200 year old cricket painting which hangs in Lord’s sparks idea for year of sporting history project in Newark

A famous oil painting of the Newark Ransome and Marles Cricket Ground, which hangs in Lord’s Gallery at Marylebone Cricket Club in London, has encouraged a new project by the Newark Sports Association (NSA).

While researching JD Curtis’ painting depicting Georgian-era people playing a game of cricket in Newark, the NSA was surprised and delighted to discover that 2023 marks the bicentennial of its creation.

The painting was created in 1823 and there are many similarities between today’s pitch and the scene captured by the artist.

This revelation fueled the idea of ​​the Newark Sporting Association to issue a call to all Newark sporting clubs to commemorate their rich collective history in the coming year.

In cooperation with the advertiser, a different sports club and its history is commemorated at least once a month for the rest of the year.

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Interested clubs are encouraged to email The Advertisers sports reporter Rob Currell or contact the Newark Sporting Association.

The association is also considering other ideas to move the project forward, which will be announced as the situation evolves.

“The city of Newark has a rich sporting heritage that has a collective longevity of more than a millennium,” said Francis Towndrow of the NSA.

“Modern sport emerged from British public schools in the mid-19th century and was first picked up by the wealthy and well-connected.

“In Newark, the development of the sport was spurred by the creation of the railroad network, the opening of Newark Northgate railway station in 1851 and Newark Castle in 1846, making it easier for teams to travel to play against rival communities.

“The formation of our athletic clubs was further fueled by the fact that Newark was then a prosperous city, prospered by the brewing industry.

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“Many of these wealthy individuals were the founders and members of Newark’s early athletic clubs.

“Many of the city’s clubs are over a hundred years old and testify to Newark’s rich sporting heritage.”

The city and wider district have several clubs that have stood the test of time, from the Newark Town Bowling Club, which can trace its history back to 1809, and the Newark Ransome and Marles Cricket Club, which celebrate 1830 as their founding date, but believe games were being played at their oval as early as 1787.

The Newark Town Football Club has been around since 1868.

Southwell Rugby Club and Bingham Bowls Club celebrated their centenaries in 2022 while Newark Rowing Club is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary.