...and although Rotary and the Arts might claim a share of his accolade there’s no doubt his service to cricket also played a big part in the award. Les is richly deserving of the honour and a rare gem in Ulster cricket far from the limelight at a club that has had more than its fair share of struggles down the years.
Les Jones moved to Newtownards in 1964 to take up a position as Design Manager at Ulster Print Works. He was later to distinguish himself in both art and textiles and as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Art at the University of Ulster. He has also given Rotary 45 years of Trojan service and holds an amazing record of never having missed a weekly Rotary meeting in all that time. It is a remarkable record, but then Les is a remarkable person, as many Ards cricketers past and present will attest.
A former Morecambe League cricketer, Les joined Ards in May 1965 and remains one of the club’s greatest servants after 48 years service. During that time he has captained every team apart from the 1st Eleven, chaired the club since 1975, coached the boys teams and remained on the Executive Committee since he was first elected in 1965. He is the longest serving Chairman in local cricket and without doubt one of the most dedicated. His work amongst the younger members has been a devotion to duty and amongst his most distinguished cricket ‘Alumni’ is current Ireland all-rounder Andrew White. And while Whitey is the best known of Les’s protégées, a long string of young Ards cricketers have benefitted and several have moved up the ladder at North Down. Les has led by example, finally packing away his whites at the grand old age of 75 after a final game against Saintfield.
Over the last 25 years Les has been the organizer and driving force behind the Annual Kwik Cricket Tournament for local primary schools in the Newtownards area. This has brought many young players into the game, including both boys and girls. Fittingly, his endeavours were recognized at the recent Sports Awards in the Borough when he was presented with a Lifetime Award for his service to Ards Cricket Club and to cricket in general.
Les can look back on almost 50 years of service to cricket with immense pride, but he will also have a wry smile at his early introduction. In Rab Dunn’s excellent diary of Ards Cricket Club, “More than Sixty Summers”, the author recalls Les’s first league game and a feisty encounter with Victoria that ended with skipper Walter Montgomery conceding a low-scoring acrimonious match to avert a threatening situation. According to Rab Dunn, Les went home shell-shocked, but happily he returned for the next game and the rest is history. At the end of the season he took on the captaincy of the 3rd Eleven and joined the Executive Committee and has never looked back. Ten years later he became Chairman and he remains in that position today and is just as committed to organizing boys’ cricket as he was in the Sixties.
Les Jones is an inspiration to us all and it is tribute to his character that his service to cricket and the wider community has been recognized in such a tangible and fitting way. We are still a little off the NCU Awards Dinner in October, but if the union is looking for nominations for Service to Cricket look no further than the Ards Chairman. Cricket would be nothing without clubmen like Les Jones.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
