Keith Roberts has earned two titles at Shepherdswell Cricket Club: Chairman and General Dogsbody.
Keith tells CommunityAd that his personal involvement with the club dates back to 1986 “but my Great Great Grandfather and Great Great Uncles are mentioned playing versus Nonnington CC in 1898”. So it’s truly in his blood, as is the village Shepherdswell as he tells CommunityAd not only has he lived here all his life, his family have called this part of the world home for 400 years. Keith adds his utter love for the place, saying “the pandemic has highlighted how much our community cares for each other, I really would not want to live anywhere else”.
Keith takes extreme pride in the youth set up the club have worked hard to achieve, but the club remains an inclusive and friendly one. “The club strives to attract as many different people playing the game as possible. Our mantra is that anyone can enjoy cricket, no matter what your level of skill is. There are not many non-league village teams left, especially in East Kent and we pride ourselves on playing friendly games of cricket and this is what keeps so many teams keen to play us. On the day of the games there is a real social aspect that you simply do not get with other team sports which carries through to the local pub, the Bell, following the game”.
Why is it so important to Shepherdswell Cricket Club to have a good youth set up?
“So many clubs have fallen away because they have had no continuity. 20 years ago, we could have played a whole season without having to travel more than 10 miles from the village. Today there is not even one club in the town of Dover and this is mostly because clubs have not been able to attract youngsters. For us, though, it has become more than just ensuring a future for the club but also in helping to develop children’s social skills and interactions through sport.”
Members have been busy in the closed season making some improvements to the ground which is lovely to see, a real community effort, this wouldn’t have been possible without “several Dover Community Grants to help us with Youth kit as well as grants from our local Parish Council and County Councillor, the retiring Geoff Lymer. We have also been fortunate to attract a new club sponsor, Eythorne Building Contractors Ltd who moved to the village a few years ago”.
This summer promises to be one whereby we celebrate the local things so why not celebrate the local cricket club as Keith explains “there are many reasons why people should be popping along to us this summer from our Youth Coaching sessions which we run every Saturday morning with 3 qualified coaches, to just enjoying the day and watching that truly quintessential but fast disappearing event that is village cricket. If anyone is keen to play, we always ensure they get a game”.