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Forty-six years – and still not out

Tom Rowley
22/11/2006

A GLOSSOP sportman's 46 years at the crease as secretary of a cricket club bowled over council chiefs.

Derek Slack has been secretary of Old Glossop Cricket Club since November 1960. This stint has earned him a service to sport award from High Peak Council.

Derek, 71, of Sheffield Road, Glossop said: "In my younger days cricket was known as 'the beautiful game', not football. I thought it was a better game than all the other sports and it just caught my interest when I was at school."

He joined Glossop Cricket Club when he was about 13 and took over as secretary at the Old Glossop club after not playing for two years due to illness.

"I was also treasurer for nearly as long as I've been secretary," he added.

"I've also looked after the juniors, marked out every wicket and done just about every other job. It takes up a lot of my time but I enjoy it."

Derek reckons he does not hold the local cricketing long service record though - he cites WT Taylor, secretary of Derbyshire County Cricket Club from 1907 to 1959, and Mel Booth, secretary at Charlesworth for 50 years.

Sporty types of all ages and sports attended the awards ceremony at the council's Chinley HQ.

Swimmer Katie-Jane Cooper, from Glossop Amateur Swimming Club, was awarded a certificate as junior sportswoman of the year. Fellow member Mark McKenna won sportsperson of the year, while coach Maureen Moss was named community coach of the year.

Glossop Judo Club was named club of the year and Glossopdale Devils Inline Hockey Club declared team of the year.

The judo club and Maureen Moss will now go forward to represent High Peak at the Derbyshire Sports Awards.

Winners were selected from nominations made to a sports selection panel. High Peak Young sporting ambassadors, Tom Nadin and Stuart Cameron, presented the awards along with Councillor John Pritchard, executive member for community and social development.

He said: "Sport is one of the ways to build stronger and happier communities. These awards celebrate a splendid range of achievements in a diverse spectrum of disciplines. I would like to congratulate all of the winners."