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Cricket at Metrovicks rugby club began in 1948. In the immediate post-World War Two years there was a yearning for more competitive sport after the privations of six years of war. Many in the rugby section expressed the desire to play cricket as well as rugby, and there was also the need to use the club’s facilities all-year-round.

For the first dozen years the club played local friendlies against Stretford, Sale Moor, Bowdon Vale etc., but as the 50s progressed a more organised league was proposed. In 1959 the Cheshire Cricket Association was born, and although MV were not founder members, they joined the year after its inception.

MV 1st XI in 1954

MV’s performances in the Association through the 60s and early/mid 70s were not exceptional, but a few of the characters who were to prove significant emerged during this period. Bert Hall, who was good enough to be considered for a trial at Old Trafford as a wicketkeeper/batsmen, captained the side, as did Doc Coombes, who was to prove so influential in the improvements the cricket section made in the late 70s/early 80s.

MV 1st XI in 1965 with Doc Coombes, Bert Holt, Ron Kelly and Bert Hall seated from third left

Other captains included the excellent all-rounder Ron Kelly, Oni Doherty, a great club man who captained teams at all levels on both Saturdays and Sundays, wicket-keeper Colin Brown, who was to bring several cricketers down to the club, and Rod Bradley, an opening bowler who was good enough to play for the Cheshire Association league side for several seasons.

The aggressive opening batsman Bert Holt was also someone who would be very important at the club as a captain, player, administrator and spectator for many decades. But perhaps his most important contribution to the cricket section’s future was to bring his son Derek down to the club. An elegant right-hand batsman, useful seam and spin bowler and great fielder, Derek was arguably the leading the batsman at the club throughout the 70s and 80s. When he moved down to the 2nd XI, he became an integral part of a very successful team.

MV 2nd XI in 1972

Back row: Bert Hall, Derek Holt, Geoff Donaldson, Bill Rhodes, Jerry Kershaw, Jim Ward, Doreen Kershaw (scorer)

Front row: ?, Colin Brown, Ken Darbyshire, Dave Williams, John Power

One character who joined the club in this period and would acquire legendary status was Ken ‘Steamboat’ Derbyshire. A work accident meant that he had to change from a left arm seam bowler to a right hand batsman and wicket-keeper. He was idolised by the younger players and performed almost every duty at the club, sometimes curmudgeonly but always with the spirit of a great club man.

Rugby players featured prominently in the cricket team photos of the 60s and 70s: Names such as Tony Morgans, Dave Williams, Bill Rhodes, Bob Selby, Geoff Donaldson, Stewart Taylor and the recently deceased John Taylor, who became a universally respected umpire for the 1st XI. But the man who was to be the most influential rugby player on the cricket section, so much so that he earned the soubriquet ‘Mr Metrovick’, was Bernard Millington.

It’s hard to evaluate the contribution that Bernard has made to the club. As a rugby player he captained the 1st XV for many seasons, repeating the feat with almost as many seasons as captain of the cricket 1st XI, even returning for a season in the late 80s when the club was in flux. As the Cheshire Association grew, it split into two divisions and he captained the side in the First Division in 1976. Despite being relegated, Bernard scored nearly 600 runs with two centuries and was selected for the Cheshire Association league side.

Cricket in Cheshire changed a lot in the mid-1970s. The Cheshire Association expanded but many of the better clubs left to form a new Cheshire Cricket League in 1977. MV were ensconced in the Second Division, but it wouldn’t be for long! A large and youthful influx of players in the late 70s were to see the club become one of the leading clubs in the Cheshire Association by the early 80s.

Unarguably the best bowler the club has ever produced is Azhar Rathor. ‘Az’ came to the club seeking competitive cricket as a wild fast bowler in the early 70s. He was an early example of the open welcome the club gives to people of all communities. He turned himself into a fine fast bowler, the best in the Cheshire Association by the early 80s, and when he left the club in the late 80s for a better league he became a star in that league too. He was also a very successful captain of the club.

