The Atlas Sports and Social Club

The Sports and Social Club was formed many years ago and was run by and for the members. Besides the usual sports such as football and cricket, the club also supported darts, bowls and of course fishing in their own lake.  The Club arranged dinner dances and regular coach outings to the seaside.

If you can help us with any names from the collection of photos above please add a comment at the bottom of this page.

The Sports and Social Club owned its own sports field in Melbourn ( Portway ) although this was sold to finance the existing club house at Marley Eternit.

The Atlas had a Cricket Team for many years but very little  information has come to light. In 1954 the team was captained and coached by Fred Bakewell, the former England and Northants batsman. Other players mentioned were Derek Cooper, Claude Ellis and Jim Tucker.

The Darts Teams were very successful in the 70’s with both the ladies and the men. Snooker and Table Tennis were also popular, as was the Fishing Club.

 

The Eternit Concrete Canoe Society

Yes, you did read that correctly!  Eternit actually made canoes out of concrete as the photo below will testify.

 

Comments about this page

  • I’m pleased to see that Fred Bakewell coached the Atlas cricket team in 1954. He was clearly an exceptional cricketer, playing six times for England in the 1930’s alongside such illustrious names as Hammond, Duleepsinhji, Sutcliffe, Jardine and Woolley. An opening batsman, he scored one hundred and three fifties and averaged 45 in his six Tests. For Northants he scored thirty one hundreds in a total of 14,570 runs, with a career average of 34. Fred’s batting style was described as very unconventional. It would be good to think that he passed on some of his undoubted talent to members of the Atlas team. During his Atlas days Fred lived in Melbourn.

    By Bill Pegram (28/04/2011)

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