Wakefield - Proposed new ground at DurkarSTEVE DRAPER is a well-known cricket historian and has been a member of the Association of Cricket Statisticians for many years. His several research articles include: The Cricket Grounds of Yorkshire. published in 1995 and The Cricket Grounds of Durham (2006).'The ground that never was' In 1995 the long-established status quo at Headingley changed forever when Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Club (Leeds C.F.A) came under the control of Paul Caddick. It is fair to say that from the outset he did not see eye-to-eye regarding the future of the Headingley ground with the Yorkshire committee, and in particular the then president, Sir Lawrence Byford. Against this background the club announced in March 1996 that they were investigating the possibility of moving to a new green field site. From the outset a proposal from Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (MDC) was the main focus. The club did look at other sites, including one at Aberford to the east of Leeds, but it was only at the Wakefield site that serious plans were drawn up.
Wakefield MDCs plans were based at Durkar, to the south of the city near Junction 39 of the M1 motorway. Plans and brochures were drawn up and presented to Yorkshire members (who even received a promotional video) and at the Yorkshire CCC AGM of 1997 Yorkshire members voted by three to one to move to Durkar.
The plans drawn up included a ground to test-match standards with associated facilities, access from the motorway, car parking, training facilities and the provision of at least six (!) playing areas in addition to the main arena. The new ground was intended to be ready to stage cricket in 2000 or 2001.
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The project was to be funded largely by grants from the lottery and European Community funds, but these plans began to unravel almost as soon as Yorkshire members had voted to accept them as it became clear that these grants would not be forthcoming. The hopes of Wakefield MDC and in particular the Leader of the Council Colin Croxall were to be dashed. Mr Croxall had told Yorkshire C.C.Cs Chief Executive that he would shift heaven and earth to bring the move about; but heaven and earth, and indeed Yorkshire C.C.C. remained firmly in place.
The Wakefield plans fell apart, amid some acrimony, during 1998 and forced Yorkshire to stay and redevelop Headingley, a process that is still ongoing. The site that had been proposed has subsequently been developed into a development called Calder Park. Where the main cricket ground was to have stood is now a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
The site of the proposed ground at Durkar, Wakefield
Photo by Steve Draper
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