The Primary Club
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Established in 1955, The Primary Club is the cricketers' charity that raises funds to provide sports and recreational
facilities for the blind and visually impaired.
Although its headquarters are based in Essex, the idea for the charity was sparked at the Beckenham Cricket Club in Kent.
After a pretty miserable performance on the field of play one Saturday afternoon in which four of the Beckenham CC batsmen failed to score ('a primary'), they decided, after a few drinks at the bar, to form a club to commemorate the occasion.
And after a few more pints, it was suggested that the new club should raise funds for a charity - initially the
Dorton House Shool, near Sevenoaks, Kent.
Originally the membership was limited to those batsmen who were dismissed first ball in matches - either for or against
Beckenham CC. But after nine years and with high-profile support and promotion by the Test Match Special team
(and the late Brian Johnston in particular), the membership was extended to include all batsmen at any level and in any
cricket-playing country in the world.
By 1973 the show was firmly on the road and The Primary Club has since become widely known throughout the cricketing
world. The appointment in 1997 of former test bowling legend Derek Underwood (himself a former Beckenham CC player with the dubious distinction of being dismissed first ball on two occasions on the same day - for England against South Africa in 1965) as its Patron raised the club's profile even higher. The Primary Club of Australia was founded in 1974 with Richie Benaud as its Patron and Twelfth Man) and a representative team toured the UK in 2010 - playing a match against Saffron Walden CC.
Primary Club Ties
Club Tie * City Tie * Country Tie
With its fund-raising efforts having accumulated, to date, in excess of £2million, The Primary Club has supported British
blind sport by providing sporting and recreational facilities for a number of schools and clubs for the visually impaired all over
the UK. The administration of the club's activities is handled by a dedicated team of volunteers including Chris Larlham, the secretary, and Ross Midgley, the treasurer, both of whom reside in Saffron Walden in North Essex.
The Primary Club is both a club and a charity. New members receive a club tie or brooch and an annual newsletter, and a
range of merchandise is available. So if you have been dismissed for a 'golden duck' - and most of us have - please join The Primary Club. Just visit their website - www.primaryclub.org - and contact the secretary for further details. And please
alert your cricketing friends who might not otherwise be aware of the existence of The Primary Club.
2014 was the 60th Anniversary of The Primary Club, so please support this worthwhile cause by taking up membership
or purchasing a membership, as a surprise present, for a cricketing friend.
The Primary Club
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(January 2014)