Ex-Hartlepool professional footballer Ian Knight to meet childhood cricketing pals during return visit to home town

Ian Knight was a key member of Hartlepool Cricket Club’s under 13 and junior sides in the late 1970s and early 1980s before he left the town to pursue his footballing career.

Ian, whose late dad Ronnie was also a keen cricketer, was a member of the Park Drive under 13 side which reached the Lord’s Taverners national final at Sherborne, in Dorset, in 1979.

He also excelled as an all-rounder in the juniors, playing alongside the likes of future first team regulars Andy Holland, Gary Tebbett, Glen Tebbett, Des Playfor, Ian Hendry, Nick Kennedy, Jonny Cannon, Ally Ross, Andy Carter and the late Ian Jackson.

After joining Barnsley at the age of 16, Ian moved on to Sheffield Wednesday where he was soon playing top-flight football before a horrific tackle in 1987 ultimately brought his playing days to an end.

At the time, Ian was playing centre-half for England under 21s alongside future senior captain Tony Adams and was tipped to soon become a full England international himself.

After his playing days, Ian was involved in a coaching capacity for a number of years prior to emigrating to Canada in 2003.

He is currently the sporting director for Abbotsford Soccer Association in British Columbia.

Ian, now 56, said: “I have many, fond memories of my cricketing days at Park Drive. It was a great experience playing with a fantastic group of players who I would often come up against when competing in other sports in the town.

He added: “I’m really looking forward to returning to Park Drive and meeting up with old friends.”

John Rae, junior representative at Park Drive during Ian’s playing days, said Ian “was an outstanding cricketer” and added: “It will be great to see Ian again after all these years and hopefully we will get a good gathering at Park Drive.

“I’ll take the old scorebooks along from that era which should bring back happy memories of a really successful Junior cricket period at Park Drive.”

Ian will be at Park Drive from 7pm on Thursday, March 23.

For further information, contact Alastair Rae on 07581 239557.