It seems like yesterday when I published the First Edition of The Ulster Cricketer in 1985, some 40 years ago. But how times have changed. The hard copies have virtually disappeared, and nowadays we are controlled by websites, internet, mobiles, and a host of other aspects of social media. You can’t exist without a mobile. Kids don’t read; they simply get their data from mobiles. Agh!
Nevertheless, it is great to see hard copies in print and if you have copies of The Ulster Cricketer from 1985 to 2006 you have a social history of Ulster cricket over the years. Don’t sell them-they are collector’s items!
I’ve always been a history buff, passionate about Irish cricket with a flair for journalism. The late great Doyen of Sports journalism and Sports Editor of the Belfast Telegraph Malcolm Brodie always said I was a journalist at heart. Malcolm loved the magazine and of course, he was a cricket buff at heart, but the readers wanted football and most of his columns were dominated by soccer. But what a man-to say he was a Legend was an understatement.
I was very grateful to have my business connections in the Building Society environment, and it was no accident that I cajoled my agents and cricket associates and friends to advertise which paid the bills. I wasn’t in it for the money, but I often reflect that had I written a thriller of fiction and sold it to a publisher I could earn much more. At least I thought I could. But not for me-I was always a history buff!
I will always be grateful for the advertisements from cricketers like Cecil Walker (Walker Eurosalt), Jimmy Boyce (Sun Allliance), Michael Rea (Legal and General), Dixon Rose (Harris Marrian), and Noel Humphreys (Humphreys, Hollywood and Majury). Interestingly that Noel inherited his son’s passion for cricket as Michael became Chairman of the Northern Cricket Union in 2024. If we add my employers Progressive and Britannia Building Society, Guinness, Irish Life, Universities Press, TA Abott and Sons, Floor Design, and Sun Living Travel, there was enough to produce a Second Edition in the Autumn. So, The Ulster Cricketer was born in hard copy and continued until 2006. Now we have the UC website these days.
On the First Edition the front cover features Simon Corlett, one of the greatest fast bowlers of his era, North Down Professional Raman Lamba, and his teammates Robin Haire and David Orr. The design was dominated by black and white photos, but over the years colour was added and after 20 years the design had massively improved.
The editorial covered Northern Cricket Union, North-West and Irish cricket, matches, Umpires, statistics, the Great Debate on Professionals, and Obituaries. Sadly, many of the articles have taken their toll in 40 years, and I’ll always be grateful for their huge contribution to the magazine.
Men like the great Raman Lamba, Irish Presidents Cecil Walker, Alfie Linehan, David Todd and Dixon Rose, NCU Chairman Bob Law, Wesley Ferris, Ferguson Grainger, NCU Secretary Bill McCarroll, North-West Chairman Jim Simpson, Dermott Monteith, Umpires Dai Jones, Peter Reith, Joe Vaughan et more, Rahul Mankad, Ray Hunter, Denis Artt, Ken Goodall, and Cregagh spin bowler Bill Lavery, who took all ten wickets against North Down in 1955.
Lest we forget.
JCH
