A Guiseley couple who between them have given 110 years service to Guiseley Cricket Club celebrate their golden wedding anniversary tomorrow.

Norman and Jean Threapleton, of Thorpe Lane, Guiseley, have virtually lived at Guiseley Cricket Club where Norman has been a player and official for 66 years.

Jean has helped in the tea tent and with other duties for more than 50 years.

Jean said: "Norman has always been keenly interested in cricket so most Saturday afternoons, and in Norman's case mornings, have been spent at crickets grounds."

Norman, who celebrated his 80th birthday on September 9, is now president of the club.

Sixty-six years have passed by since he first turned out for the club and his long playing career stretched until he was well into his 50s.

Norman played in more than 1,000 matches for Guiseley and he estimates he scored in the region of 20,000 runs and took about 300 wickets for the club.

He had a reputation of being a stylish opening batsman and was a more than useful slow-offbreak bowler.

Altogether he scored nine centuries in the Airedale and Wharfedale League.

'Threp' as he is widely known in cricket circles deeply loves the sport. In 1964, at the age of 45, he decided to retire owing to a knee injury but after a lay-off for a couple of seasons his knee improved and he was tempted into playing again.

Norman captained Guiseley through 11 seasons including their Waddilove Cup win in 1952. He was secretary of the Guiseley club from 1937-40; league secretary from 1955-1962, after serving for some years on the management committee; president of the Airedale Junior League and has been a coach to the Airedale Junior League.

With the Guiseley club in addition to being a player and captain he has been secretary, scorer and groundsman. He has been a member of the committee for almost 60 years.

Cricket has not been his only sport. He played football while he was in the Army and with Guiseley AFC. He was for many years a member of the committee of Guiseley AFC and is a qualified Grade Two FA referee.

In addition to cricket and football Norman has played tennis, table tennis and golf.

Jean, 70, played hockey and tennis at Aireborough Grammar School.

The couple have four sons - John, 48, Edward, 46, Martin, 38 and Adrian, 37.

l As revealed in the Wharefdale Observer in March, Edward's 23-year-old son, James, is the fiance of actress Kate Winslet, star of the film, Titanic.

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