Monday 13 December 2010

Something special for the New Year - Eddie Barlow celebration

Next year will mark 35 years since the late, undeniably great Eddie Barlow arrived in Derbyshire to transform our cricket fortunes.


I wrote about him recently, when suggesting that the club’s greatest player beginning with B should be Barlow and not Kim Barnett. Barlow shook the club to its foundations between 1976 and 1978 and made us a side to be reckoned with. His three years at the club were, without doubt, the most memorable that I can recall as a Derbyshire fan, aside from the summer of Dean Jones. I saw a lot of cricket in that period and I’ll unashamedly say that Eddie Barlow was, and still is my major cricket hero. Given I’m past the stage of having new heroes now, I suppose he always will be.

To mark the anniversary, I will be producing a series of articles in the New Year based on a recent interview with Eddie’s widow, Cally. I am extremely grateful to her for taking the time to answer the many questions I had with unfailing good humour.



I am also grateful to David Griffin at Derbyshire County Cricket Club, for his recollections of the period and for filling in a few gaps, as well as to several former players for their comments on a golden period in the club’s history.

Their input has helped to create a fascinating insight into the player and the man. Hopefully it will help to while away the winter as we approach a fresh new season. How apposite would it be if the anniversary could be marked with further success?

I would be grateful for any of your memories too. If you watched Derbyshire during this period, or played with Eddie, I would love to hear from you. Contact me in the usual manner – peakfan36@yahoodotcodotuk

Just note that the ‘dots’ in the middle should be dots. I’ve written it that way as otherwise I’ll be bombarded with a hundred e-mails about a relative who has died in Africa leaving me his/her fortune. You’d be amazed at how many I apparently have out there, though at the rate they’re apparently dying in car and plane crashes there can’t be too many left…

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