Reunion for Shropshire cricket's Minor Counties champions of 1973
Forty years after Shropshire lifted cricket's Minor Counties Championship trophy for the first and only time, members of the winning team held a reunion.
And such was the strength of that team that one of its members is still playing today – at the age of 68.
Former bowler David York, whose son Gareth is the treasurer of Worfield CC, welcomed 14 members of the original squad to a reunion held at the club's new pavilion on Saturday, on the occasion of the Worfield first team's last home game of the season.
Mr York said: "It was my son's idea to throw a party for me to mark the 40th anniversary, so I decided to invite members of the 1973 squad.
"We held a party at Worfield CC and virtually the entire team was there.
"Steven Johnson, Eric Marsh and Brian Perry were the only ones who couldn't make it.
"Eric was in the Scilly Isles, Steve in the Isle of Sky and Brian was playing for Wem on the day, even though he's 68.
"We enjoyed a three-course lunch provided by Gareth, while I provided the drinks.
"It was a brilliant day so I said a few words thanking everyone."
Mr York, who bowled for Shropshire between 1961 and 1976, said the team spirit that won them to championship 40 years ago shone through while arranging the reunion.
He said: "All I did was ring each person and those who were available said they would love to come. The team ethic still shines through to this day.
"Shropshire has not won the trophy since. I thought they were going to do it this year and we had planned on inviting the current team to join us, but unfortunately it didn't happen.
"I think we won it quite easily in the end in 1973 – we had a brilliant team.
"I'm not sure how I got on because we didn't really keep records then. If the captain said he needed a quick 20 runs off you, you'd go out and do it.
"We didn't really play for draws. We would go for the win.
"My son presented us with an inscribed crystal tumbler to mark the occasion, which was nice because we didn't get anything when we actually won it."
Mr York's son, Gareth, said: "It's something my father has wanted to do for a while and seeing as it 40 years on it seemed like a good excuse.
"We also recreated the original photograph, which my father still has of the squad from 1973."
