Mottram Cricket Club was formed in 1878 when a committee chaired by  Joshua A. Hirst, assembled in the old village court room on Market Street and

mulled over the various ways of putting to good use the funds raised as a result of  many generous donations. The sum of £19 was more than enough to purchase all the necessary playing equipment and there was sufficient funding remaining to secure the services of a professional. So began the roller coaster journey which has brought us to this juncture in our history.

The ground at Broadbottom Road saw only friendly matches being played in those early days, although by all accounts they were anything but friendlies, until we became founder members of the Glossop & District League in 1894.  

In 1900 the club moved to a new ground just off Hyde Road. The membership were obviously not entirely comfortable with these new surroundings, as fifteen years later, we returned to Broadbottom Road where we have resided to this day.

It was during this time ironically, that we enjoyed hitherto, our most successful period, in terms of silverware. Between 1910 and 1916, the league championship was won on four occasions as the legendary Arthur Marsland wove his magic with the ball. Also playing during this period was John Chapman of Derbyshire, who’s family had enjoyed a long association with the club.

Only a Rhodes Bowl in 1928 and a league championship in 1936 were captured during the next 31 years before the advent of a golden era which began just after the Second World War. Between 1946 and 1967, the trophy count illustrates just how dominant a force Mottram were;

A beleaguered general committee set about what seemed the hopeless task of rebuilding our once great club and facilities.   

What you see on view here today is testimony to the dedication and sheer determination of those members who simply refused to give in to a small bunch of mindless idiots.    

In spite of this adversity our junior side won the league in 1971 and 1972 and a number of these players were in the under 21’s team which won the H.S. Brown Cheshire Colts Cup at Alderley Edge in 1978 , our Centenary year.

The finances raised by the many commemorative events held in this year, enabled the club to refurbish our new pavilion which had been erected in 1973. In 1983 we opened a bar in the clubhouse and in 1985 the ground was levelled. The re birth of Mottram was well and truly under way. On the field of play our revitalization was complete. Between 1981 and 1999 our silverware collection almost mirrored our golden era;

Following the sad demise of the Glossop & District League at the end of the 1999  season, we joined the Derbyshire & Cheshire League and are thoroughly enjoying the new competition after a difficult first year.

Our 1^st XI finished runners up to Birch Vale last season and the 2^nd XI were joint champions of Div 4 with our old friends from Tintwistle. With a  promising crop of youngsters coming up through the ranks, we can only be highly optimistic about the future

Here’s to the next 125 years,

John Birch

Vice Chairman

N.B. For further more detailed information about our club’s history and some of the great names from the past, why not purchase a copy of our commemorative brochure which is priced at just £2.50