Lives in Cricket No 52 - Schooled in Cricket (2nd edition)

163 to captain the second XI but sadly was thwarted from bringing youngsters into the side and left unhappily after only a brief period – only for that club to abandon its second team later in the same season and completely fall apart soon afterwards in an ill-documented series of events. It seems that the foolhardy unwillingness of some of the old guard to allow younger players on board which had thwarted Johnny in 1977 was eventually responsible for the winding up of the club in the winter of 1980-81 when this time Ray Illingworth, back in the ranks of Yorkshire cricket, wanted guaranteed places for some Yorkshire Academy (that is, younger) players in the Leeds team and this was refused outright and the cricket-playing part of the Leeds club was wound up at that unhappy meeting. Johnny had already announced that this would be his last season of league cricket of any sort and this sad event brought Johnny’s illustrious league playing career to an end. He certainly felt ready for retirement. Stephen finished the season with his uncle Sam at Bolton Percy and would start more serious League cricket the next season. From now on Johnny only ever played the occasional friendlies referred to and concentrated on continuing to run the cricket school with Stephen – and to support the cricketing career of Stephen. Aftermath to a professional career