GEORGE KNIGHTS

Hythe & Dibden Player 1972 - 1987

Hythe & Dibden 1st XI Captain 1980 1987

Hythe & Dibden Groundsman 1980 -87 ( supported 75-80)

Honours as Captain :

1980 - 9th Southern League,

1981 - 5th Southern League & Sydney Wyatt Cup Winners

1982 - 8th Southern League & Sydney Wyatt Runners Up & Echo Trophy Semi Finalists

1983 - Southern League Runners Up

1984 - 5th Southern League

************************************

Having managed to track George down to get some details for 'The Halls of Hythe Legends' I asked George a few questions about his time with the club back then. To this day he still remembers it with a lot of great memories and pride.

Quite right George the club is never likely to achieve it again without the backing of a large invetments to purchse our own ground.

1. When did you start playing for the club?

1972 and went onto captain the side from 1980 through to 1987.

2. Why did you end up leaving the club after so much success?

Between 1981 and 1984 we had tremendous success and there was a great club spirit and the social side was great.As well as captain I was also down the ground most nights of the week doing the square. Several of my successful side ( Price, Hussain, Rawlins, Whitlock and House had left the club and I was finding it difficult. I decided to find a club closer to home and get the social side of my life back.

3. What was your highest score for Hythe ?

I never scored a league century - 86 not out against Alton was my league highest. I scored two friendly centuries- 1 against Broadstone and I can't remember who the other one was against.

4. What do you remember most about your times as skipper?

For two seasons I had the best 1,2 & 3 batsman in the league in David Price, Mel Hussain and Terry Rawlins plus the fact that they could all bowl and were tremendous fielders.

The other was that socially we were better than anyone else for enjoying ourselves in the bar.

I will always remember my days as skipper and that side that finished runners up in the Southern League in 1983.

David Price, Mel Hussain, Terry Rawlins, George Knights, Paul Denton, Terry Evans, Trevor Russell, Mike Kelloway, Steve House, Wayne Effeny and Paul Whitlock the best number 11 in the Southern League.

5. What else do you remember ?

I will always remember the cup games due to the fact that there was a lot of local rivalry and that they were played very hard with nothing given, especially when you played New Milton who had Butch White.

The games against Lymington always tended to get nasty

6. What do you remember about Nasser Hussains debut for Hythe ?

Nasser played for Hythe in a Southern League game at Hythe back in 1983 as a 15 year old. He came down for the weekend to see his brother Mel. On the Saturday morning Terry Evans cried off ill and rather take someone out of the Second XI at short notice, Mel suggested playing his brother and that he was good enough to bat at number 4.

Even then Nasser was cocky and full of confidence. He swaggered out to bat after we lost two early wickets and then his brother ran him out without facing a ball.

7. What do you remember about David Price?

Pricey joined Hythe in 1980 from Deanery ( my old club) where he batted 7 or 8 and very rarely bowled. He was always one of the first people you put on your team sheet. We asked him to open the batting with great effect. He very rarely gave his wicket away and if he was still in after 20 overs then it was guaranteed he would go on to make a ton.

That was apart from when we were playing New Milton and I was batting with Pricey who was 96. He hit this ball back for what looked like a four except the ball hit me at the other end and rebounded back to the bowler. Dave was not very happy but I told him to hit it along the ground next time.

He was also a steady seam bowler, good fielder and the best slip fielder I ever played with. He played the game hard but like most good players very sociable afterwards. Went onto play for Bournemouth and then went abroad to work - never seen since.

8. How about Terry Rawlins ?

During my time at Hythe he was the most influencial player at the club. He joined in 1974 from Old Tautonians who used him as a middle order batsman and first change bowler. I soon realised he was better than that and he either opened or went in at number 3. He also opened the bowling and soon became a bowler that opponents feared.

Held the Southern League record for 9-16 against Poole and then the following year he was injured so he bowled spin and claimed 8 wickets against the same opponents. A fine fielder in any position with one of the best throwing arms you will ever see.

Why Terry was never taken on by Hampshire I will never know, then again he never went to public school!

He was also a great clubman who was very active in the bar and the showers.

He was once involved in a notorious game playing for the Southern League against Sussex. With 3 balls remaining the Southern League required 18 to win. He hit the fifth ball for 6 and then the sixth ball for 6 whick was also given as a no ball.

So needing a six off the last ball the Sussex fielder decided to bowl the ball under arm and along the ground. Even Terry couldn't hit that.

****************************************

George has also kindly given us some old stats from those two great seasons in 1983 and 1984 which I will put onto the website at some stage.

Great notes from a guy who played and put in a lot of work for the club over fifteen years and still remembers it with great enthusiasm.

Related Links:
HALL OF HYTHE LEGENDS