MV 1st XI in 1977

Back row: John Taylor (umpire, Doc Coombes, Dave Williams, Bob Selby, Derek Holt, Rod Bradley, Stewart Taylor

Front row: Bill Rhodes, Alf Ashton, Bernard Millington, Colin Brown, Andy Searle, Barry Bradley (scorer)

In 1976 two players joined the club who were also to have a significant impact, not only on the cricket section, but the club as a whole. Bryn Maddick turned himself into a more than useful all-rounder, bar chairman, occasional rugby player and rugby team secretary for many years. And Colin Brown brought down the then 15-year old Andy Searle to the club towards the end of the long hot summer of 1976. Andy was the captain of the Flixton under-16 side who dominated local junior cricket in the mid-70s. Unable to get games at the weekend in an era when junior cricketers were rarely selected for senior sides, by the start of the 1977 season he was opening the batting for the 1st XI with Bernard Millington. He eventually turned himself into a wicket-keeper and would be a stalwart of the 1st XI for more than 30 years.

Up until 1977 the club had had small influxes of players, but in 1977 the club began to receive a large influx of players, which would become a theme for MV for the next 40 years. Rugby player Kenny Mulligan brought down an 18-year old neighbour. His name was Dave Moore. Sadly, Dave passed away young, but his influence on Metrovicks and later Trafford MV cannot be under-estimated. Within a year of his arrival he had introduced almost all the Stretford Grammar School cricket team, of which he was captain, to the club. The names are etched in the memory as the period from 1979 to 1986 became a halcyon period both on and off the field: Steve Haughton, Paul Sinclair, Andy Bone, Andy Coppock, Kalpesh Patel, Dave Drury, Dave Scrafton, Winston Hunter, Darren McKay, Steve Sutton etc.

Metrovicks under 18s in 1979

For the first 30 years of its existence Metrovicks had never had a junior section. That was to change in 1978. At first just a few friendlies were played at under 18 level under the captaincy of Andy Searle and including in the side Mike Morgan, who was to become a long-time 2nd XI captain. The following season the addition of the Stretford Grammar School boys meant the club could join a league so, for two seasons, MV played in the South Manchester Junior Cricket League.

Unfortunately, the new young players got older and the junior section became dormant for a couple of seasons until the arrival of a new batch of young players from local schools in Sale, which included Andy Colley and Nigel Adams. Nigel was a skilled opening bowler and hard-hitting batsman who starred for MV’s 1st XI in the mid-80s, whilst Andy was a talented batsman who broke into the 1st XI in the mid-80s and also turned himself into a brilliant wicket-keeper. He, of course, is now known to everyone at the club.

With both 1st and 2nd XIs becoming stronger and stronger as players matured, promotion as champions was achieved by both sides in 1980, having narrowly missed out in 1979. Doc Coombes had taken over as captain in 1979 with Derek Holt as his deputy. Doc was a great inspiration and the club soon established itself as a top team in the First Division. Having finished as runners up in the League cup competition in 1979, the trophy was won in 1982, 1983 and 1985.

Another great character at the club, and 2nd XI captain during this period, was Dave ‘Piggy’ Higson. His team were almost as successful as the 1st XI. In addition, most players who played Saturday cricket, played on Sunday as well. There was a thriving friendly scene, with the club sometimes putting out three teams and able to test themselves against some of the supposed better clubs in the region.

It was during this period that MV began what was a normal practice for cricket clubs through the ages, that of touring another part of the country. So, from 1979 the club began touring South Wales. On the basis of the old adage ‘What goes on tour stays on tour’ not much can be said about them, suffice to say the town of Abergavenny and Crichowell will never be the same again. An interesting footnote though is that the two fading 1st XV second row forwards came along on a tour or two. Pete Wilkinson made the numbers up and for many years has been seen regularly down at the club during the cricket season. Ken O’Connell, however, turned himself into a useful cricketer, opening the bowling for the 2nd XI for several years before taking up the precarious career of a bomb disposal expert!!

Metrovicks 1st XI 1980 - Cheshire Association Division 2 champions and League Cup runners-up

Back row: Rod Bradley, Dave Scrafton, Andy Searle, Bryn Maddick, Dave Moore

Front row: Andy Bone, Derek Gibbons, Derek Holt, Doc Coombes, Derek Atkins, Paul Sinclair, Azhar Rathor

Despite the success in cup competitions, the 1st XI never managed to take the Cheshire Association league title. The closest they came was in 1982 when the 1st XI needed a draw in the last two matches to secure the league title for the first time. Both were lost by the narrowest of margins: one wicket and one run. The reason? Several of MV’s star younger players were unavailable. It was to prove an insurmountable burden for the hopes of league title success as some of the grammar school boys in the team gradually left to study at university and then pursued careers all over the world.

