On Saturday June 4 th 1966 Cogenhoe CC played a friendly fixture against Gullivers at Cogenhoe Playing Fields. Batting first the visitors totalled 150 for 7 in their 38 overs, far too many for the hosts whose reply was 89 all out. A pretty unremarkable game that under normal circumstances would quickly fade from the memory. However for those of us a Cogenhoe this was far from an unremarkable match indeed it marked the beginning of an association with the club for one Terry Tarpley. I am sure that Terry did not realise that his 10 runs , 2 fours and 2 singles would be of much significance but it actually marked the start of 50 years of volunteering and service to our club earning Terry the respect and admiration of our club, village and the wider cricketing community.
Terry ( right) with Bob Sketchley
A couple of years later on April 27 th Cogenhoe played their first ever league fixture on the Racecourse against Avon II. Terry was a member of that team opening the batting with Alf Merritt in a 72 run defeat. A week later our first ever league home fixture saw YMCA B visit the playing fields and Cogenhoe`s woes continuing as Dave Welch was dismissed and Cogenhoe were 0-1 after two balls with Terry and David Bliss at the crease. Between them David 129 no and Terry 76 then put on 212 for the second wicket a record that stood for 35 years. Terry was actually run out off the last ball of the innings.
Terry`s playing career lasted some 30 years, during which time he made 177 league appearances, scored 1255 runs and took 21 wickets. Terry was also the skipper of the second team where he sacrificed his own game to give the youngsters a game and gain valuable experience. Dan McLaughlin and Matt Irons just two of those youngster who benefitted from Terry`s generosity.
Cogenhoe II`s 1993
30 years of playing is an achievement in itself but from an early age Terry served our club both on and off the field. As a committee man Terry has held most of the positions at our club and has been our President for a number of years now. When Terry finished playing he took up the white coat, umpiring the first team for many years until his back told him to give it up. In 2003 the club`s record partnership set by Terry and David Bliss was broken , when on Saturday August 30 th Dan McLaughlin 160 and Gareth Goddard 108 set a new mark of 224, the umpire for the game was Terry.
Runs scored, wickets taken and catches made make for fascinating reading and a players records are something you can look back on with a great deal of pride and allow the memories to come flooding back. What no one keeps a record of is the number of meetings attended, phone calls made, letters written, e mails sent, money raised, raffle tickets sold, changing rooms swept, litter picked up, teas made, matches officiated, grass cut, pitches rolled or boundaries marked. It is the stuff that goes on behind the scenes the stuff that Terry has done for years and years. Without Terry our club would not be in the position it is now. Our place in our community is due to the respect the people of Cogenhoe have for Terry and that reflects onto our club too.
Terry at the 2015 Nat West OSCA`s at Lords
2015 marks Terry`s 50 th year at our club and whilst we have made our own presentations to him it has been fantastic that the County of Northamptonshire has also recognised Terry`s services to the game.
Terry won the Northamptonshire OSCA for Lifetime Acheivement and represented the county at the lunch at Lords in October. Terry was also shortlisted for the 2015 Northamptonshire Sports Long Time Contribution to Sport.
Terry with Dave Patrick at the Cogenhoe CC Awards Night
On Saturday 14 th November the players, officials and members of Cogenhoe CC paid their tribute to Terry. A packed room saw Terry present the awards to the youth team our future stars and the seniors before our club made three presentations to Terry.
The first were the two scorecards from the matches mentioned earlier, beautifully reproduced, framed and presented to Terry by Nobby Wykes. Secondly a book full of tributes to Terry from our club members and his friends which was presented club captain Nick Lester. This was followed by the clubs gift to Terry a superb collage of photograph from Terry`s 50 years presented by Dave Patrick the driving force behind its conception and design. The finally presentation was made by Dan McLaughlin to his mum Suzanne , Terry`s wife for more than 30 years.
We were delighted that friend of Cogenhoe CC, Andrew Radd penned the following piece as a tribute to Terry. When we asked Andrew if he would write something for Terry he replied he would be “delighted and honoured” and our thanks to Radders for the following
Heroes. We all have them.
One of mine is J.L. Carr – the long-time Kettering resident, schoolmaster, one-man publishing house, artist, map-maker and idiosyncratic cricketer who became an award-winning novelist…and, incidentally, edited the Northamptonshire County League handbook for a time.
In that capacity he wrote a lovely tribute in 1961 to Rushden Town’s ‘Mr Cricket’ for so many years, Charlie May, and finished it with these lines:
‘It isn’t simply stroke and spin,
It’s muck and marl and rolling-in,
Committees, whist drives, soothing men –
Then home to write it up agen.’
Which brings us neatly enough to Terry Tarpley – Cogenhoe’s very own Charlie May and another copper-bottomed local hero.
Many sporting types associate 1966 with Bobby Moore, Sir Alf, people running on the pitching thinking it was all over and Pickles the cup-finding dog. In this village, though, it’s better known as the year that saw Terry make his playing debut for ‘CCC’ at the tender age of 19.
But however many runs he scored and wickets he claimed in the cause over three decades, you can multiply it quite a few times to find the pounds he’s raised through selling draw tickets, organising countless events (barbecues, race nights, you name it) or twisting people’s arms into becoming sponsors or vice-presidents.
It’s a cliché to say that every cricket club needs someone like him. But like most clichés it has at its core a sizeable nugget of truth.
The members of clubs able to boast a Terry Tarpley, or a Gordon Draper, or a Roly White, or a Stuart Hardy, or a Geoff Moss (or a Charlie May) should go down on bended knee and give thanks – although in fairness those who’ve bowled a few overs at the weekend and doubt their ability to get up again once they’re down might be excused.
And with the payment of players in ‘recreational’ cricket such a burning topic at present, it’s worth asking ourselves a very simple question.
Who is more valuable to a club – a hired hand ready to re-locate according to the availability of the ackers, or a loyal individual prepared to mow, roll, sweep up, put out, pack away, umpire and (crucially) coach and encourage the youngsters who’ll be the first and second-team cricketers of the future?
Not a difficult one, is it?
To the best of my knowledge I don’t think Terry ever captured my wicket as either bowler or umpire. He didn’t need to, really. Your correspondent never posed a serious threat to Cogenhoe (aside from the possibility of boring them to death) with bat in hand.
But he is an absolute gem – a bright embellishment in the warp and weft of our local game.
When ‘Jim’ Carr passed away in 1994 his old friend Harry Johnson – another great man of Northamptonshire grassroots cricket, and another personal hero – reckoned as a character he was ‘more than rare – he was unique!’
Those who know Mr Tarpley will readily apply that description to him as well.
Well played, sir!
Andrew Radd
From us all at Cogenhoe Cricket Club, thank you Terry for 50 years of outstanding service and dedication.