Welcome to Babbacombe Cricket Club
Although the
present Babbacombe Cricket Club is known to have been established during
1893, records show that Babbacombe had its own club as far back as 1885,
holding both first and second eleven fixtures that season against Torre
Blues, St Johns C.C., Victoria C.C and Plainmoor Juniors. The club ceased
playing during 1889 having played just one fixture, but reasons for this
sudden demise remain a mystery. This was followed by the re-formation of the
club during 1893 following a break of almost five years.
The first fixture to be played by the re-formed club was against Tor Abbey
C. C., one of the two teams to share the Walls Hill Ground with Babbacombe,
the other being Plainmoor Victorians. During the following 1895 season Tor
Abbey C.C. disbanded and Plainmoor Park, thus leaving Babbacombe as the sole
occupants of the Walls Hill site.
The club occupied this pitch until 1902 when permission was granted by
Torquay Town Council for the formation of the Walls Hill Ground in the
valley where it enjoys it’s present site. An interesting piece of trivia is
that the Secretary during the 1902 season lived in St. Nicholas, Babbacombe
and by strange coincidence this is where our current Secretary, Ron Thomson,
now resides.
The 1911 season witnessed one of the first known incidents of ‘sledging’ in
the match at Walls Hill against Kingswear. The local paper to a termination
by the intervention of the umpires and other players”. Prior to the 1912
season Babbacombe acquired a new pavilion which had previously been used by
the Torquay Ladies Hockey Club at Plainmoor. This was transferred to Walls
Hill where it stood largely unaltered until 1928, when a lean-to was added
for the serving of refreshments. In the 1914 season, prior to the outbreak
of World War One, the local paper took great delight in describing how
Babbacombe had been crowned champions of both divisions of the South Devon
League.
Cricket continued on the “Hill” until the outbreak of World War Two and in
1942 use of the pitch was transferred to the Royal Air Force, who were based
at the nearby Palace Hotel, which had been converted during the war to a
forces hospital. The R.A.F. had use of the ground until the 1946 season.
With the arrival of the 1960’s the club probably made its most significant
decision and at the 1961 Annual General Meeting a proposal was made that
consideration be given to the construction of a new pavilion, the old one
proving to be costly to maintain and causing an annual drain on funds. This
proposal was eventually agreed upon in 1964 and fund raising started in
earnest. By the end of the 1970 season the club considered it has raised
enough money for work to start on the new pavilion.
The new clubhouse was opened by Councillor Foster in July 1971, and provided
for two changing rooms, showers, and a tea room which doubled as a bar.
Revenue from the bar not only enabled members to enjoy less expensive
cricket , but it also gave them ideas for expansion.