Kirkby Malzeard & Laverton

Highside Playing Field Association

Before the 1970’s, sports were played at various locations around Kirkby, but in 1970 things started to change.
A meeting was held in the Mechanics to discuss the possibility of bringing sports together in one location. Representatives from the Mechanics Institute, Women’s Institute, Parish Council, Youth Club, Church, Chapel and school all attended. Mr Villiers from the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Sports Council and Councillor Love put forward ideas of what was needed to be done to succeed.
Grants were available, and the National Playing Fields Association were keen to help bring a children’s play area to Kirkby.
A steering committee was formed, which included the Rev. Winlo, Rev. Ireland, Mr O’Brien, Mr Ventress, Mrs Kirk, Mrs Bumstead, Mr L. McDonald, Mr Atkinson and Mr R. Pickles.
On July 16th, 1970 a meeting was held, and it was agreed that the field behind the Mechanics Institute wasn’t suitable, and so was the school field. An area would need to be big enough for a cricket field, tennis courts and a bowling green, and there happened to be a field belonging to George Tyreman was for sale. Now was the time to focus on raising funds, and throughout 1971 meetings were held to look at options and fund raising. Once £300 was raised, an approach to the West Riding County Council was made for a grant.
Donations were received from Mr Bostock, the Dairy and Mrs Crompton.
Two acres were bought from Mr Richmond, the landowner, and Mr Tyreman, the tenant, was compensated. Grants were received, which meant that by the start of 1974, cricket and football matches could be played.
Work started on the prefabricated Belcon pavilion, and by October 1973 the base was in place, but a lot of work still needed to be done to make the pavilion useable. At the same time, the children’s play area was being created.

An extra strip of land, 35 yards wide, was going to be needed to provide 2 tennis courts and the bowling green, and after lengthy negotiations, were finally added to the site, but not until 1984.

Moving on to 2009, plans were passed for a new, larger pavilion to be built, with the help of considerable local fund raising, and grants, mainly from the Football Foundation.