Cassette recording of C G Howard, cricket administrator, interviewed by Mike Burns. The interview took place at Nailsworth in Gloucestershire. The recording consists of two sides of a cassette.
Side A: [0:00-1:00] Burns sets up the recording, [1:00-2:30] Howard talks about how he first became interested in cricket at the age of 9 when he first saw cricket at The Oval in 1919, and watching Middlesex win the County Championship at Lord's in 1920, [2:30-4:15] Howard talks about his childhood heroes including J B Hobbs, [4:15-7:45] Howard talks about becoming a cricketer and playing for Private Banks and matches for Middlesex, and rejecting the offer of joining the staff at MCC, [7:45-8:15] Howard talks about working for a bank and not continuing his cricket career, [8:15-10:50] Howard talks about his service in the Second World War for the Royal Air Force and changing careers after the war, applying for Secretary of Essex County Cricket Club in 1946, and then becoming Assistant Secretary of Surrey to B K Castor, [10:50-16:05] Howard talks about working as Assistant Secretary of Surrey, the decision to replace N H Bennett as captain of Surrey after one season, the difficulty in repairing The Oval after damage caused by the war, the Club's finances after the war which were healthy due to a desire to watch cricket, [16:05-22:30] Howard talks about the crowds that visited Surrey after the war, and the wages of Howard and the Secretary and the players at the time, and applying for the job of MCC Assistant Secretary in 1949, and then becoming Secretary of Lancashire in 1949, [22:30-27:05] Howard talks about the difference in approach to cricket between northern and southern counties, working with the Lancashire Committee, the large crowds at the Lancashire vs. Yorkshire match, [27:05-30:30] Howard talks about the players in the Lancashire team and having to look after the team, an incident when four Lancashire players were sacked in 1964 after being disrespectful towards M J K Smith of Warwickshire in a Gillette Cup Semi-Final, [30:30-35:25] Howard talks about a contented attitude towards cricket in the 1950s and 1960s, and feeling privileged to play cricket, the distance between gentleman and players' rooms at Lancashire compared to The Oval and Lord's, and the ratio of amateurs to professionals at Lancashire, [35:25-36:30] Howard talks about Lancashire having a male-only membership and the dress code at Lancashire, [36:30-38:55] Howard talks about the difficulties in encouraging club and league cricketers to represent Lancashire and getting young cricketers and members of the ground staff to play for the county including David Lloyd, [38:55-42:40] Howard talks about the decline in crowds at Lancashire which started in 1954 and how Howard tried to address concerns of declining attendance by increasing revenues, [42:40-45:00] Howard talks about Lancashire out matches, playing at Blackpool and Liverpool and persuading the Lancashire Committee to play at Southport, and Howard talks about why Lancashire players did not enjoy playing at Old Trafford.
Side B: [0:00-0:45] Howard talks about a story Winston Place told him about regarding cricket as a holiday, [0:45-1:30] Howard talks about looking after player welfare out of season, [1:30-3:15] Howard talks about the players he admired at Lancashire including J B Statham and Roy Tattersall, [3:15-3:40] Howard talks about Cyril Washbrook, [3:40-7:00] Howard talks about Statham's character and whether there was resistance to the first appointment of a professional captain at Lancashire (Washbrook), [7:00-9:30] Howard talks about his relationship with the Lancashire press, and meeting Neville Cardus, [9:30-10:10] Howard talks about travelling to away matches with Lancashire, [10:10-14:30] Howard talks about his involvement in county players' benefits and his thoughts on the benefits system, and talks about Geoff Clayton who worked in delivering coal after being sacked by Somerset, cricketers' education and backgrounds, [14:30-17:20] Howard talks about his most memorable matches when working for Lancashire including the Lancashire vs. Yorkshire matches and the players Howard remembers during his time at Lancashire, [17:20-22:15] Howard talks about the main differences between administration at Lancashire and Surrey including taking three years to produce scorecards effectively at Lancashire but the food services being better at Lancashire, and not witnessing poor behaviour from spectators at Old Trafford, [22:15-24:25] Howard talks about leaving Lancashire to become Secretary of Surrey, [24:25-28:35] Howard talks about the problems he encountered when working at Surrey and his belief that little had changed from when he left, and the financial difficulties within county cricket, [28:35-31:10] Howard talks about the wickets at The Oval and Surrey's success in the 1950s which was based on their bowling attack, and Surrey's lack of popularity amongst other counties, [31:10-36:10] Howard talks about his thoughts on one-day cricket and administering one-day cricket matches, and playing matches on Sunday which he proposed, [36:10-37:45] Howard talks about his thoughts on whether many potential cricketers were lost to the game as it was perceived to be an unattractive sport to play and earn money from doing, [37:45-38:15] Howard and Burns talk about Alf Gover, [38:15-41:45] Howard talks about his time as Surrey Secretary and M J Stewart's captaincy of Surrey, player unrest, and Geoff Arnold's reluctance to tour overseas, [41:45-47:49] Howard talks about managing overseas tours, his thoughts on how first-class cricket should operate without the county system and a change to the definition of the first-class match and changes to covered wickets.
