1958 was one of the most eventful summers off the field in Glamorgan’s history. As heated debate took place in the committee room, morale sank and Glamorgan slipped back to 15th place in the table. Like so many aspects of Glamorgan during the 1950s, Wilf Wooller was at the centre of events, with the committee divided over whether the all-rounder should continue as captain.
At the heart of the debate was the negative press which Wooller’s actions in previous years had attracted. For example, the correspondent of the London Evening Standard had written “Glamorgan are the most hated side on the county circuit.” He had also lost friends in the committee room as he led a campaign to take county cricket away from the Arms Park to Sophia Gardens where the Club could develop a headquarters of their own and with proper facilities. But the thought of Glamorgan moving away from the Arms Park appalled Norman Riches and other traditionalists who increasingly viewed Wooller as a trouble-making tyrant, with Riches persuading the City’s Lord Mayor to use his casting vote at the Council’s meeting to scupper the plans for Glamorgan’s move to Sophia Gardens.
Now aged 44, Wooller had also informed the committee at the end of the 1957 season that he would be happy to stand down as captain if a suitable replacement could be found. But the problem was that there were no obvious long-term successors. Both Haydn Davies, the senior professional, and Allan Watkins would have loved to take over, but neither were a long-term option. Each were also professionals with the committee still preferring to continue with an amateur at the helm.
Johnnie Clay also entered the debate and, drawing on his own experience, suggested that Wooller should remain as team manager and help to groom a successor, in the same way he himself had operated back in 1946. The committee duly agreed to offer Wooller a post as part-time consultant /advisor, but at a reduced salary of £500. In simple terms, they wanted his advice but not his authority, and at half the salary. Realising that the knives were out for him, Wooller tendered his resignation as captain-secretary with effect from the end of 1958.
Riches responded by persuading Tolly Burnett, a 33 year-old science master at Eton who had won a Blue at Cambridge in 1949 to have an eight-match trial during August and early September as Glamorgan’s prospective new captain for 1959. Tolly had not played any county cricket, apart from the odd game for Sussex 2nd XI, plus appearances for the MCC. Given Burnett’s limited experience and the fact that Riches had personally overseen his registration without the knowledge of Wooller, as Glamorgan Secretary, it was a recipe for disaster.
And so unfolded some sorry days for the Club as Tolly made just 71 runs in eleven innings and struggled in the field, dropping a regulation catch at mid-on during the match against Lancashire at the Arms Park after the batsman had been deceived by a perfect off-cutter from Don Shepherd, besides fumbling a series of balls in other games. His tactics were also questioned at Ebbw Vale where he persisted with the seamers at a ground known to help the slower bowlers with the upshot being a victory for Northamptonshire. “How they could have ever thought of him taking over from Wilf,” reflected Allan Watkins in his memoirs. ”He had no idea of cricket. He batted like a fourteen year-old. He stood right away from the bat ….he didn’t look like a cricketer.”
Even before Tolly returned to his teaching duties in early September, a members’ petition had begun with enough signatures being gathered to call a special general meeting in October at Bridgend Town Hall. Over 350 members duly attended and, after hearing from both factions, the upshot was a referendum to settle the issue of whether or not the Club should retain Wooller’s services. When the ballot papers were counted, there was a clear majority of 1,098 votes to 795 in favour of retaining him. It led to a series of resignations from the committee, with Wooller withdrawing his resignation and agreeing to continue both playing for and captaining the Welsh county.
It put an end to the intrigue and back-biting in a season which had started with victories in May over Nottinghamshire, Kent and Northamptonshire before descending into rumour and controversy with the team going to pieces and winning just one match between the end of May and mid-August. The sequence also included the match with Lancashire at the Arms Park which remarkably saw Glamorgan’s number 11 Peter Gatehouse end up as top scorer in the county’s abject first innings. He arrived at the crease after Brian Statham and Roy Tattersall had reduced Glamorgan to 15-9. He had few pretensions as a batsman, but managed to score eight runs before his team were dismissed for a paltry 26.
Glamorgan ended the season in a disappointing 15th place with an injury to Jim McConnon, plus the loss of form of Gilbert Parkhouse also playing a role in their slide down the table. These issues involving senior players were offset though by the emergence of Brian Evans from Clydach CC as a lively opening bowler, as well as both Jim Pressdee and Peter Walker as forcing batsmen. The latter posted his maiden hundred against Surrey at Swansea, but his fine efforts were in a losing cause as the visitors won by five wickets.