Colwyn Bay Cricket Club came into being during the early 1920s, and amongst its early leading lights were Rev. Costain, the Headmaster of the nearby Rydal School, and the various members of the Wooller family. Indeed, it was through the actions of Wilf Wooller that Glamorgan have subsequently travelled up to the North Wales coast to play at the ground which Wilf`s father and grandfather helped to establish during the early 1920`s in a field off Penrhyn Avenue, near the seafront at Rhos-on-Sea.

The North Wales resort expanded during the inter-war period. Many substantial houses were built near the attractive coastline, and during the summer months, Rhos-on-Sea and Old Colwyn attracted many holidaymakers from Lancashire. The Colwyn Bay cricket club also developed a good reputation, and soon secured regular fixtures with clubs in the Manchester and Liverpool area, in addition to visits by touring teams.

The 1930s saw the Rhos-on-Sea Ground play host to Denbighshire’s matches in the Minor County Championship, whilst during the Second World War, the club staged a number of fund raising games for the War Effort. These wartime friendlies were well attended and, even though hostilities had ceased, the ground continued to stage exhibition games during the months when the pleasant resort was packed with holiday-makers.

In August 1947 Wilf Wooller brought his Glamorgan side to the Rhos ground to play two-day friendlies against Sir Learie Constantine’s XI and a North Wales XI.  By the 1950`s, this had expanded into a cricket week, with games involving a North Wales representative side, touring teams such as the 1954 Canadians, various Lancashire League elevens, and other scratch teams raised by the likes of Walter Robins and Vinoo Mankad. These matches also further boosted the finances of the Colwyn Bay club and helped them undertake a series of ground improvements totalling over £4,000, including an extended pavilion and new changing rooms.

Click here to read more about Glamorgan’s visits to Colwyn Bay.

Click here to read a potted history of Colwyn Bay CC.