Lyford Sports club was reformed in 1967, but we have records going back to 1923.
The current ground was leased from the late Mr Jack James. The sports club over the years has featured a wide range of sports such as mixed hockey, darts, and skittles, football, rounders and short mat bowls. But cricket has been the mainstay of the club with nearly all the players born in the village and some families supplying many generations over the years.
The golden years were the early 80 s when the club was Somerset and Avon Whitbread Village Knock out champions 4 times, great days were had entertaining the Top Cornish sides such as Grampound Road & St Buryan and also the Welsh clubs Carew & St Fagin's narrowly losing to them in the national quarterfinal. During that period Lydford were also privileged to host benefit games for Viv Richards, Ian Botham and Brian Rose with large crowds entertained.
The club won the SCA minor cup at the county ground and gained promotion to the old division 1 in 1989 playing & winning their first senior game away at Staplegrove. Lydford were promoted to the top division in 1997, for a village team consisting of 10 players who had played together as boys in the village and no overseas players this was a tremendous achievement probably never to be repeated by a true village club. The main players down the years have excellent record (see below) with Phil James being truly outstanding, he was the first player to score over 1000 runs in the leagues history, 1064 in Division 2 1981. Now retired he scored over 11000 runs at an average approaching 40, combined with a career playing football for Yeovil Town FC.
Since 1998 the club has been rebuilding after several players retired, and has a 2nd eleven team and boys team. We have some excellent young players and hopefully if they do come back from college in the future they can put Lydford back in the top division again. Visiting teams are always treated to a competitive game with a small ground and sloping pitch (Lords!) but our teas are looked forward to and famous among the league umpires.
1st XI Fixtures
