MRRCC's first year was one of achievement and breaking down boundaries.
This time last year Mersey Rose Recreationals had been formed for a few weeks and no-one was sure whether our vision to create a new, inclusive cricket club would be successful.
Our founder members - David Crossley, Joe Crossley, Steve Fowle, Ian Mosquito, Andi Page, Anna Page and Ken Rustidge - were determined to "break the mould" and do things differently. They wanted Mersey Rose to be so much more than another cricket club, and hoped to build an inclusive community focused on diversity and equality that would be outgoing, welcoming and affirming. The founders wanted the new club to appeal to people who often feel "left out" at many cricket clubs - LGBQT+ people, disabled people, older people and those who aren't necessarily very good at cricket but love the game.
Most of the founder members had made the decision to leave another club to pursue their goal. They had done what they could to promote inclusion and equality at their previous club, but it's fair to say that the club in question wasn't best-placed to make the kind of changes they thought were necessary. When a senior official actively worked against their vision, they decided the best option was to lead by example and create something new and authentically inclusive.
It wasn't immediately obvious that the new club would be a success. It had no players, no ground, nowhere to train, no kit and very little in the way of equipment. But it forged positive partnerships with other cricket clubs (Wavertree CC, No Boundaries CC and Prescot & Odyssey CC), organisations dedicated to equality (Sahir and Her Game Too) and sponsors (Inspire Publishing and Sahir). These partnerships were crucial to the club being able to start the new season.
"Success" in sport is a subjective term and it means different things to different people. For us at Mersey Rose, success was always about creating a community. If we're being honest, being able to start the season was an achievement in itself - the fact that we've completed our first ever season and are now looking forward to 2025 is an even greater success.
There were people who wrote us off - people who suggested we were unwise to leave an established club to create something that was "doomed to failure". Others said that the focus on inclusion and diversity would only "put people off" as "no-one is interested in this EDI nonsense". But they have been proved wrong. Mersey Rose Recreationals is very much here to stay.
Other than surviving against the odds, what has the club achieved in its first season?
Challenging homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism and ableism
Mersey Rose Recreationals has been at the forefront of challenging discrimination in sport. Earlier in the year, before the season had started, a recruitment poster shared on social media attracted several comments of a homophobic and transphobic nature. The transphobic comments were particularly hostile and some were threatening. Some people went as far as to forward e-mails to the club, making overt threats. In response to these, the club issued a statement in which it affirmed transgender people and stated that they would always be welcome at Mersey Rose.
Committee members, especially the chair and the club treasurer, have frequently spoken to the local media about the need to challenge discriminatory attitudes. One of our members is on the local cricket league's EDI working group. Several of our members have been involved in conversations with Lancashire Cricket Foundation in relation to tackling discrimination and overcoming the barriers that prevent LGBTQ+, women's and disability inclusion in our sports clubs.
Mersey Rose Recreationals is a club that is having an impact on the wider conversation around inclusion in sport. We are proud of the influence we have and aspire to have a leading role in discussions around this.
We are also proud of the partnerships we have with Her Game Too and Sahir, which allow us to support pioneering organisations that are committed to championing inclusion for women and LGBTQ+ people respectively.
Pride match
The club has had a presence at St Helens Pride, Liverpool Pride and Knowsley Pride. We believe we have a responsibility to not only actively support local LGBTQ+ communities but to be visible at Pride events.
At Knowsley Pride, a match between ourselves and our friends at Whitefield Cricket Club was part of the "Pride in the Park" event - as far as we know, the first time a cricket match has been an integral part of any Pride event in the UK. Rose secured a fantastic 2-wicket victory but the result was perhaps not as important as the game itself. Being part of a match dedicated to celebrating diversity and inclusion was far more important than winning a game.
The hope is that the Pride match will become an annual fixture, which will hopefully strengthen our connection with the local LGBTQ+ community while also being an advert for our brand of social cricket.
Recruitment
Recruitment was always going to be a challenge. It is one thing to set up a new club - another to attract new players. We weren't looking to draw players from other clubs and our emphasis was on appealing to people who wanted to enjoy social, friendly cricket in a non-pressurised and inclusive environment.