Dave Moore in action against Westminster Park in 1979

Being a forward-thinking club the need to better itself is and was an ever-present. Several enquiries were made to join both the Cheshire League and Manchester Association in the early 80s but were knocked back. The club suffered from its perception as a works team, which could not have been further from the truth, and it would be nearly 20 years before a pyramid system came in place and allowed the club to progress to its level.

Derek Holt in action at Timperley in 1979

It was inevitable that some players would leave to find a better standard of cricket and play on better grounds, and in the mid-80s several key players from both 1st and 2nd XIs left the club. Paul Sinclair, who was captain in 1985, left for Bowdon Vale the following year where he won the Cheshire League title before becoming a hugely successful captain of Hale Barnes. Bryn Maddick, Dave Drury and Kal Patel joined Ashley whilst remaining involved in the rugby section. Dave Moore took a sabbatical from the sport because of the demands of his police career, whilst many who were at university in the early 80s moved to pastures new.

MV were struggling for players at the start of the 1986 season, and it even meant the return of Bernard Millington as 1st XI captain. However, a local rugby and cricket club, Manchester YMCA, had folded the previous season and some of their rugby section had already joined MV. It wasn’t a big stretch for Bernard to gently persuade many of their cricketers to join as well. Thus began a new chapter in the cricket section’s history.

Dave Moore in action against Westminster Park in 1979 Derek Holt in action at Timperley in 1979 Out of the many former YMCA players that joined the one who had the greatest impact on the club’s next ten years was Adrian French. An extremely likeable ex-public schoolboy, ‘Frenchie’ was elected (in his absence) 1st XI captain for the 1987 season and remained captain until 1991 in a period of great change for the club. As befits his all-rounder status, he was a hard-hitting right hand batsman who bowled left arm medium pace, but also was a more than useful rugby player who captained the Tanners XV with distinction. He was also a more than accommodating taxi driver for younger, car-less members of the team, with a prematch warm-up around the snooker table in Chorlton Conservative Club obligatory.

The biggest change Adrian made initially was to move the club to a different league. The Cheshire Association had grown in the 80s, but most of the clubs that had joined came from The Wirral. Travelling had become horrendous, so a successful application was made to join the largely Manchester-based South Lancashire Cricket League, which the YMCA had been a member of. It was a league that suited MV’s cavalier style of the period, with shorter 40-over-a-side matches on a win or lose basis. It gave the opportunity for Adrian to make a second major change at the club.

During the latter years of the club’s 28-year membership of the Cheshire Association all the travelling commitments and the long games of cricket meant the 1st and 2nd XIs rarely saw each other and the social side of the club had become almost extinct. The local cricket and Adrian’s boyish charm changed all that. By 7pm every Saturday evening the club was bouncing.

Adrian also became adept at getting new members integrated into the club. Key new members to join during his time as captain were Duncan Eckersall, Phil Tranter and Colin Corbishley from the defunct Barton Hall club in Eccles, Tony Gellman and Ian and Mark Davies from the Manchester Jewish Cricket Club, and Keith Dale, Pete Brookes and Chris Fox.

In the days when the ground wasn’t as secure as it is now, Adrian also took it upon himself to chase off golfers and dog walkers, but, more productively, induce some of the summer football-playing youngsters to try out rugby in cricket. In this way names like Andy Hope, Mike Peel, Ollie Stuart and Scott Page joined the club.

Metrovicks 1st XI 1989 - the first year in the South Lancashire League

Back row: Paul Kelly, Andy Searle, Andy Thompson, Andy Colley, Derek Crookes, Martin O’Hara

Front row: Steve Warner, Steve Haughton, Adrian French, ?, Derek Atkins

The influx of new members wanting to play and stay at the club meant that more cricket was needed. Within a couple of seasons the club had a Saturday 3rd XI playing in the local division of the Cheshire County League, where they could play on top grounds like Bowdon, Cheadle Hulme and Brooklands. Soon there was, incredibly, a 4th XI on Saturdays playing in the Ashton and District League and captained by Chris Fox. Little wonder the club was bouncing!

