Sapphire’s sponsorship of Mottram Cricket Club – An interview with Club President, Liam Wright

Tell us a bit about yourself and the Club…

‘The Club was formed back in 1860 and has been running for the last 164 years. The Club has a burgeoning membership of over 250 members and has five senior teams (4 men’s and 1 women’s) We have a long standing tradition of promoting and developing young cricketers from the local and surrounding areas and are proud to field no less than ten junior teams ranging from under 9’s all the way through to the under 18’s. Again our junior teams are a mix of boys and girls teams.’

How did Sapphire come to be involved with the club and what is their role?…

‘Immediately following the Covid-19 pandemic, we found ourselves in the same position as many amateur sports clubs, facing financial pressures due to loss of income and facing down some tough decisions about whether certain offerings we have would have to be cut. We approached Sapphire who could see the good work we do within the community and they were more than happy to get involved and support the club throughout a challenging period. We’re delighted that this support has continued. Sapphire are the club’s principal sponsor and the ground has been renamed ‘Sapphire Gardens’ in recognition of Sapphire’s support.‘

Have any Sapphire employees ever donned the Cherry Red of MCC?

‘The Club’s former 1^st X1 Captain, Stefan Fielding, is an employee of the company and has represented the Club for 27 years. However, I’m sure the readers of this will be more interested in the cricketing prowess of the company’s Managing Director, Mark Connor. He’s turned his arm over a couple of times up at the club. There’s a cricketer in there somewhere, but I don’t think Ben Stokes has any immediate cause for concern.‘

What impact does Sapphire’s sponsorship have?

‘It’s enormous for us. We are a club who pride ourselves on providing cricketing opportunities for young people. Geographically, we are situated next to communities where the luxury of being able to go out and buy the equipment required to play the game is simply not affordable. The Cricket Club is one of the few outlets for young people in our area and so we are passionate about being able to provide equipment in order to remove the financial barrier for those who simply can’t afford to play the game.

With that in mind, we concentrate the majority of Sapphire’s sponsorship into our junior section, ensuring that young kids in the local area don’t miss out. What’s amazing is that by doing so, we are able to bring youngsters into the club and give them a focus. Throughout the summer, many of our youngsters will be playing two to three games a week, in addition to practicing on a Friday night where we often get 60-70 juniors attending. Giving young people this kind of focus not only helps teach them the game, but also a range of life skills and disciplines that can have a lasting impact on them. I’m sure Stefan would agree with me when I say that we have both benefitted massively from the time we spent at the club as juniors.

There are many success stories I could tell about lads/girls who have come to the club from challenging backgrounds, and gone on to great things in their lives thanks to the support they get from the Club. That’s the thing to remember. Sapphire’s sponsorship doesn’t just mean we can buy equipment. It means we can bring young people into the Club and help support them in the formative years of their lives.‘

What next for the club?…

‘We hope that our relationship with Sapphire extends into the future and they can help us to achieve our goals in the coming years. A second ladies team will be launched next season, as well as a programme to encourage more girls into the game. With Sapphire’s continued support, we want to keep offering more and more opportunities for people to get involved with the wonderful game of Cricket. The club is in a really strong place, but with supporters like Sapphire onside, we can keep improving the facilities and ensure that the club remains a key asset for the community at large.‘

Any final words for the people at Sapphire?…

‘Thank you! Thank you for your generous and continued support. In this day and age there are a multitude of worthy causes that you could choose to back, so we are privileged that you choose to continue to support our club. It’s great to see companies like Sapphire supporting local causes, because there’s plenty who don’t.

Our club is the heartbeat of the local community and your support has such a positive impact on not only our members, but the community at large. Simply put, we wouldn’t be half the club we are without partners like Sapphire and we are so, so grateful for your support.‘