Calmore Sports Club are delighted to announce that former First XI captain and Chairman Steve Brandes has accepted the invitation to become the club’s new President following Terry Chilcott’s decision to step down.
Steve joined the club as a fresh-faced 24 year old after moving to the area from Bristol and following a season playing for Twyford CC alongside other legendary clubmen Billy Sims, Baz Oram and Bob Willcocks and continued to wheel away until his retirement in 2013, when he took up umpiring.
But it was as a player that Steve is revered, leading the First XI into the Southern League twice in 1989 and 1993 and playing well over 500 games for the club in total, including 92 matches for the first XI in the Southern League, taking 80 wickets at 24.32, bowling his nagging medium pace that saw off Gosport Borough in 1990 when he claimed 6/15 in 13 overs – still the fourth best SL bowling figures for the club.
61-year-old Sunderland born Steve, a passionate supporter of Bristol City FC, is delighted to have been invited to become President of the club he has been involved with for 37 years.
“Calmore Sports has been a major part of my life and to be invited to become its President is a great honour for me,” he said. “I have always enjoyed playing and being a part of the club in whatever aspect I could – be it fixture secretary, secretary, chairman and most recently welfare officer.
“It has not sunk in yet and I haven’t had a chance to speak to Terry, as, since retiring from work in September, my wife Jane has got me doing all sorts of jobs that have needed doing for some time!
“But I do consider this a great honour and I will do my very best for everyone and support the club, the teams and the committee as well as I can, as well as keeping my hand in with some umpiring – although I am joining the Southern League panel in 2016.
“The club is running very well at the moment and I see my role as a figurehead for people to look up to and be very open to all to offer advise and assistance any way I can.
“I am very much looking forward to taking the position and the start of the 2016 season.”
