Lenny Boyle
The Ultimate Underdogs Glenrothes CC Attain Promotion
12/09/2012
There is one story we keep coming back to in sport. One story above all captures the imagination; that of the underdog. Whether it’s a team or an individual. The story of the little guy triumphing against the odds, against superior opposition. It gets the heart racing. There is a reason every Hollywood sports movie is an underdogs tale.
And so to Glenrothes Cricket Club. And the story of how an unlikely team attained promotion to the heights of Scottish cricket. The CSL, the national league.
Firstly, they play cricket. In Scotland. Cricket is a very popular participation sport north of the border. But Scottish cricket is so ignored by the tartan media you would think it didn’t exist.
Glenrothes CC play their cricket for the council. This is not strictly speaking true; but they do play on a local authority ground. You cannot get further away from the glittering stadia of international cricket. Lord’s, The Oval. They may as well exist on different planets. Even the bigger grounds in Scotland are a World away.
But they are rightly proud of their facilities. Making the most of their ground. The club has a heartening emphasis on youth development. With youngsters involved with seniors when their skills have matured.
Brian Corr, Glenrothes CC communications officer recently told Cricket Club Magazine, “Our existing facility is council owned and set in the town’s beautiful Riverside Park. It’s generally well received from visiting teams. We recently held the Scottish Universities cricket final and those involved were very complimentary about the ground and facilities provided. We are currently in the negotiations with the local council about moving ground to another area of town, which will allow for improved social and playing facilities.”
And we’re proud to say at Livesport.co.uk that our sponsorship and support of Glenrothes CC has helped in their success this season.
Every Hollywood underdog tale has a cast of stock characters. The most important in the underdog sports story is the grizzled veteran. He’s been there, he’s done it. And circumstances lead him to one last battle. One last fleeting shot at glory.
Ryan Watson was that man for Glenrothes CC. It is no exaggeration to say he’s a legend of Scottish cricket. He made 194 appearances for Scotland, a national record he shares with Craig Wright.
Watson retired in 2011. But like Rocky Balboa in Rocky 4, or Gene Hackman in Hoosiers. He couldn’t resist his one last shot at glory.
And make no mistake it is glory you’re after. Promotion to the CSL in Scottish cricket may not be everyone’s idea of glory. It’s not a Super Bowl, or a Champions League.
No, it’s better than that. Who really cares about the exploits of millionaires? This is an honest sports story. Involving real people. They played on land owned by the council. I stress that fact only because it is a testament to where they have been; and where they’re going.
In a summer of sporting heroes here’s some more; Ryan Watson, Greig Hopcroft, Steve Rowley, Chris Greaves and Jordan Davidson were all in the runs in the promotion playoff game against Edinburgh Accies. But everyone who played in the first XI was a hero that day. They posted their highest run total of the season at Scroggie Park, just when it mattered the most; 255 from 50 overs.
Edinburgh Accies CC could manage only 62 in reply. In a fine bowling display Steve Rowley and Ryan Watson took seven wickets between them. The Grizzled vet Ryan Watson couldn’t have done more with bat and ball. This wasn’t a final tilt at windmills. Unheralded, out of the limelight. He took the smallest of teams and transported them to the pinnacle.
Corr outlines Glenrothes CC’s plans for the future, “The next step is to move grounds and we hope to have two ovals (1 artificial), a custom built clubhouse with bar facilities, permanent nets etc. We obviously need to raise a considerable amount of money to achieve this and we hope to do so via grant funding, existing club funds and sponsorship. Our current club chairman Edward Gibbs has a solid business background and he has been instrumental in driving us towards this.”
Glenrothes CC has come a long way in a very short time. Their story is irresistible; it’s that of the underdog. They have big plans for the future. And after all they’ve achieved; you’d be crazy to think they can’t do it.
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