Days when being a good sport would land you a hospital job
Shrewsbury hospital’s interview procedure helped gain it a reputation for sporting prowess
The selection procedure for male nurses at Shropshire's psychiatric hospital went something like this. Do you play a sport? Do you play a musical instrument? Yes? You're in!
One applicant would recall being interviewed in the cricket nets.
Shelton Hospital's novel approach to staff selection led to the hospital being renowned for its sporting prowess.
Shelton Cricket Club is now 123 not out, having started competitive cricket at its ground in 1903. Patients from the asylum would turn out to watch matches at the picturesque cricket pitch on the outskirts of Shrewsbury.
The earliest surviving fixture card for the then Bicton Asylum Cricket Club has the first competitive match being at Ford in May 1903. The result was inauspicious. Bicton were thrashed, scoring only 23 runs.
However there was obviously cricket being played at the hospital before that as the annual report of 1884 tells how a large piece of land was purchased and hedges removed, and the asylum had a "capital cricket ground" as a result.
In the 1930s the Salop Mental Hospital cricket team, as it was known then, flourished. Staff were allowed to take time off to play, the reasoning being that they were providing entertainment for the patients, but they also had to play on their days off.
Our main picture shows "Salop Mental Hospital Cricket Club" in 1937, with players seated on the cricket ground and the old doctor's residence in the background. Back, from left: W Martin, C Lacey, Mr R Cook, S Young, Dr W Stanley Hughes, S E Heath, C H Davies, W T Holyoake, Pryce Allsopp. Middle: J Wiseman, F Stacey, T C E Hughes (Captain - son of Dr Hughes), R C J Lovell, J Gerrard. Front: W Lord, E Moxon, H Mitchell. The two men far left, and the man far right, are thought to be patients.
One nurse who joined in the 1950s, Keith Cubbin, told in his memoir how cricket was taken extremely seriously, with most of the regular members having played in the Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Staffordshire leagues.
"Not many cricket teams in Shropshire at that time in the early and middle 1950s could match the power of Shelton," he wrote.
The batting was always opened by Sam Young and Joe Gerrard, with the opening bowling overs by Sam Heath and Joe Gerrard.
Keith told of one incident which underlined the overwhelming will to win. In an all-day match against a Royal Navy touring side, Joe had scored 99 not out by the tea break. Despite his protestations to be allowed to get just one more run, the captain, Frank Stacey, declared, saying if he went out again there might not be enough time to get the "Jack Tars" out.
To rub salt in the wound, Shelton went on to win quite easily.
In the 1970s came the introduction of the Border Counties league and a name change to Salop Area Health Authority cricket team. It was considered part of the hospital and the kitchens provided free teas.
The 1990s saw the cricket pavilion demolished and changing facilities moved to the social club.
Other big changes were in the air. Shelton Hospital closed and was converted into homes, with patients moving to the new Redwoods Centre nearby.
A new clubhouse was created from the old hospital workshops as part of the development.
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