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Disaster struck on Friday morning November 29th 1976, between 8.30am and 8.45am. The wind did not seem to be particularly strong but its direction was westerly and coming straight down the valley of which Blackley Cricket Club is at the neck of a cone between the slip road from the M62 and the hillside.
The roof had come off completely like a lid off a box, all the planks still bolted to the trusses. The action of the wind and the stress and strain as it was wrenched froml its moorings at the front caused the whole of the back to give way and tumble in a heap of rubble at the base of the raised foundations.
Heartbroken and with two-thirds of our finances spent the lads went on the Saturday to see what, if anything, could be salvaged. It was precious little but the foraging showed that the trussed had never been bolted by the erectors to the concrete blocks as was intended, but had been fastened with 6in nails.
A meeting of the Executive Committee was held on the Saturday afternoon and a Disaster Appeal was launched. The question of the inferior workmanship was placed in the hands of a solicitor, but investigation revealed only the possibility of compensation on a few pounds a week basis and to do that we would have to outlay the cost of a civil action. A few pounds a week for the next 5-10 years was no answer, we needed £1000 or so quickly if we were to continue.
The week before Christmas saw appeal letters despatched to cricket lovers all over Halifax, Elland district and to areas of Kirklees that lay adjacent to Blackley. The response was overwhelming, and to those people we give a special thank you. To the pensioner who saved up five weeks to send us £5, to the Industries who send us cheques large and small, to the main in the street who, knocked on the door of our chairman with his contribution, to the clubs of the Halifax league who despite struggling to maintain their own financial existence sent us a few pounds each. To the unknowns from places as far as Harrogate who read of our misfortune in the press and old member, young men scattered across the country who had begun their cricket at Blackley. Even from Australia from a player who emigrated.
Because of the generosity and the love for village cricket that is so much a part of Yorkshire life, this pavilion stands today as a symbol of that generosity and sentiment. A far more ambitious project that was ever dreamed of, but the size of that appeal meant we must build a new pavilion that would do justice. So with new plans donated by an architect and grants from Calderdale Sports Council and Yorkshire and Humberside, and various materials donated by variety of industries we have what this brochure is designed to commemorate - A new pavilion at Blackley that will span at least the next 100 years.
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