At this point it’s appropriate to highlight one former YMCA player who has reached legendary status at Trafford MV. A young Steve Warner joined the club as part of Adrian French’s former YMCA posse, and as an occasional bowler/wicket-keeper and extremely exciting hard-hitting batsman he made an immediate impact. He became an integral part of the 1st XI. He was great friends with Chris Fox and, like many before, left with Chris to find a better standard of cricket at local club Ashton-on-Mersey. Both did, however, return and Steve remains a fixture at the club to this day.

During the nine seasons MV played in the South Lancashire League the 1st XI were placed in the top three on four occasions and won the Wilkinson Sword Knock-Out in 1995 and were runners-up on two further occasions. The 2nd XI won their championship in 1990.

Metrovicks 1st XI 1994 - South Lancashire League Wilkinson Sword Cup winners

Back row: Nick Haughton (scorer), Dave Kenyon, Duncan Eckersall, Andy Colley, Kieran Maguire, Martin O’Hara, Frank Williamson, Harry Kenyon

Front row: Ian Walsh, Andy Searle, Steve Haughton, Neil Gallagher, Adrian French

Three of the major contributors to the cricket section’s success during the 1990s were Steve Haughton, Andy Colley and Neil Gallagher. Steve took over the captaincy from Adrian French in 1992 and is the most successful bowler in the club’s history. He also served for many years as vice-captain, secretary, chairman and general dogsbody. He thoroughly deserved his freemanship. Anyone who was there will always remember Andy Colley’s superb club record innings of 199 at Higher Blackley when he was run out trying to Metrovicks 1st XI 1994 - South Lancashire League Wilkinson Sword Cup winners Back row: Nick Haughton (scorer), Dave Kenyon, Duncan Eckersall, Andy Colley, Kieran Maguire, Martin O’Hara, Frank Williamson, Harry Kenyon Front row: Ian Walsh, Andy Searle, Steve Haughton, Neil Gallagher, Adrian French steal a quick single to the soon to be famous 16-year old Paul Scholes. Neil Gallagher was a former Stretford Grammar Schoolboy and younger cousin of Steve Haughton who took over the captaincy of the 1st XI in 1997 and became the club’s leading batsman. He was also a good enough rugby player to appear regularly at centre for the 1st XV.

The club was strengthened in the early 1990s with the demise of another local club, Shell Carrington, which had been rivals in both the Cheshire Association in the late 70s and in the early years of MV’s time in the South Lancashire League. The combative batsman/wicket-keeper Harry Kenyon, his son Dave, arguably the most elegant batsman to have played for the club, phlegmatic opening bowler Frank Williamson and legendary West Indian all-rounder Mac Goring were amongst many Shell cricketers who joined the club and contributed to the club’s success.

The final most important development in MV’s history happened when the club changed its name. As the decline in the engineering function at the company (now GEC Ltd) became more and more significant, the close ties of the early days between club and company were becoming less and less. In 1993, as the club had no further ties with Metrovick, and along with the desire to promote the club within its more geographical surroundings, the club changed its name to Trafford MV RFCC. This was the end of a long association with Metrovicks, and as a mark its past history, the MV was kept in the name.

With league cricket in the North West facing a complete shake-up in the mid to late 1990’s the club saw that it was time to join a more organised structure with the possibility of upward mobility. In this respect it was decided that an application be made to the Cheshire Cricket Alliance, a new union between clubs of the old Cheshire Competition and South Cheshire Alliance, and return the club to its Cheshire roots.

In 1998, the club was placed in the Second Division of the Cheshire Cricket Alliance, effectively the bottom rung of the Cheshire Pyramid, but were immediately successful. The championship was won easily and the 1st XI were promoted to the First Division. Success for the second XI was only 12 months behind the 1st XI and the 1999 season saw the 2nd XI running out comfortable winners of the B division and were promoted, whilst the 1st XI consolidated their position in the top flight. 2001 saw even more success for the club, with the 2nd XI, under the captaincy of Duncan Eckersall, winning the league comfortably and being beaten finalists in the cup.

