The
Pavillion as it is today.
The simple act of thwacking a ball or similar missile with a stick and thus projecting it for a considerable distance at high speed, has been an eternal source of secret, boyish pleasure for many grown men, and was no doubt the seed from which the ancient game of 'Spell and Knurr' originally grew. This game was taken very seriously in Dalton and was played for many years on Storey Square.
Cricket clubs were formed in both Barrow and Dalton in 1850. What was probabIy the first truly competitive cricket match in Furness took place in the same year, when the Barrow club challenged Dalton to play for a new ball. The following account of this match is taken from Soulby's Ulverston Advertiser, 22 August 1850:
On Saturday afternoon last, Dalton was enlivened by a cricket match between the Dalton and Barrow clubs. Both clubs are in the first year of their existence, and more than two thirds of the players never handled a bat before this year, and not more than two or three were ever in a match. The latter club made such good use of their time and ground, and attained so much proficiency in this noble and manly game, that they forwarded a challenge to the former to play them on their own ground for a new ball. That very respectable person, 'the oldest inhabitant' never heard of the game before the present summer and it was so new to the generality of the residents in the district, that a large concourse, including a fair sprinkling of the blooming flowers of Furness, was attracted to the ground (a large meadow at Crooklands, adjoining the railway), as much to see what the game was like as to see that match. The umpires were Messrs. Park and Poole, whose decisions gave universal satisfaction. The scorers Messrs. Matthews and T. Butler. The wickets were pitched at two o'clock, and Barrow having won the toss, sent their opponents in. The score was as follows: Barrow 21: Dalton 48 : Dalton consequently winning by 27 runs:
It is interesting to note the low scores and also that this game was apparently played on the ground which was eventually to become the permanent home of cricket in Dalton, although for many years the club experienced great difficulty in obtaining the use of a suitable field and could hardly function at all. By 1883, the club had virtually ceased to exist through lack of a playing field. In October 1884 the Dalton News reported that 'At a general meeting last Tuesday, presided over by Mr. G. B. Ashburner, it was decided that a field called 'Hagg's Bottom' be prepared for next year's play. This ground was used many years ago for cricket, is very pleasantly situated, and would doubtless prove a much more attractive ground ... than any other field in the town....'.
In 1891, the club returned to its former ground at Crooklands, and the following year, along with clubs from Barrow, Kendal, Lancaster, Millom, Ulverston and Whitehaven was a founder member of the North Lancashire and District Cricket League. At about the turn of the century however, the club were experi- encing severe financial difficulties, and in 1903 it became necessary to cancel all the first team's fixtures. In view of this it seems rather surprising to learn that in April of the same year, they offered to assist in the formation of a tennis club, by laying down four courts to be maintained by the cricket club professional at a cost of £7 lOs. for the season. (A lawn tennis club had existed in the town as early as 1890).
Towards the end of the 19th century there were a number of rugby clubs in the town with names like Dalton White Rose, Lillywhites, White Star, Rangers etc. In 1884, a meeting was held in the Railway Hotel, presided over by Dr. Patterson, with representatives of all these clubs attending. The object of this meeting was to amalgamate all the smaller clubs into one club which would be known as the Dalton Town Football Club. Although this was unanimously agreed at the meeting, something must have happened to prevent the formation of the new team, for six years later in April 1890, it appears from reports in the Dalton News that Dr. Patterson called another meeting for exactly the same purpose. In August 1890, a general meeting of the newly-formed Dalton Town Football Club was held and Mr. R. Todd was elected as captain of the first team, and Mr. G. Calligan as captain of the 'A' team. It was also resolved that the colours of the club be blue jerseys with a red sash over the right shoulder, and white drawers.
Meanwhile, probably about 1885, it seems that another club was formed. This was the Dalton Rugby Football Club; it played in a black and white strip and its home ground was probably Railway Meadow, although it seems certain that a field near Thornton Park, and St Thomas's valley, were also used for matches at different times. About 1905, they abandoned the Rugby Union and became the Dalton Amateur Rugby League Club.
