It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I wish to inform our friends within the Cricketing Community of the passing of John Ridgeway. John was very much the father figure of YMCA Cricket Club having played in the club from 1957 until 1992. He was a very formidable player and most competent with both bat and ball. John always played the game with great passion and skill and when stumps were pulled Ridge really came to the fore. He was a tremendous character with a huge love of life.
He loved to meet and greet Cricketing Folk and there was nothing more John enjoyed than having a chat about the modern day game or reminiscing about cricketing games and personalities of old. The Ridgeway Family are synonymous with life in YMCA Cricket Club and John was a rare breed in that he played virtually all his cricket at 1st Team level but in his latter cricketing years he turned out for our 2nds through to our 5ths.
The years 2006 / 2007 were special in John’s life as not only was he President of our Club, but his daughter Suzanne was President of our Ladies Club. How lovely to have a father and daughter presiding over a club that they cared so much about.
There is no doubting that John’s passing leaves an enormous void in our club but thanks to his YMCA Legacy our club can only go from strength to strength.
John Dudley Ridgeway, a YMCA Cricket Club Legend