Kelburne Cricket Club

In 1860, a spark ignited in Paisley. Eight men, Robert R. Campbell, Archibald F. Graham, J. Campbell Smith, Frank Martin, Charles Rennison, J. Bain, John Millar, and H. Edminson, dreamt of a cricket club. They founded Kelburne Cricket Club. Lord Glasgow’s generosity, a £10 donation to be exact, inspired the name, a nod to his Fairlie estate. Kelburne Cricket Club’s journey began, not here at Whitehaugh, but at Blackhall. The land at Blackhall was eventually needed for building. So, in 1899, Kelburne Cricket Club found its permanent home here at Whitehaugh. Their first match on this ground was against West of Scotland on April 29th, 1899. The pavilion we see today was built much later, in 1936. Kelburne Cricket Club isn’t just a local club. It’s hosted international matches. In 1947, Scotland played against the touring South Africans right here. A first-class match against Ireland followed in 1952. Lancashire, Yorkshire, and even the touring Indian team have graced this ground. The 1940s and ’50s were a golden age for Kelburne Cricket Club. Led by Scottish international Willie Nicol, the club claimed the WDCU championship in 1947 and 1952. They also won the Rowan Cup multiple times, in 1944, 1946, 1950, and 1952, and the McCulloch Cup in 1951 and 1953. The winning streak continued. Kelburne Cricket Club lifted the McCulloch Cup again in 1964 and the Western Cup in 1971. A pivotal moment came in 1966 when they won the inaugural Scottish Cup, then known as the Rothmans Quaich, cementing their place in Scottish cricket history. Kelburne Cricket Club has never rested on its laurels. They’ve continued to achieve, winning WDCU Leagues in 2008 and 2009, and the Greenwood Trophy in 2016. Today, the club honors a former president and Inverurie captain, Kenny McLeod, by competing for a trophy in his name. The spirit of those eight founders lives on, here at Whitehaugh, the home of Kelburne Cricket Club.