CRICKET: Westland Sports CC urge council to save their club

CRICKETERS from the Yeovil-based Westland Sports CC have urged South Somerset District Council to help save the future of the club.

The long-standing Westland Sports CC, which was first formed back in 1920 and which has just enjoyed a hugely successful season, could fold if the Westland Leisure Complex in Yeovil closes for good.

The leisure complex’s owners – AgustaWestland and parent company Finmeccanica - are closing the facilities at the end of this month (September 2015), but South Somerset District Council is seriously considering looking at taking over the running and management of the site in the future.

Cricketers Scott Ewens and Alex Watts, of Westland Sports CC, both spoke to members of the council’s District Executive this morning (Thursday, September 3, 2015) and said it would a huge blow to Yeovil if the club was to fold.

Scott said Westland had the only cricket pitch in Yeovil and the problem was a top priority for the Somerset Cricket Board.

He said that it was a top quality pitch and was “one of the best in the county” but admitted that off-field changing facilities were of a poor standard.

PHOTO - TOP: Westland Sports held its own inter-club T20 competition during the summer with four teams named after some of Westland's famous helicopters.

Scott named some legendary Somerset and international cricketers from yesteryear, Ian Botham and Viv Richards, who had both played on the Westland pitch.

Alex, meanwhile, emphasised the drastic shortage of cricket facilities in the town.

“There is a cricket pitch in Taunton for every 4,000 people, while in Yeovil there is one cricket pitch for 40,000 people,” he said.

“I implore the council to help safeguard the club’s future,” he said and warned that any plans to start the club again would resemble a “skeletal” one to what is in place at present.

Andy Fairburn, the cricket development manager at the Somerset Cricket Board, was at today’s council meeting to support Westland Sports CC.

“Westland Sports is such an important club for us in Somerset because critically in Yeovil it is the only cricket club in the town,” he said.

Members of the council’s District Executive voted in favour of giving “serious consideration” to taking over and running the facilities at the Westland Leisure Complex.

But there will be a lot more meetings and negotiations before any final decision is made.

More on this story later….

Tags:
Sport.