After only three seasons in the top flight of the Alliance, 2003 brought even more success to MV with the 1st XI achieving runners up position in the Alliance First Division and gaining promotion to the Third Division Meller Braggins Cheshire Cricket League. If 2003 was a good year for MV, 2004 was even better. With the intention of establishing themselves in the new league, the 1st XI went on to win the league at a canter by over 40 points and were promoted to the Second Division. And, after two seasons challenging at the top of the Second Division, promotion to the top division of the Meller Braggins Cheshire League was achieved with a last gasp victory over long-time rivals Over Peover in the final over of the final match of the 2007 season at Macpherson Park. Trafford MV had reached the highest point in the club’s history.

Amongst the players that helped achieve this rapid rise in the club’s status were not only the old guard of Steve Haughton, Neil Gallagher, Steve Warner and Andy Searle, but also newer, younger, talented cricketers such as consistent opening bowler Darren Park and skilled batsman and electric fielder Richard Adamson. Both served as 1st XI captains and Richard was a good enough rugby player to play for the 1st XV. There was also a small, but hugely talented, group of cricketers of Asian origin, the most prominent of whom was Mo Asad, an enigmatic leg spinner and visually stunning batsman who mesmerised opposition batsmen and bowlers with his Bollywood looks and stylish cricket throughout the noughties.

At the same time the club was expanding in other directions. A women’s team were hosted at the club for several years. Andy Colley resurrected a junior team almost 20 years after the club last played a junior fixture and they once again played in the South Manchester Junior. Because of the need to achieve Clubmark status, Mini cricket was also established and, although not as strong as the outstanding mini and junior organization of the rugby section, it’s steadily growing.

Trafford MV 1st XI in 2003 after promotion to the Meller Braggins Cheshire Cricket League and with the nucleus of the team that would compete at the highest level the club had ever played at

Back row: Duncan Eckersall, Steve Warner, Kieran Maguire, Mo Abbass, Rob Parker, Derek Holt

Front row: Jack Gallagher (scorer), Andy Searle, Neil Gallagher, Richard Adamson, Darren Park, Steve Haughton

Trafford MV’s women’s team after winning their Cheshire League cup competition in 2010

After a first season in the top division flirting with relegation, new blood joined the club from local club Brooklands to bolster an ageing 1st XI. Batsman and off spin bowler Mark Law and batsman/wicket-keeper Simon Lee were two of several accomplished local cricketers who came to the club to help establish its position in the top division of the Meller Braggins League.

And, indeed, the club did establish itself in the top division. After flirting with relegation in 2008, the club maintained mid-table respectability in 2009 and 2010. However, a loss of players, in particular the talented Asian cricketers in the team, led to a decline in 2011 and the club was relegated to Division Two. Worse was to come the following season as the club finished bottom of the second division, and despite the hopes of a revival, a mix-up over a player registration in 2014 led to the club being deducted 10 points, which would have been enough to ensure their survival in the Cheshire League. So, for the first time since 2003, the 1st XI were back in the Cheshire Alliance, and the decline did not stop there. A fourth relegation in five seasons in 2015 saw Trafford MV back to where they began in the Cheshire Pyramid in 1998.

For the 2017 season the Cheshire League and Cheshire Alliance merged into a five division-strong league. Trafford MV were placed in the fourth division, and, although they finished bottom in that year a reorganisation meant they remained in that division. The club rose to fifth in 2018 and third in 2019, and, although they slipped to ninth in 2020, the Fourth Division championship was won in 2021 with nearly 400 points. A further re-organisation occurred for the 2022 season and the club were placed in the Second Division, finishing a more than respectable seventh place. MV were back on the way up!

What was responsible for this revival? As per the club’s history it was a large influx of new players, particularly of Asian origin. Older players like Steve Haughton, Steve Warner and Mike Morgan worked gallantly to try to halt the decline between 2015 and 2019, but it was only the acquisition of new blood, as it had been throughout the 75-year history of the club, that would see the cricket section grow again. And the club now has a 3rd XI and a 4th XI playing in the Cheshire County League on Sundays, with the 3rd XI promoted to the top Sunday division in 2023 and the 4th XI joining them in 2024 after consecutive promotions. So the future is bright again!