The Mumtaz Ellahi Community Coach of the year Award
Eddie & Sylvia Hart
This year’s recipient includes a man who has been involved in grassroots level cricket for over 5 decades!
Husband and wife team Eddie and Sylvia Hart help run the Blackburn and District Amateur Cricket league. Eddie’s first involvement with the cricket league was back in 1947 when he used to attend games to watch his father play.
It was a league which also saw Rovers legend Brian Douglas turn out regularly for a club in the 1950s!
Eddie as well playing in the league has held a number of official positions. He has been league treasurer since 1973 and league secretary for 20 years. He has also been umpiring week in week out since 1969!
Eddie has seen a great shift in the make-up of the league over the past three decades.
From an organisation that had clubs affiliated to churches many players now hail from the Asian sub-continent.
It is the dedication to the sport of cricket that has made Eddie one of the most respected league organisers in the region. He presently holds the position of League Secretary and will retire from the position at the end of the present season. He follows in the footsteps of former player and president Len Rigby who was also a highly respected league official.
Eddie, now 71, is complimented by his wife, Sylvia, who has helped to maintain the leagues high standards by assisting with all the administration.
He says of his involvement with the sport, “My wife says the only thing that has come between us is cricket. Yes, I would say I have been totally involved in cricket but you have to be at this level.”
Whilst some North West cricket leagues have struggled to maintain interest in recent years, the Blackburn and District Amateur Cricket league remains a standard-bearer and continues to be well organised thanks to these dedicated volunteers. There has also been a huge level of modesty in their tasks that has won them the admiration of the whole community. We think there not many as deserving of receiving this award so Fusion is proud to present the Mumtaz Ellahi Community Sports Award 2011 to Eddie and Sylvia Hart.