One of the UK’s oldest and most picturesque cricket clubs is using its 150th anniversary to launch a campaign to raise £150,000 to secure its future.

White Coppice Cricket Club is situated at the foot of the West Pennine Moors, near Chorley, and is a popular venue for passing walkers and photographers.

The club was founded in 1875 by a local businessman called Ephraim Eccles for his workers to enjoy playing cricket and the ground has been used for playing the sport ever since.
 
The ground was also the setting for the 1994 TV show Sloggers, which was written by famous darts commentator Sid Waddell and launched the TV career of actor Ralf Little.

This year the club has entered two Saturday teams in the Palace Shield Cricket League but say their biggest challenge will be off the pitch.

The cricketers have been hit for six with a bill for £29,000 to repair a leaking septic tank that services their clubhouse.
 
The club also want to install proper training facilities to help attract new players and introduce a junior division.
 
In desperation the club has decided to use the year of their 150th anniversary to try and raise £150k – and secure their future for the next generation.

White Coppice earned the nickname ‘the club that wouldn’t die’ when they survived the 2017 season despite only having the minimum seven players in one match.
 
The players kick-started their campaign to raise £150,000 with a sponsored run in full cricket gear around Astley Park and the 16th Century Astley Hall. 
 
1st XI captain Jake Smalley said: “The £29k bill to fix the leaking septic tank really underlines the challenges facing cricket clubs like ours.
 
“To put that into some sort of context we survive on £10 match fees from the players so £29k is the equivalent of 2,900 match fees!
 
“Last year we spent £4,000 on lawnmower repairs alone and cricket balls cost us nearly £1,000 every season.
 
“A lot of cricket clubs have gone under and we won’t let White Coppice go the same way.
 
“That’s why we decided to mark our 150th anniversary year by trying to raise £150,000 to safeguard the club’s long-term future.
 
“Fixing the septic tank is the priority but we desperately need our own training facilities to be able to retain and recruit players as we’ve entered a second Saturday team into the Palace Shield League.”
 
Smalley said the club hoped to raise the £150,000 through a mixture of grants, donations and player fundraising.
 
The club has opened a GoFundMe page – with an initial target of £16,000.
 
“We’ve asked each player to try and raise £150 from individual events and we’ve had a really good response,” he said. 
 
“The players like a laugh and we’ve had some madcap suggestions already so keep an eye on our social media platforms for more details.”
 
The club’s longest-serving player Chris Maguire is approaching his 17th season at White Coppice.
 
He said: “It’s been a rollercoaster – on and off the pitch. I was captain in 2017 when we played with seven players. Most clubs would have folded but we became known as the club that wouldn’t die. We lost every game that season but we didn’t forfeit a single match.
 
“When we beat Vernon Carus in 2018 it was our first win in 658 days!!  It’s  about so much more than just cricket and £150,000 will safeguard the club’s future for generations to come.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: For further information contact Jake Smalley 07596 737631 or Chris Maguire  07596 530727. Donate at GoFundMe page or use QR code.