The official team photograph of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League champions for the 1951 season. In some ways this can be called an ‘end of an era’ photograph in that Norton did not become champions again until 1998.
Top: G. Franks, J. Everett, R.W. Waller, W. Lawson, W.R. Crozier, A. Thorpe, E. Manners, R. Spooner.
Middle: J. Fox, E.T. Waller, C. Atkinson, T. Birtle, H. Williamson, K. Williamson, M. Tate.
Bottom: J.Grigor, H. Thompson, C.V. Armitage, D.C.H. Townsend, G. Thompson, D. de G. Walford and B. McQuillan.
Also included is the menu for the champions dinner. Not a bad spread given that rationing still applied for some produce!
Photograph and details courtesy of Martin Birtle.
Gus Williamson great local Cricketer who performed well in County Cricket and League Cricket as a professional. Gus played in the same Stockton boys Cricket Team as myself, although he was one year younger than the rest of the team and was able to play following year, also capped for Durham Schoolboys in his second year with the Stockton boys team. Gus was as has been stated a slow bowler as a schoolboy, and never forgave me for not allowing him to bowl in the Stockton Boys team that won the North Yorkshire and South Durham Schoolboys Trophy team of 1950. A photo of the trophy is elswhere on this site. Years later while Gus and I were serving our apprenticeships at Head Wrightsons Stockton Forge Gus gave me a real rollicking when he reminded me of that fact he never got a bowl. so it must have rankled him.I remember one incident when he was showing Norman Toulson the well known Thornaby bowler how to bowl the leg cutter, Gus saw me listening and immediatly took Norman aside tell him in secret. I hope if Gus sees this site and that he has forgiven me for my actions of 64 years ago. I followed Gus in his career and enjoyed reading about his successes especially when he opened the bowling alongside Typhoon Tyson, Tyson was reputed to be the fastest bowler ever and had reached 100 MPH according to some critics., Gus was a also very good bat and exceptional fielder with a very strong arm from the boundary,and hands like buckets for catching. My last news on Gus was that he was a very successful Insurance agent in later life.
What became of another well known family member of the Williamson family, Gordon, who went on to open the bowling for Northamptonshire in first class cricket?
As a teacher at Richard Hind and supervising the cricket team I have memories of Gordon/Gus as a formidable playerGordon/Gus was a formidable player. Another tall boy Colin Smith opened the bowling with him. When Gordon shared the bowling with Tyson I recalled that when young he was a very competent spin bowler, Better then with spin at his height than pace! No mean batsman either.
He did at one time hold the record for a 10th wicket partnership in the County League.
I used to drink at the ‘top table’ with Wilf Lawson – amongst others – in the 1970s at Norton Cricket Club ‘Social Section’. It was Wilf who decided that my blackcurrant cordial for my ‘lager and black’ ‘stained the glasses’ and refused to let me be served my favourite pint drink with one of his glasses. I used to have to take my own cordial and glass and a supply of kitchen paper to put in it to take it home in my handbag. I don’t think he much liked ladies being allowed into the Cricket Club bar. Old school. 🙂
Another of this team to play 1st Class County Cricket was the very competent wicketkeeper Jack Fox who succeeded Dick Spooner in the Warwickshire team for 3 seasons. 1959, 1960 and in’ 61. He did not complete the 3rd season being replaced by AC Smith once his Oxford Uni season was over.
No less than 9 of the players shown played minor counties cricket for Durham
In the years just before and after the second world war Norton were a powerful league side winning the league title no less than six times in the years 1935 to 1951. By 1951, when this photograph was taken, several of the pre war players were retired, with others coming towards the end of their senior league careers. It is worth noting that of the 12 players pictured no less than 10 of them had played minor counties cricket for Durham which shows just how strong a team they were.
The 1951 league title was not clinched until the very final game of the season when Norton defeated Bishop Auckland by 5 wickets. This photograph was taken on a subsequent Sunday morning outside the pavilion on the Norton ground with the title in the bag.
In addition to playing for Durham, CRM Atkinson played for Somerset for several seasons when he taught at Millfield School where he was later the Head. The initial invitation in 1960 to play for Somerset came from another Teessider Harold Stephenson, a great wicket keeper. He became captain in 1965 when the school released him to play.
He never made the big scores one felt he was capable of and I believe he never scored a century for the county.
He eventually returned to the school and the Headship whilst becoming a major figure in developing Somerset’s stature.