Pilgrims Cricket

History_

How the Pilgrims name came into being.

Origin of the Club Name

The name of the club was decided by several OR cricketers who went to chapel on the Sunday of the 1921 O.R. Cricket Match.

One of the hymns sung at the service was …

Hymn 676 — Ancient & Modern
Words: John Bunyan (from the Pilgrim's Progress) | Music: Monk's Gate - English Traditional Melody adapted by Ralph Vaughan Williams

Who would true valour see, Let him come hither; One here will constant be, Come wind, come weather; There's no discouragement Shall make him once relent His first avowed intent To be a pilgrim. Who so beset him round With dismal stories Do but themselves confound; His strength the more is. No lion can him fright; He'll with a giant fight; But he will have a right To be a pilgrim. Hobgoblin nor foul fiend Can daunt his spirit; He knows he at the end Shall life inherit. Then fancies fly away, He'll fear not what men say; He'll labour night and day To be a pilgrim.

In this poem Bunyan is praising the constancy of Mr Valiant-for-Truth.

Extract from Bernard Thomas's book "Repton Cricket 1557 - 1957" (courtesy of Paul Stevens, School Archivist).

Guy Pedder (O'1906) claimed with some truth that it was he, who as the hymn was being sung, had the brain wave of his life … and the new name of the Old Reptonian Cricket Club came into being.

The first Men's Pilgrims' match was played against Repton School on 23rd/24th June 1922 — See MEN's SCORECARD

The first Women's Pilgrims' match was played against Repton School Girls' 1st XI on 1st July 2023 — See WOMEN's SCORECARD

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