Club History

The Marden Cricket Club was in existence at the end of the 19th Century and indeed there is a record - in an old Bearstead scorebook now in the Maidstone Museum - of a match between Marden and Bearstead in 1789! They had a variety of homes until the early 1920s when Jas Seymour, one of the first professional cricketers in Kent, moved to 'The Howlands', which adjoins the ground, and established the current cricket ground.

The Russets Hockey Club was formed after WW1, initially leading a nomadic life as a Ladies' team and then as a Mixed XI before arranging to play games on the cricket outfield at Marden, using the cricket pavilion and the upstairs of the adjoining Howlands barn for
changing. Hockey teas were taken in the Working Mens club. In 1946 separate Mens' and Ladies' XIs were formed and both became noted as formidable opponents throughout Kent & Sussex.

In anticipation of the need for improved facilities the clubs merged in 1960 to form the Marden Crickey & Hockey Club, building the existing clubhouse in 1963. We can only admire the foresight of members, at a time when the club had 1 x Cricket XI, 1 x Mens
Hockey XI and 1 x Ladies Hockey XI, to provide a clubhouse which still caters now for a greatly increased membership.

In 1987 the Club took the opportunity to purchase an adjoining orchard with the intention of providing a further three grass hockey pitches and a cricket square. In the event only one grass hockey pitch was provided but with the requirement to play most league games on artificial surfaces, that was given up several years ago.

In the 1980s, Jeremy Barham, then a 1st XI player and former England & GB international suggested, introduced and implemented (almost single-handedly for the first seven years) a policy of youth training that has mushroomed into one of the largest club youth hockey training schemes in Kent. At least one generation of players owe a huge thank you to Jeremy and his successors, and the youth section continues to flourish.

During the 1990s the Club worked hard to secure its own astroturf surface and thanks to grants from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Maidstone Borough Council and Kent County Council, combined with loans from Shepherd Neame and the Kent County Playing Fields Association and contributions from members, the artificial pitch was opened in February 2000. It has been an undoubted success and a great attraction for the Club to
have its own pitch when so many other teams are forced to use facilities some distance from their clubhouse.

As mentioned above, this is a joint Hockey & Cricket Club, so anyone interested in the summer game is also welcome to get in touch and join the fun.

The Marden Cricket Club was in existence at the end of the 19th Century and indeed there is a record - in an old Bearstead scorebook now in the Maidstone Museum - of a match between Marden and Bearstead in 1789! They had a variety of homes until the early 1920s when Jas Seymour, one of the first professional cricketers in Kent, moved to 'The Howlands', which adjoins the ground, and established the current cricket ground.

The Russets Hockey Club was formed after WW1, initially leading a nomadic life as a Ladies' team and then as a Mixed XI before arranging to play games on the cricket outfield at Marden, using the cricket pavilion and the upstairs of the adjoining Howlands barn for
changing. Hockey teas were taken in the Working Mens club. In 1946 separate Mens' and Ladies' XIs were formed and both became noted as formidable opponents throughout Kent & Sussex.

In anticipation of the need for improved facilities the clubs merged in 1960 to form the Marden Crickey & Hockey Club, building the existing clubhouse in 1963. We can only admire the foresight of members, at a time when the club had 1 x Cricket XI, 1 x Mens
Hockey XI and 1 x Ladies Hockey XI, to provide a clubhouse which still caters now for a greatly increased membership.

In 1987 the Club took the opportunity to purchase an adjoining orchard with the intention of providing a further three grass hockey pitches and a cricket square. In the event only one grass hockey pitch was provided but with the requirement to play most league games on artificial surfaces, that was given up several years ago.

In the 1980s, Jeremy Barham, then a 1st XI player and former England & GB international suggested, introduced and implemented (almost single-handedly for the first seven years) a policy of youth training that has mushroomed into one of the largest club youth hockey training schemes in Kent. At least one generation of players owe a huge thank you to Jeremy and his successors, and the youth section continues to flourish.

During the 1990s the Club worked hard to secure its own astroturf surface and thanks to grants from the Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Maidstone Borough Council and Kent County Council, combined with loans from Shepherd Neame and the Kent County Playing Fields Association and contributions from members, the artificial pitch was opened in February 2000. It has been an undoubted success and a great attraction for the Club to
have its own pitch when so many other teams are forced to use facilities some distance from their clubhouse.

As mentioned above, this is a joint Hockey & Cricket Club, so anyone interested in the summer game is also welcome to get in touch and join the fun.