History
Established 1980.
Play Sunday "friendlies" primarily in the Surrey area...but will go (and have gone!) anywhere for a game!
Originally Chadwick members were mainly from the "showbiz" industry... actors, musicians, writers, producers, technicians etc but these days if you've even slightly bumped into a "luvvie" and wanna game you get a game!
On the 22nd August 1979 at The Talbot School in Poole, Dorset a motley crew of actors took time off from their summer season production of Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (an ideal show as Joseph has 10 brothers!) to play a game of cricket against the cast and crew from "The Rocky Horror Show" also on at a nearby theatre.
So "eldest brother" Steve Devereaux's XI took on Mick (Magpie) Robertson's XI with Mick's XI winning by 30 runs...only to be defeated 4 days later by a Larry (The Bill) Dann XI thanks mainly to a 6 for 12 performance by one Tommy Boyd also latterly of Magpie fame. Enthusiastic chatter of "must play again when we're back in town" was eventually realised 10 months later, in the summer of 1980 when we played half a dozen friendlies. Now calling ourselves the "Old Josephians" before finding there already was a team of that name we then became the Rocky Joseph Old Boys and even worse..."The Joseph Horrors"!
It was being "back in town" that eventually led to the discovery of our name.
The common thread with being "resting actors" meant we all used to sign on at the Chadwick Street Labour exchange in Victoria, which in those days had a "back door" for the theatrical community, so the "famous" could sign on in relative privacy! They had a special department that understood "short term contracts" etc and no matter where you lived in London..you signed on at Chadwick Street!
And so the name Chadwick CC was officially adopted at the club's first AGM on the 12th of October 1980 in Steve's front room in Clapham and we began under our new name on the 26th April 1981 vs The Crown Taverners (winning by 20 runs!) at Haydons Road Rec South Wimbledon which was to remain our home ground until the move to Esher in 1998. Playing at West End Lane meant for the first time in our history..all Chadwickians were performing at the same time in "The West End"!! However, due to rising costs and age taking it's toll..after the 2006 season we relinquished our "home" ground and decided to start afresh as "Nomads" for 2007 and beyond which so far has been a successful change.
There's been many an opening night, a TV pilot or a film Premiere come and go, but summer and cricket are constant as we continue to try and improve our own performances! And as they say in "the biz"...the show must go on!!...well...there is life in the old dog yet and it's tail still wags after 28 "glorious" years...on to the next 28!!
