Joe honoured by MCC

Club chair Joe Crossley named as Community Hero

Mersey Rose Recreationals' chair, Joe Crossley, has been named as one of the MCC's Community Heroes for 2025.

The MCC’s Community Cricket Heroes initiative, which is run in conjunction with The Cricketer, "celebrates the grassroots game and the thousands of people who dedicate their time to support cricket in their communities".

Each year the MCC selects a team of 11 "heroes" who have made a significant contribution to grassroots cricket. Joe was included in this year's team in recognition of 49 years' service at Rainhill CC and the work he has carried out to establish Mersey Rose Recreationals. He is also mentioned as being "one of the oldest active cricketers in the UK". The judging panel included Ricky Reynolds (Head of Programmes, MCC), Dr Sarah Fane (Director, MCC Foundation), Arfan Akram (MCC Committee), Huw Turbervill (Editor, The Cricketer) and Nav Gahonia (2024 Community Cricket Hero). The eleven "heroes" have been invited to Lord’s for a day in the prestigious President’s Suite this summer - Joe will be attending the England v South Africa One Day International match in September.

Club secretary Anna Page said: "This is very well deserved. Joe has for many years been an advocate for inclusive cricket and everything he did was motivated by a desire to widen access to the game. It's brilliant that his efforts are being recognised in this way."

Everyone at the club hopes that Joe enjoys his day at Lords in the company of Lord King, Stephen Fry and Mark Nicholas. The other ten community heroes being recognised by the MCC are Abdul Raouf Raja (Deane & Derby CC, for work with the junior section). Barry Raynor (Westcott CC, for 30+ years' work as a groundsman), Clare Ludlow (Crouch End CC, for work with juniors and women's cricket, and charitable cricket tours), Jenny Count (Dulwich CC, for widening access to cricket), John Wright (Dorridge CC, for work on the ground and sustainability), Lee Enoch (Wanstead & Snaresbrook CC, for work on EDI, juniors and women's cricket), Natasha Bourke (Dunmow CC, for pioneering women's softball), Phil Lewins (Abbots Langley CC, for developing women's and girls' cricket within schools), Samreen Begum (Berkswell CC / Mosley CC, for breaking down barriers to women's inclusion) and Walter Brotherton (Perranarworthal CC, for work on the village ground). We are delighted that all of these fantastic people have been recognised, but naturally we are particularly proud of our own local hero. MCC President, Lord King, said:"It has been a privilege to be a part of the MCC Community Cricket Heroes campaign and read all about the incredible individuals doing wonderful things for the grassroots game and their communities. I am really looking forward to welcoming them all to Lord’s later this year and hearing about all the remarkable work they are doing." Joe's official recognition underlines the difference the club is making within our community and within the game more widely. Added to Anna's Page recent award from Halton & St Helens Voluntary and Community Action, this also confirms the calibre of volunteers were are privileged to have serving our club.