HUDDERSFIELD’s Junior League will have to find a new source of inspiration after Joe Lumb Cup team manager Richard Dodson signalled his intention to retire at the end of this season.

For the last 11 years, the Meltham man has coaxed, cajoled, coached and coerced the League’s Under 17s to reach five Cup finals, including a glorious victory over the Heavy Woollen side in 2006 at Kexborough, and he will be sorely missed.

Not only has Dodson steered the Joe Lumb fortunes since taking over in 2000, but before that he was in charge of the League’s representative Under 15s and has been instrumental in moulding the careers of so many players down the years.

“I’m going to miss it, I know I am, but after 20 years in representative cricket I think it’s time for a change and time for me to step aside,” said Dodson, who coincidentally was Huddersfield’s first-ever Joe Lumb captain in 1962.

A man devoted to developing youngsters in Huddersfield – both as cricketers and young men – Dodson may have ‘ruffled a few feathers’ along the way with his outspoken and down-to-earth manner, but no-one can criticise his passion and commitment to the cause.

“Of course I’ve upset some people in my time, but I think most of them realise it is only because I genuinely care,” he explained.

“I know I’ve been described sometimes as a bit of a despot, because I make people listen, and make sure that parents don’t become involved. There is no point in me telling them one thing and their parents telling them to do something different.

“After taking charge we had just about managed to turn it round by 2003, changing the side from also-rans to a highly competitive unit. I taught them to believe ‘it is OK to win!’

“There is no point in competing if you are not going out to win. So I taught them to be competitive and be up for it. But whatever the outcome, I told them ‘we win well, or we lose well.’

“And we changed the mindset so that whether we had a good season or a bad season, the teams playing against Huddersfield knew they would be guaranteed to get a competitive game.

“Not only was I insistent on them playing to win on the field, but I was also adamant they showed respect, both to themselves, their teammates, people who came to watch and support them and also to their opponents.

“There are simple little things I insisted on, like taking their plates back and thanking the ladies who have made the teas for them, and maintaining standards of dress when representing the town and the league. My players knew for instance, that if they turned up a second time without wearing a tie – they didn’t get to play!

“I have always maintained it is important they care passionately about playing for the team, playing for their town and playing for their own teammates.

“I looked around at Broad Oak in the last game, and saw a lot of former Joe Lumb Cup players there, now young men and parents themselves. And I just hope in some way that during my time with the various teams down the years, I have helped make some of them better people.”

The League will not find it easy to replace him. Dodson’s shoes are big shoes to fill!

Huddersfield entertain the Aire/Wharfe side tomorrow at Scholes (1.00) when the team is:

Tom Barber, Dom Storey, Jamie Jagger (all Skelmanthorpe), Eddie Wilson (Golcar), George Smith, Mike Burgess (both Kirkburton), Max Berry (Thongsbridge), Danny Rushworth, Alex Walker (both Broad Oak), Adbul Wahid (Slaithwaite), Tom Boorman (Scholes, wkt), Naseer Rahman (Elland), Johnny Hoyle (Almondbury Wesleyans).