Balderstone Island

As a kid, one of my sporting heroes was Chris Balderstone, who combined captaining a Carlisle United side he guided to promotion to the top flight in 1974 with a distinguished cricket career, initially with his native Yorkshire, but mainly at Grace Road, during  Leicestershire’s glory years from the early 70s until his retirement in 1986. A distinguished ball-playing midfielder who weighed in with his far share of goals, Balderstone represented The Cumbrians on 386 occasions, bookending his career at home town Huddersfield and Doncaster Rovers, before winding down with a couple of years north of the border with Queen of the South. He was a stylish and attacking batsmen who could bowl more than presentable left-arm orthodox spin, winning 6 trophies with Leicestershire, before taking up umpiring after retirement, standing in a pair of one day internationals. Balderstone’s death from cancer at the criminally early age of 59 was mourned by both football and cricket fans when it was announced in March 2000, though he seems a forgotten hero in the current era.

To those of us of a certain age, the phrase “doing a Balderstone” was instantly understood. Chris Balderstone made history on 15 September 1975, having just joined Donny from Carlisle, by taking part in a County Championship match and a Football League game on the same day. He was 51 not out against Derbyshire at the end of day two of Leicestershire's match at Chesterfield. After close of play he changed into his football kit to play for Doncaster Rovers in an evening match 30 miles away; a 1–1 draw with Brentford. He then returned to Chesterfield the following morning to complete a century and take three wickets to help wrap up Leicestershire's first ever County Championship title. Absolute Boys’ Own stuff, which meant it was unsurprising Chris opted to play the whole of the 1976 cricket season, causing Doncaster to release him from his contract, which indirectly enabled Balderstone to score enough county championship runs to see him selected for two tests against the West Indies in 1976’s notorious Blackwash series during the hottest summer of the century.

With less fanfare, I have decided that in 2020 I will “do a Balderstone,” as for the first time in almost 50 years, I have no football team to follow. Consequently, until 19 September, my Saturdays will be dedicated to the summer pursuit, weather permitting of course. This, I must stress, is not in any way a second choice scenario; knowing how some, though perhaps not all, football clubs treat their supporters and volunteers, I feel absolutely no compunction about giving my heart and soul to Tynemouth CC. Even if we lose the cup games against Burnmoor this weekend, there will still be friendlies to watch on 12 and 19 September. My decision is one that I’m sure Chris Balderstone would have approved of.