Bernard Warner: Supporter For More Than 75 years Celebrates 90th Birthday
Tue 5 Sep 2023
Leicestershire County Cricket Club had the honour to host life-long supporter Bernard Warner on the first day of our County Championship fixture vs Gloucestershire at the Uptonsteel County Ground.
With his family present, Bernard had his staggering record of his support read out to the crowd at lunch, which was returned with ovation and applause.
As he approaches his 90th birthday, he offers recollections of his 76 years watching cricket at the Uptonsteel County Ground.
Who or what first got you into cricket?
It was not long after the end of the 2nd world war. I was 13 years old, and asked by the local village team captain if I would like to keep score. I went to the 1st match not knowing anything about cricket, but the scorer from the other team showed me what to do. I enjoyed it so much I went to every match after that! I was hooked, and it turned in to a life-long obsession!
What was your first memory of watching cricket at Grace Road?
My first match was in 1947. Leicestershire Vs. Northamptonshire. Leicestershire had Les Berry opening the batting; he still holds many of the club records with over 40 centuries! My memory of the game was of Dennis Brookes opening the batting for Northamptonshire and hitting a double century. He would go on to play for England the following year against the West Indies, though I think he only had one test match.
The ground, of course, was very different. Leicestershire hadn’t long moved back to Grace Road after a period playing at a ground on the Aylestone Road. Grace Road back then was owned by the City Boys Grammar School, there were wooden benches for spectators, but no tiered seating, the outfield wasn’t brilliant, and it was said that opposing teams were warned not to take their boots off in the pavilion to avoid splinters in their feet! The club eventually bought the land in the 1960’s and it was dramatically improved “ nowadays one of the things we often hear from opposition supporters is how much they love the ground.
Over the years which players have you most enjoyed watching?
For me, the best to watch was David Gower. His batting seemed somehow effortless! His talent was beyond special, and his England career proved that.
The best captain we had, in my opinion, was Ray Illingworth. His tough, no-nonsense approach instilled a belief in payers and supporters alike in the 1970’s. That belief took us to our first County Championship win in 1975.
I remember hugely enjoying watching Phil Simmons, the fantastic West Indian batsman who was one of the rocks upon which our amazing period of success in the 1990’s was founded.
More recently, Stuart Broad started his career at Leicestershire “ even in the early years I thought he would go on to great things “ but no one could have predicted just how successful he would become! I was lucky enough to be at Trent Bridge to witness that success first hand, the day he took 8-15 against the Australians!
However, the greatest player I ever saw play was Sir Donald Bradman. It was 1948, I was 14, watching Leicestershire as often as I could, and desperate to go to my first test match. My dad said I could only go if my school agreed to let me have a day off! I’ve no idea what I said to my teachers but it must have been good, because they said yes! Aside from the great man, my residing memory is that, following a rain shower, England’s opener Len Hutton was clean bowled by the great Aussie all-rounder Keith Miller. After that the England innings crumbled. It was the first time I saw England collapse. It wasn’t, however, the last!
Did you play cricket yourself?
I tried a few times “ but unfortunately I wasn’t very good! I found it really quite hard to put bat to ball, even when only facing my great grandchildren in the garden! But that didn’t stop me being involved. I was secretary of Whetstone Cricket Club for many years and was later made President. I also served on the committee of the South Leicestershire Cricket League for several years and eventually became president of that.
Is there a particular match that you recall?
Yes! It was 1975, a Benson and Hedges one day cup game against Hampshire. Back then, Hampshire had probably the two best opening batsmen in the world, Barry Richards and Gordon Greenidge. Graham Mckensie the great Australian fast bowler, was playing for Leicestershire at the time. I remember he came tearing in and clean bowled Barry Richards, for 2. For me, that’s still one of the best balls ever bowled at Grace Road! Inevitably Greenidge scored a hundred, and Hants set us 217 to win “ not many by modern standards but it seemed a lot at the time! Chris Balderstone saw us home with 5 balls to spare, scoring an unbeaten 101. We would go on to win the Benson and Hedges cup that same year.
What do you enjoy when you come to the Uptonsteel County Ground?
The warm welcome we always get from everyone at the ground, the stewards, the gate keepers, everyone. The camaraderie and fun with friends we meet there. Its also nice to have a stroll around the ground. But most of all, the simple yet unparalleled joy of watching a game of cricket.
Leicestershire County Cricket Club would like to extend our deepest thanks to Bernard, who's life-long support personifies the culture and values we uphold as a club.
