HISTORY

Here's a bit of reading from Eric Caw.

It's a great bit of history from the former player, captain and president of the club who was one of the first to play under the Corstorphine name...

"The club started up as a works team in 1957 as Elldee (Laidlaw Drew) Cricket Club. Alf Bilney, Ian McWhirter, Norrie Reynolds are names to remember from then who played originally in the Midweek Works League when only Laidlaw Drew employees played.

They soon started up Saturday fixtures and recruited from other works teams. Mainly from Merlin, a railway side that I played for. We played at venues which are no longer around such as Pencaitland, Easthouses, City Hospital, Muirhouses, West Pilton and others.

We put together a useful side with guys like Jim Cruikshank, George Graham, Peter Kennedy, Eric Durie and of course yours truly.

We played at Sighthill sharing Saturdays with Sighthill C.C. in the East A Grade and Midland League and initially remained in the bottom half of these leagues.

In the early sixties we improved rapidly. Frank Lawrie arrived and brought along some of his Royal High mates like Charlie Henry and Dave Buchanan.

Others who played then included Pat Cavanagh, a useful bowler (who incidentally had the only car in those days so he was always first on the team sheet).

We gathered pace but with the advent of the motorcar and television cricket going through a hard time meant turning out a team was difficult in the mid sixties.

But the turning point came in 1967 when we played at Lanark.

Peter Veitch (who was a wonderful club secretary and was the man who kept me motivated), a few others and myself had to make the hard decision whether to keep the club going.

The game and indeed the club, was about to be called off when Fred Dundas said he could bring 3 of his pals along who were at a BB camp near Lanark.

One car left with two people and the kit and six of us took a bus and went through every village. It took two and a half hours and members of the Lanark team ferried us from the bus stop to the game.

From all directions we came and how we got home is too long a tale to tell!

In those days the games were two and a quarter hours each and you could get a draw.

In the match we took 4 catches, all by the BB lot, and Lanark scored 158 for 7.

It was rather inhospitable of us to end up 48 for 9 at 8.45pm, but a result is a result. I batted through with my own team barracking me as I left them with limited drinking time before catching the bus home.

Shortly after this Charlie Glen arrived, a fast bowler who could have played for Scotland.

It’s amazing how recruitment took off after this! Better playing for us than facing Charlie on the new bouncy Sighthill surface - ask Tom Greig.

John Crombie, Peter Robertson and Steve Davidson were names to remember then. Frank Ingham a class bat and wicket keeper who flitted between Grange and us was around and with Frank Lawrie at the other end to Charlie, our opening attack was formidable.

Yes the late Frank could run then. Somebody had to chase my bowling!

All this culminated in 1970 in the Masterton Trophy with us playing Heriots, who had 5 Scottish Internationals. They only just beat us in the last over at Sighthill.

As I said before, it was hard times for cricket and Sighthill C.C. folded in 1969.

The two Carrick Know sides and Corstorphine, who had amalgamated in 1967, were struggling to keep things going and also folded.

We moved to Union Park in 1971 and played there as Elldee, and were joined by Ian Ferrier and Ian Young of Corstorphine. Murdo McPherson and Harry Hunt had joined us earlier from Sighthill.

With things looking up we soon formed two sides. The main protagonists at that time where Peter Veitch, Frank Lawrie, Ron Wharton (who joined from the Rugby club) and myself.

We fought at that time to gain entry into the old East League first division but coincidently there was a major restructuring of the leagues then, it was ever thus, and we became an East League division 2 side in 1974/5.

It was decided to change the name to Corstorphine, as this seemed the logical step.

We continued fairly well in the seventies and early eighties having a good recruitment of young folk like the Azam’s, Cuthills, Keith Burnett, Malcolm Kellie and Ian Butcher and also Stuart Williamson amongst others. Adults around then included Dougie Latto and Gordon Dabinett.

We soon had 3 sides. In 1978 Peter Veitch resigned from the club to take up bowls, a big miss. 

People who played in the 70s and 80s included Arthur Muchall, father of Gordon - who plays for Durham. Rob McCaffrey, the Sky Sports presenter and Brian Anderson the international rugby referee who captained the club in 1980. 

Harry West performed an outstanding feat in the mid eighties against Leith Accies.

Batting No 10 he scored 108 not out equalling the club record at that time. I scored 1 out of a last wicket partnership of 53. We declared at 195 for 9 and lost.

We played a good standard in the early 80s. There was no National League then and Grange were regular opponents for a while. The league was competitive and we had some great trips to places like Falkland, Freuchie, Cupar and Kirkcaldy… the drink really flowed then.

Len England and Scott Smith were prominent then, both good players. We didn’t make any real progress until we recruited a Pro in Surrinder Khanna in the late 80s.

The club became stronger with 4 sides and success followed.

Due to my heart problem and personal club reasons that I will not mention here, I resigned in 1995. 

It would be an understatement to say the club was a big part of my life. I put a lot in but got a fair share back. I have many happy memories but I am enjoying life as a couch potato and playing golf plus trips abroad like this – I write to you from sunny Cape Town.

Have a great anniversary,