Club History

The Early Years

THE KOWLOON CRICKET CLUB WAS CREATED ON 4TH OCTOBER 1904, FOLLOWING A MEETING OF KOWLOON RESIDENTS INTERESTED IN FORMING A CRICKET CLUB.

A COMMITTEE WAS ESTABLISHED TO DRAW UP A SET OF RULES AND TO DETERMINE ENTRANCE FEES AND TAKE INITIAL STEPS TO PUT THE CLUB IN WORKING ORDER. THE COMMITTEE COMPRISED DR JH SWAN AND MESSRS J CELLAND, D COWAN, RJ MACGOWAN, BJ STEVENS, PG SCOTT CRANSTON AND J PARKES. SOME TIME IN 1905, UNFORTUNATELY RECORDS INDICATING THE EXACT DATE HAVE BEEN LOST, THE GOVERNMENT LEASED A SECTION OF THE KING’S PARK ON A YEARLY BASIS TO CERTAIN OF THE FOUNDER MEMBERS WHO ACTED AS TRUSTEES OF THE GROUND ON BEHALF OF THE CLUB.

THE CLUB’S FIRST ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WAS HELD ON 15TH OCTOBER 1905 WITH DR SWAN PRESIDING AS CHAIRMAN.

THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE FIRST CLUBHOUSE WAS LAID ON 18TH JANUARY 1908 BY THE PRESIDENT, MR HN MODY, WHO WAS LATER PRESENTED WITH AN ENGRAVED SILVER TROWEL TO MARK THE OCCASION. THE KOWLOON CRICKET CLUB PAVILION WAS OPENED BY THE GOVERNOR H.E. SIR FREDERICK LUGARD ON 11TH JULY 1908.

AT THAT TIME, THE KCC WAS ALSO HOME OF THE AMATEUR ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION (AAA) AND THE OPENING ALSO MARKED THE OPENING OF THE NEW CINDER TRACK. UNFORTUNATELY ATHLETIC EVENTS WERE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN AS THEY CLASHED WITH CRICKET FOR THE USE OF THE GROUND, AND THE AAA’S PRESENCE AT THE KCC WAS EVENTUALLY DISSOLVED IN 1950.

AT AN EGM IN 1930 IT WAS VOTED THAT A NEW CLUBHOUSE BE BUILT. TO FINANCE THE $60,000 FOR THIS VENTURE, IT WAS AGREED TO RAISE $50,000 BY THE ISSUE OF

$10 DEBENTURES BEARING INTEREST OF 6% P.A. IN ORDER TO PROTECT DEBENTURE HOLDERS AND TO LIMIT THE LIABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS, THE COMMITTEE WAS AUTHORISED TO CONVERT THE CLUB INTO A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY WITH AN INDIVIDUAL LIABILITY OF $50 PER MEMBER. THE CLUB WAS DULY INCORPORATED ON 1ST AUGUST 1930.

THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THE NEW CLUBHOUSE WAS LAID ON 1ST SEPTEMBER 1931, WITH AN INITIAL COMPLETION DATE OF 15TH DECEMBER 1931. HOWEVER THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR FACED FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AND THE HAD TO BE RESCINDED. THE BUILDING WAS EVENTUALLY COMPLETED ON 24TH SEPTEMBER 1932, WHEN IT WAS OPENED BY MRS SOUTHORN (WIFE OF H.E. THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT, THE HON. MR WT SOUTHORN CMG).

BY THE YEAR ENDED 31ST JULY 1933, THE MEMBERSHIP HAD INCREASED TO A HEALTHY 390. HOWEVER, ONLY TWO YEARS LATER DIFFICULT TIMES HAD HIT HONG KONG. MEMBERSHIP DROPPED TO 263 AND $33,000 OF THE 6% DEBENTURES WERE STILL OUTSTANDING.

WHEN THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL FORCES ATTACKED HONG KONG ON THE 8TH DECEMBER 1941, THE CLUB, LIKE MANY HOUSEHOLDS IN KOWLOON WAS SOON DESERTED. WITH WIDESPREAD LOOTING BY LOCAL GANGS, THE CLUB WAS SOON STRIPPED OF NOT ONLY ITS STOCKS OF FOOD, DRINKS AND FURNITURE, BUT IN TIME, ITS DOORS, WINDOW

FRAMES AND EVENTUALLY ITS WOODEN FLOORING FOR USE AS FIREWOOD. THE CLUBHOUSE AND MAIN GROUND WERE USED BY THE JAPANESE FOR STABLING HORSES AND MULES DURING THE WAR YEARS.

AFTER THE WAR FUNDS WERE RAISED TOWARDS REHABILITATION OF THE CLUB, AND IN 1946 THE RESTORATION PROCESS HAD BEGUN. ON 6^TH OCTOBER SPORTING ACTIVITIES RETURNED TO KCC WITH A LAWN BOWLS MATCH.

A MODERNISED CLUBHOUSE WAS OPENED ON 13^TH SEPTEMBER 1958 BY PRESIDENT R.E LEE WITH THE NEW UPSTAIRS DINING ROOM NAMED THE EZRA ABRAHAM DINING ROOM IN MEMORY OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT.

THE SWIMMING POOL COMPLEX WAS ADDED IN 1965 AND HAS PROVEN TO BE A VERY POPULAR AREA OF THE CLUB WITH THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS AND THEIR CHILDREN ENJOYING UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES EVER SINCE.