Cecil is bowled over by MBE

The Lisburn man has won many accolades over his 65 years involved with cricket both here and overseas, but his award at the weekend is the icing on the cake.

“I was contacted back in April, but to be honest I thought the letter was from the Inland Revenue and it was only when my wife Sylvia noticed it had a mark on it from the Cabinet Office that I realised it might be very important,” explained Cecil.

“I was very surprised because I’m more yesterday’s man and at 78 I did not expect an MBE. I have been out of the Irish scene for almost 15 years and never thought this would come along, but I’m really thrilled and honoured for my family and for Lisburn Cricket Club, especially as this is our 175th anniversary year.

“I joined Lisburn in 1944 - my father Fred told me I had to go along because I had been breaking too many windows playing cricket in Ivan Street and he said get down to Wallace Park. I remember getting the 10 shilling note and sixpence for joining and my mum said ‘don’t lose it because there won’t be any more.’

“That’s how it all started and I gained a lot of experience in the 1950’s era with some great players around me and that helped me a lot and gave me a great grounding and appreciation for the sport.”

Cecil was quick to thank all those who worked behind the scenes for this award. “Obviously a lot of people have been pressing and pushing the merits of my work for this honour and it has probably taken a few years to come to fruition. I want to thank them for all their efforts which are greatly appreciated, but while a lot of people believe I have devoted so much to cricket I can honestly say I have got more out of it than I put in.

“I can’t forget the sacrifice too from both my wife Sylvia and daughter Gloria which has been enormous over the years and always been a great inspiration and support to me. They will join me along with my granddaughter Jill Patterson at Buckingham Palace when the big day comes along.”

In a career of many highs, Cecil picked out some special events in the Lisburn Cricket Club history.

“My dream was to see the club expand and in 2002 the extension and ground improvements were realised. I suppose the return of the professional to local cricket since the Post War years was a major landmark which I feel helped transform our game.

“In 1977 we brought John Solankey from Glamorgan and he enjoyed a fruitful seven years at Wallace Park. Others followed, but he was the first and he made a big impact.

“Bringing the great Ian Botham to Lisburn in 1986 saw an amazing 3,000 tickets sold for what was an unforgettable day. At that time Ian was banned from cricket and because of that our opponents MCC were unable to come over. We still went ahead and we had a challenge match with guest players and even to this day people talk of Botham in Wallace Park.

“Over the years I have always had a great working relationship with the City Council and I know they too played a part in this honour.”

Cecil may have retired from office for many years, but he will never give up his work at Lisburn and you will always find him tending to the ground or out on the mower preparing for the next match. “I love to see the young players come along each year and have a go. I have watched five generations of them now and there is always a few who come through so to see their development over the years is very rewarding to me.”

Cecil is also a founder member of the Northern Ireland Branch of the Lords Taverners. “This charity is very close to my heart and since it was formed 15 years ago we have raised over £1m which has helped disabled cricketers and disadvantaged childen.”