We wanted to appeal especially to people who were LGBTQ+, disabled, women or new to the game. These are precisely the kinds of people that many other clubs have struggled to include, and therefore the kinds of people who may assume that cricket isn't a game for them.
Despite this challenge, during 2024 we have not only recruited several players but have watched them develop as individual cricketers. A number of our players are LGBTQ+ (including some trans players) and disabled (some are both!), and we have had a number of players join us because they like our approach to cricket. The vast majority of our members would not have considered playing for any other club, testament to the importance of our message and values. While we still don't have as large a squad as we would like, we have two diverse and capable teams.
It has been a fantastic privilege to help so many players to enjoy cricket and - in many cases - to significantly improve their own game. Some may want to play every week, while others may only want a couple of games per season. Whatever the level of commitment, the club is stronger for having such a wonderfully diverse membership.
It turns out that many people are interested in "this EDI nonsense" and do want to play social, friendly cricket. If you're not yet a member and this sounds like you, get in touch at merseyroserecs@gmail.com!
A diverse committee
We have a great mix of talented people on our committee. We are proud to have men, women and non-binary people serving our club. We are also pleased to have people on our committee who are neurodiverse, are physically disabled or are over 65. We are equally proud to have a female captain of a mixed-gender team. A lot can be learned about a club's values and ethos by the make-up of its committee. We are delighted to have such a talented group of people taking our club forward - people who understand the need for inclusive approaches. Unlike the experience some of us had at previous clubs, where EDI issues are seldom prioritised, Mersey Rose Recreationals' committee meetings are focused on inclusion.
Changing the culture of the game
What has been most pleasing about our first season is the impact the club has had on changing the culture of the game. For those who say that one club can't make much of a difference, Mersey Rose has had a huge impact on conversations around diversity and inclusion - both locally and nationally.
Our local media has been very interested in our journey - take a look at these news stories - which demonstrates our influence. The fact that such stories have attracted one or two negative comments, including some from people involved with other local cricket clubs, further underlines this. It has become impossible to ignore us and we are making a difference simply by being ourselves and leading by example. But we're also making a difference by working with other clubs, both those we have formal partnerships with and some of the clubs we play against during the season. Our conversations with representatives of clubs at the Out4Cricket conference and our discussions with the Lancashire Cricket Foundation are all part of ongoing efforts to change the game of cricket for the better. We see ourselves as part of a broader movement for inclusion - one that isn't afraid to question the status quo and advocate new approaches.
Change doesn't happen overnight but we believe we are having a positive influence on changing the culture within grassroots cricket.
Pioneering mixed-gender softball cricket
For several years, the ECB has encouraged the use of softball cricket or junior (under 9s) and women's entry-level cricket.
We believe that the ECB has missed a trick in not extending this to entry-level cricket more widely.
Several of our committee members, especially the chair, had been looking to encourage the development of disability cricket at another club but found that many disabled people aren't able to play 40-over hardball cricket on a Sunday afternoon and there were no other formats available to them. Disabled people need to be able to play at the level - and in a format - that is right for them. They needs to have their needs understood and provided for. Unfortunately if you happen to be a disabled man then there's not much most clubs can do for you.
As a result, we have decided to pioneer mixed-gender softball for anyone of any age or gender who is entry-level. This has proved popular with people new to cricket, as it introduces them to the game and gives them confidence in their abilities. It has also proved successful with many of our disabled players, some of whom struggle with hardball games, and is has provided them with an opportunity to enjoy the game in a way they couldn't otherwise.
So, what lies ahead in 2025?
We're hoping to keep on keeping on.
We need to continue where we finished the 2024 season and build our squad. We need more players for both hardball and softball. Whether you're new to the game, haven't played for a few years or play for another club and would like a few extra friendly games on Sundays or midweek - please get in touch.
We need to keep the main thing the main thing. That for us is providing opportunities to play cricket in a welcoming, supportive and non-judgmental environment in which everyone is free to be themselves.
We will continue to advocate for greater inclusion in cricket, and will work with other clubs and organisations to achieve this. We hope to renew our existing partnerships and create new ones before the new season starts in April.
We will, of course, always be committed to standing for equality and opposing homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexism, racism and ableism.
Hopefully we'll also have a few more wins in 2025!
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