...there was a huge ray of sunshine at Wallace Park that will have brightened the hearts of cricket followers near and far.
The overcast skies could not dampen the enthusiasm of the Lisburn Cricket Club faithful who gathered in numbers with special guests to honour one of theirfavourite sons in a manner befitting only the very privileged. The ceremony was a tightly kept secret until the final hours and to keep a Wallace Park secret from Cecil Walker, was in itself an achievement. But when the cat was out of the bag there were no broader smiles than that on the faces of Cecil and his devoted wife Sylvia as the Wallace Park cricket pavilion was deservedly named in hishonour.
Cecil Walker has been one of the giants of local cricket in his generation. A distinguished club captain who led some of the finest teams in the history of Wallace Park cricket, he was a dedicated administrator behind the scene who became the backbone of the club during both the good, and the not so good times. He won six senior cup and three senior league medals and captained the club a record eight years. He was club secretary for 14 years and the driving force behind the greatest revolution in NCU cricket in 1978 when he brought overseas professional John Solanky to the ‘Park. The visionary initiative toreUlstercricket apart and sparked the bitter anti-professional debate that has raged ever since. Always the visionary, Cecil took the leading role in Lisburn’s sesquicentenary celebration in 1986 and cajoled the great Ian Botham to star in a Wallace Park cricket extravaganza, in front of the biggest crowd ever seen at the ‘Park. It was cricket showbiz at its best, a huge treat for thousands of spectators, and a wonderful payday for the club!
Amazingly Cecil still took time in 1986 to step into the breach when NCU President Ferguson Grainger suddenly and sadly died. Cecil did a magnificent job in the union’s centenary celebration, and two years later donned the Irish Cricket Union presidency to win friends from all overIreland. Meticulously dressed for every occasion, Cecil cut a fine dash in any company and proved a wonderful ambassador for club and union. He was a tireless fund-raiser who introduced many of his business friends into cricket sponsorship and patronage, some of who are still supporting the cause twenty years later. Cecil made an art of public relations and marketing, and was one of local cricket’s most charming hosts. Nobody but Cecil could have lured sporting megastars like Freddie Truman, Cliff Morgan and the mighty Botham to Lisburn. Needless to say, the Walker household was an open door for cricket visitors, and a welcome hostelry for an overnighter after a club dinner.
Ceciltravelled widely to watch and support cricket, often in the company of his long-time cricket buddy Alfie Linehan. They met the great Harold Larwood in Australia and forged a strong bond with some of the leading personalities in the modern game through their strong support of the Northern Irelandbranch of the Lord’s Taverners. One of the first to throw his hat into the ring when the branch was formed, Cecil has always been a staunch supporter of this hard-working charitable wing of the sport.
By his own admission Cecil Walker has slowed down in recent years, but it would be hard to convince the Lisburn members, as he remains totally enshrined in its welfare. But that’s the measure of a man who has worked tirelessly at the top and the bottom of his favourite sport and who remains one of the nicest people you could ever meet in any capacity.
Well done Lisburn Cricket Club members and well done Cecil and Sylvia Walker for giving us all so many happy memories of trips to Wallace Park and theWalkerhousehold. The Cecil Walker pavilion is a fitting tribute to a lifetime of service.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
