CRICKET CLUB LOOK TO REFURBISHMENT AS A MEMORIAL PROJECT TO CLUB LEGEND

Shanklin & Godshill Cricket Club are looking to unveil a lasting memorial next spring to cricket club stalwart Dave Porter who died suddenly while on holiday in Tenerife in January.

Following a special Memorial Match held at the club recently for the burly left-hander - as Dave was affectionately known in the Island Cricket circuit - with a crowd of over 200, family friends and former teammates attending either to play or support the match – his brother Brian Porter mentioned that it had been the Porter brothers intention to refurbish the showers and gents toilet facilities, and that despite Dave no longer being with us he was determined to carry on with the project in his memory.

He said that ‘Dave was a true legend of Shanklin cricket, scoring some 30,000 runs during his long and successful association with the Westhill club. He also played for and captained the various Island representative teams on numerous occasions. It was only fitting that there should be a lasting memorial to him at the club, which he regarded as his second home’

Brian has now drawn up detailed plans to complete the refurbishment project before the start of the 2020 season in April next year, with the first phase starting in early November. ‘I have been emotionally humbled by the generous support I have received so far from family, friends and so many of Dave’s business colleagues, who have either offered to do the labour work ‘in-kind’ – or offered very generous discounts on materials needed. They have shown how special my brother Dave was, not only to his family, but to so many people on the Island’

‘I hope the project can be completed at no cost to the cricket club – a memorial to Dave, funded by the many people who regarded him as a very special friend and person. My sister-in-law, Libby, has made a very generous donation to start the fund-raising and I am encouraging both club members of Shanklin & Godshill Cricket Club, and Dave’s many friends in Island cricket and in his wider business circle to support the memorial work. So far we have received nearly £15,000 in donations, or ‘in-kind’ for materials or work commitment costs, but still need approximately £5,000 to cover the remaining project costs