Table of Contents
Wakefield Thornes first-team scorer Andy Tipple is up at 5.30am to lay out everything he needs on a matchday. At the ground by 8am for a brew with the Chairman, greeting the umpires and setting up Play-Cricket on the laptop, he’s well-known as an early bird.
There is a reason for this meticulous preparation that goes beyond good time-keeping as Andy has motor neurone disease (MND).
In this interview with our Yorkshire Tea Community Cricket Award winner, we chat about his long association with club cricket, fundraising ingenuity and scoring with MND.
How it all began
Not everyone plans to be a cricket scorer. You’d be surprised how many tell me that they just fall into it - as was the case with Andy at Shiregreen.
A move to Sheffield United Cricket Club saw Tipple “jump in at the deep end” to begin officiating in the old Yorkshire County Premier League when their previous scorer departed for Sheffield Collegiate.
It was a steep learning curve for Andy; he credits Steve Ward and the late Kevin Motley with perseverance:
“It took hours of patience to get me up and running on a PC. I’ve never really had anything to do with technology.”
A spell with Whitley Hall followed where his fundraising theme developed. The annual ‘Tipple Trot’ saw 12 Whitley Walkers tread the 25 miles from Baxter's Field to Wakefield Thornes Cricket Club.
Settling in at Field Lane
Having walked it himself, ‘Tipps’ (as he’s affectionately known) made the journey more permanent by becoming Wakefield Thornes’ scorer several years later.
Andy has clearly settled in well at Field Lane and savours his typical view: “On a beautiful day, it’s just a lovely environment…the groundsman keeps it well…in the background, you’ve got the treetops with the massive conifers.”
He adds: “It’s just a good club to be around whether you lose or win. You can’t win them all, can you?”
Feeling at home clearly matters with deep-rooted involvement from the club’s community coffee & bingo mornings to raffles and encouraging sponsorship.
Living with motor neurone disease (MND)
In 2023, Andy was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a neurological condition that the MND Association says 'causes progressive muscle weakness, which can affect how a person walks, talks, eats, drinks and breathes.'
Amid coming to terms with this life-defining news was the fear that a much-loved relationship with cricket could end. Andy’s consultant gave the kind of hope and reassurance that meant a great deal:
“When he told me I’d got it, the first thing I said to him was, ‘I hope I can still score.’ He said: ‘Well, why not?’ ”
Able to get short distances with the aid of a walking frame, there naturally have to be accommodations made. With the support of others, Tipple is making it work.
He is a popular scorer in the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League where he was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2024.
Andy emails new grounds ahead of time and has scored from a tent and basically anywhere on the ground floor.
Cawthorne got special praise for their hospitality: “They brought you coffee. They brought you cake…I thought ‘I could live here!’ ”
Facilities for everyone
Andy’s MND has brought into sharp focus the hurdles faced by anyone with mobility challenges at a cricket ground.
He admits the limitations hadn’t occurred to him before, but now Andy can’t always reach the scorebox or toilets because of his disability.
Access to buildings and facilities shouldn’t be limited to spectators or players. It’s a very basic requirement that clubs, especially in ECB Premier Leagues, ought to provide.
Tipple’s verdict?
“In my opinion, every club should improve the facilities. I don’t mean spending cash on players. I’m talking about facilities at their ground every year.”
To that end, Wakefield Thornes have raised £6,500+ towards a new scorer’s building that will be accessible.
Meanwhile, what shines through, as we speak, is Andy's humour and warmth for the game.
There are also these wonderful Tipple match reports on Facebook where he seems to know pretty much everyone in South Yorkshire:
“Through cricket, through scoring, it’s amazing how many friends you meet.”
Congratulations to Andy and the other Winners / Highly Commended entries from this year’s Yorkshire Tea Community Cricket Awards. Look out for more interviews here on Cricket Yorkshire.
A shoutout to Yorkshire Tea for their support for these community awards with Yorkshire Gold tea and trophies being sent out as prizes.
This is Partner Content for Yorkshire Tea – if the mood takes you, click to read Cricket Yorkshire’s policy on Partner Content.
