage sales, there were 'knit-ins', dances, skittle evenings, fashion shows, book sales, Christmas markets, treasure hunts, sports quizzes and sports forums – these were often chaired by the late, Terry Harris. On one notable occasion, Jock Wallace, the then manager of LCFC, was a member of the panel, without the benefit of an interpreter! Sports quizzes were organised by Alan Ross with teams from Leicester Mercury, Radio Leicester, Northamptonshire Supports' Club and of course, The Friends. Barn dances were held at the Tigers ground, where charges were kindly waived in support of the event. The Dances involved members in the preparation of food and then the washing-up after jacket potatoes, sausages and mushy peas – Sid Chamberlain being an excellent kitchen porter. The Christmas markets, especially when held in the city centre, entailed months of preparations the prelude to 3 hours of hectic selling: making pickled onions and the mathematical problems encounters when putting tickets on tombola prizes. In later times, the markets were held at Grace Road.
Going Away...
Coach trips were formerly run to all away one day matches. One of the first trips undertaken at the Club's request was to Lord's in 1972 for the Benson and Hedges Cup final, when the return fare was £1.20. Many stories are told about he trips – and not necessarily about the cricket played. There were midnight journeys to Scarborough when the game was obscured, for both players and spectators, by a sea fret; the trip to Glasgow which caused amazement amongst the Scots because of the dedication shown. Most notable of all perhaps was the Kent weekend. The 'Spinning Wheel' on the Dover Road is clearer in most memories that any spinning that was to be seen on the ground at Maidstone. Coach trips have always been noted for their friendly spirit.
Up for sale...
The Shop had a modest beginning. In 1973, a hut was erected near the Milligan Road scoreboard as the Friends' HQ, where tickets for trips were sold. In the following year this service was supplemented when a limited range of souvenirs was offered. Two years later, a shop was opened in the Meet – not far from its current location. In its early years and for some time after, the Shop owed much to the dedicated work of the late Geoff Dakin, who not only served in the Shop, but made and fitted counters and display stands. Geoff also make the catwalk for the fashion shows.
Considerable help was given by the Worcestershire Supporters' Club when the shop was being set up and in turn, The Friends gave help to a similar group at Notts. Gradually, because of Members' retirement from regular work, it became possible to open the shop for every match, including 2nd XI fixtures.
The Shop is now run by the Club, as sadly, dwindling numbers of volunteers has made it difficult to maintain opening hours.
Ongoing support...
Since that first cheque for £140 in 1971, the Friends support for the Club has grown. Monies raised has been used to provide improvements both on and off the field. One of the earliest gifts was a boundary rope, followed by covers and a motor mop. New tables and chairs were provided for the dining room an the first aid Room was equipped. Numerous seats have been presented and also cheques, not dedicated to specific items. In 2014, a cheque for £12,000 was presented to current Club Chief Executive, Wasim Khan. The monies used paid for the fitting of new medical rooms.
A plaque once displayed in the Club museum quoted: “All money raised, and all the service rendered to the Club is due to willing, voluntary service. Such a contribution cannot be measured in pounds, shillings, and pence – or the modern equivalents.” This contribution exemplifies the essentially voluntary spirit which, for over 40 years, has motivated The Friends of Grace Road.
Today...
The Friends of Grace Road run a café serving home-made cakes and hot drinks at teatimes for most home games, sells pre-loved cricket books and organises the ever-popular 50/50 raffles, where the winner can take home up to £500!
We are always in need of volunteers... would you help?
Please use the 'Contact Us' page to get in touch.