Black History Month: Sir Clive Lloyd on his time at Lancashire
Ahead of Black History Month in October, Lancashire Cricket spoke to Club President, Sir Clive Lloyd.
Amongst the many incredible things Sir Clive did during his playing career with Lancashire and West Indies, one of the most important was being one of the first black players to represent the Red Rose.
Having started in the Lancashire Leagues, Sir Clive got the chance to play county cricket for the Red Rose, and was one of the first black players to graduate from league cricket and play in the professional arena.
“They had a lot of great [Caribbean] players that played [in the Lancashire Leagues]. The three W’s [Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weekes, and Sir Clyde Walcott], you had Learie Constantine, you had George Headley.
“You know, they played in the Lancashire Leagues, but I suppose at that time, they didn’t think about overseas players playing for Lancashire, until they had that acceptance that they wanted to have overseas players,” explained Sir Clive.
“It was strange, it was different, but the players made me feel quite comfortable, quite happy. We got along extremely well and never had any problems at all.”
Sir Clive was certainly a trailblazer, as he paved the way for his teammates and players in the years which followed.
Of course, the Club President is one of many West Indian players who have represented Lancashire.
The likes of Michael Holding, Karl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul are three names who spring to mind, and it was Sir Clive who was the pioneer of what is such an important part of Lancashire’s cricketing heritage.
Yet, looking back on why he was the first player to move from the Leagues up to Lancashire honours, he said there were no obvious barriers which prevented other black players taking the same path as he did.
“If you were good enough, they still had a lot of scouts around. Most of the players who played county cricket had played in the lower leagues. They had a very good system, really.”
During the 18 years he spent at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Sir Clive ensured that Lancashire were consistently one of the best sides on the county circuit.
The weight of runs he scored were phenomenal; over 12,000 in 219 appearances representing the Red Rose.
The former West Indies international looked back fondly on just how formidable Lancashire were during his playing days.
“It was a golden period for Lancashire. That group, we were the team to beat. Lancashire was always at the top, or there abouts,” reflected Sir Clive.
“We didn’t win the County Championship, unfortunately. We played a whole season without losing and still didn’t win the Championship. It was three-day cricket and declarations weren’t a thing.
“But we were well recognised and well respected, by the fans and the cricketers.”
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