11th December 2009

Hull & East Riding Sports Club prepares for centenary

2010 will mark the centenary of sport being played on the present site of the Hull and East Riding Sports Club on Chanterlands Avenue North in Hull.

Members of the Hull Zingari Cricket Club bought the six and a half acre site in 1910 when Chanterlands Avenue North was a cinder track known as Salt Ings Lane and Goddard Avenue and Kirkham Drive were yet to be built. Zingari were formed in 1896 and are the city's oldest cricket club.

Their first grounds were rented at Haworth Arms, Newland Homes and Hull YPI Ferens. Initially cricket, rugby union, tennis and ladies lacrosse and hockey were played on the new ground until Zingari handed over the land to the newly-formed Hull and East Riding Amateur Athletic Company Limited in 1920 in exchange for shares in the new company of which 8000 were issued at £1 each.

The present clubhouse was built in 1937 at a cost of £6000. The name was changed to the Hull and East Riding Sports Club and the club became a registered charity in March 2005 and is home to the Hull Badminton Club (the oldest badminton - only club in the country, formed in 1912), the Avenue Badminton Club, Hull Zingari Cricket Club, the Hull and East Riding Squash Club, the East Riding Badminton Club, Sculcoates Amateurs Football Club and the White City Road Running Club and a strong social members section. Combined membership, junior and senior, is just over 800 and growing but membership of all clubs and the social club is open. Ring 342156 for more details.

To mark the ground centenary, Hull Zingari have arranged a President's XI against an Old England side managed by Jim Parks, former Sussex and England player, on Sunday 11th July 2010 with the East Yorkshire Motor Services Brass Band and support from Kingston Veterinary Services, CJ Covers, Landplan, Kall Kwik Printing, Hull University Staff House and Willow Sports (Bradford). Entry and car parking will be by ticket only and full details will be announced early in the New Year.

Last year the Hull Badminton Centre received a grant of £456,000 from Sport England and brokered by England Badminton to completely refurbish the badminton hall and this has given the sport a big boost in this area and beyond. The club has built disabled access and toilets and now wish to become DDA fully compliant with proposals to build a new ladies changing block to include disabled facilities at a cost of £250,000 and the new block would replace outdated changing rooms on the first floor which make sport for disabled girls/women very difficult.

In addition to this Hull Zingari CC and Sculcoates Amateurs AFC intend setting up new girls sections to increase the number of women playing sport in the area. Grant support has been received so far from the WA Horncastle Charitable Settlement, the Sir James Reckitt Charity, the Hull and East Riding Charitable Trust and Hull City Council (Wyke Area Community Initiative).

Further donations can be sent to: The Grant Appeal, Hull and East Riding Sports Club, Chanterlands Avenue North, Hull HU5 4ED.

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