The Yorkshire-Lancashire divide – the Roses rivalry – runs deep. So what happens to a cricket club that’s a bit of both? Literally straddling the two counties, Todmorden CC is a mixed-up kid, as Scott Oliver, plunging into the Pennine valley where east meets west, discovers.
The Autumn 2018 issue of The Nightwatchman, from which this article is taken, is a Roses special and available to buy here.
You’re either one or the other, aren’t you?
Red or blue, in or out, Brexiteer or Remainer, uppers or downers, Blur or Oasis, dead or alive, Gerrard or Lampard, cats or dogs, tomayto or tomaahtah, ketchup or HP, Mac or PC, smooth or crunchy, still or sparkling, Marmite or “nah, mate”.
Lancashire or Yorkshire.
One or t’other. You can’t be both. Unless you’re Todmorden, that is.
Nestled at the confluence of three narrow Pennine valleys, the former mill town officially sits within the West Riding of Yorkshire, with residents paying their council tax in the Calderdale district, which is headquartered in Halifax. They have an Oldham postcode and Rochdale telephone numbers, however. Both Red Rose towns. Their police, fire and ambulance services are provided by West Yorkshire. The Anglican St Mary’s church in the centre of town belongs to the diocese of Leeds, while the Roman Catholic St Joseph’s is in the diocese of Salford.
Near to the main gate, near to the end of the game, Todmorden’s first female president Betty Whittaker is telling me about her seven-decade involvement with the club when a six is hooked over the hefty Yorkshire stone wall, the ball rebounding off a car and then just over her head and into my hands (it wasn’t Viv Richards’ fault). Soon Whittaker is being badgered by one of her brood of grandkids for pocket-money top-ups. Her husband Brian was a long-serving first-team player, starting out in the championship-winning team of 1957. Daughter Sarah works in the Red Brick on match days while son-in-law Stuart Priestley has the most first XI appearances for Tod and is one of two men to make 10,000 career runs for them. All four of their kids have played for Tod’s senior teams. Stuart is a big Lancashire fan and his daughter Evie plays for Lancashire Ladies and Burnley FC Women. Youngest son Noah plays for Yorkshire under-14s.
“We’re mixed up. We don’t know who we are”, Betty Whittaker remarks while handing over a tenner to one of the grandkids, reminding him that it’s not a gift but a loan and she wants it back. Judging by how unconvincing and resigned she sounds when saying it, my guess is she leans toward the red side of town.
