IT’S one of the UK’s fastest growing sports, the Beckhams are rumoured to own a lawn and John Prescott recently fell victim to the papparazzi while enjoying a game.
And here, Southport and Birkdale Croquet Club are the largest and longest-established of their type in the north.
Boasting more than 90 members and a clubhouse constructed back in 1900, lawn manager Terry Foster told LookBack: “We’re as vibrant as we’ve ever been”.

The club began life in 1894 at the famous old Palace Hotel in Birkdale and became known at the time as Birkdale and Southport Croquet Club.
Archivist and former chairman, Tony Thomas said: “In 1890 there were lots of activities going on at the Palace and clubs could contract with the hotel to use the facilities; like toilets, bars and changing rooms.
“At the time, the Palace could accommodate 12 parties playing croquet such was their size.”
As the game grew in popularity, a new ground was found in Victoria Park and the clubhouse was completed and made ready for use in 1904.

The nature of croquet allows men and women to compete equally in competitions and to this day, membership remains split between the sexes.
Although things were a little different a century ago, as Tony explained: “In the 1904 era, the ladies who played would bring their maids with them so they could be served tea on the lawns.”

But it wasn’t all cucumber sandwiches, as time passed the club started to produce some world class players, including Chris Clarke and Mark Saurin.
They, as well as others, were coached by 1988 Croquet Association (CA) Coach of the Year Andrew Bennet and soon became known as ‘Bennet’s Bandits’.
The pair achieved some notable successes, both won the CA Presidents Cup, Mark was picked for England at just 19 and three years later Chris followed in his footsteps.
Tony said of Mark: “In comparative terms he’d be the Andrew Murray of croquet.”
As well as individual successes, the grounds have played host to international test matches and in 1986, Southport provided the location for a test match between New Zealand and Great Britain.
And two years after the club celebrated their centenary in 1994, the home internationals featured on their lawns, with England emerging victorious.

Today the game is as popular as its ever been and, after hitting a low of 13 members in the 1960s, Southport and Birkdale Croquet Club now counts 92 at its annual general meeting.
Vice-President, Don Williamson added: “If you start playing it and get into it, you can’t get it out of your system.”

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