Don Cartridge Local sport and cricket in particular has said its sad farewells to Don Cartridge, one of the city’s best known schoolteachers and sportsmen, who died recently, aged 81.
A hugely respected maths and PE teacher at Millbrook School for over three decades, Don was one of the top local club cricketers of his era with Deanery, Southampton Touring Club and Southampton Wednesday, and Trojans.
In the winter months, he was a champion table tennis player with the Alpha/Weston club and, in his later years, equally at home on the greens at the Atherley Bowls Club.
He was educated at Itchen Grammar School and following his A-levels had the opportunity to go to university.
But his mind was set on becoming a county cricketer.
One of Arthur Holt’s Colts, he joined the Hampshire club and ground-staff and in the early 1950s made three first team appearances, playing against an Oxford University side led by Colin Cowdrey, county champions Surrey in the Peter May, Tony Lock and Jim Laker era, and Yorkshire, where Ray Illingworth got him out.
But his spell on the Northlands Road staff coincided with that of the West Indies Test opener Roy Marshall, whose arrival from Barbados probably closed the door on his full-time cricketing ambitions.
He trained to become a teacher at King Alfred’s College, Winchester, and, once qualified, went to Millbrook School – and stayed for over 35 years !
He was head of PE and, after heart surgery, went on to teach maths for many years.
But sport was always to the fore, and he combined teaching with (among numerous other things) managing the Southampton Schools FA’s Under-14 soccer team.
Former Saints defender Francis Benali was among the young players to benefit from his coaching for which he was equally renowned.
He said: “Don was enthusiastic and passionate about his sport, soccer in particular. He played an important part in not only my development, but many others too, at a stage where we were just embarking in the representative side of things.
“He was a lovely guy, very honest, a person held with utmost respect.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to see him in hospital fairly recently and I spent quality time with him, recalling the old days. We had a good old trip down Memory Lane.”
But it was as a cricketer – and a fiercely competitive one at that – that he was probably best known and revered locally.
An elegant and stylish top order batsman, he scored thousands of runs for the Deanery and later Trojans in Saturday cricket, and put many a bowling attack to the sword in the colours of Southampton Touring Club and Southampton Wednesday.
He likened to playing on the Sports Centre’s shirt-front pitches and powered favoured shots galore off his legs through mid-wicket – his strong flick of the wrists proving equally prolific on the table tennis tables throughout the winter months. Young children splashing about in the old paddling pool at the Sports Centre always needed to keep a watchful eye on flying cricket balls while Don was the crease.
One particular weekend during the 1970s, he hit a century for Deanery (Lloyd Budd was his batting partner) on a Saturday and made 206 not out for Southampton Touring Club the following day.
He finished his playing days captaining Trojans and skippered the Stoneham club during the early days of the Southern League.
Don may have retired from cricket – but remained a dominant opponent in table tennis circles.
He was the first player to win all three of the open singles titles of the Southampton Table Tennis Association.
He won the junior (under 17) title in the 1950/51 season and the veteran singles (over 40) in 1974/75 and again in 1975/1976.
In between, he won the men's singles title on five occasions !
His outstanding record led to the STTA making him a life member and honorary vice president of the Association.
One of the few sports Don couldn’t master was golf; instead, he took up lawn bowls – and promptly became a leading light at the Atherley Club.
Off the field, Don was a charming, genial character, always keen to pass on tips to aspiring young sportsmen, who revered him as a terrific coach, not matter what ball sport it was.
Don Cartridge will be remembered with great affection : a real sporting master …
A hugely respected maths and PE teacher at Millbrook School for over three decades, Don was one of the top local club cricketers of his era with Deanery, Southampton Touring Club and Southampton Wednesday, and Trojans.
In the winter months, he was a champion table tennis player with the Alpha/Weston club and, in his later years, equally at home on the greens at the Atherley Bowls Club.
He was educated at Itchen Grammar School and following his A-levels had the opportunity to go to university.
But his mind was set on becoming a county cricketer.
One of Arthur Holt’s Colts, he joined the Hampshire club and ground-staff and in the early 1950s made three first team appearances, playing against an Oxford University side led by Colin Cowdrey, county champions Surrey in the Peter May, Tony Lock and Jim Laker era, and Yorkshire, where Ray Illingworth got him out.
But his spell on the Northlands Road staff coincided with that of the West Indies Test opener Roy Marshall, whose arrival from Barbados probably closed the door on his full-time cricketing ambitions.
He trained to become a teacher at King Alfred’s College, Winchester, and, once qualified, went to Millbrook School – and stayed for over 35 years !
He was head of PE and, after heart surgery, went on to teach maths for many years.
But sport was always to the fore, and he combined teaching with (among numerous other things) managing the Southampton Schools FA’s Under-14 soccer team.
Former Saints defender Francis Benali was among the young players to benefit from his coaching for which he was equally renowned.
He said: “Don was enthusiastic and passionate about his sport, soccer in particular. He played an important part in not only my development, but many others too, at a stage where we were just embarking in the representative side of things.
“He was a lovely guy, very honest, a person held with utmost respect.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to see him in hospital fairly recently and I spent quality time with him, recalling the old days. We had a good old trip down Memory Lane.”
But it was as a cricketer – and a fiercely competitive one at that – that he was probably best known and revered locally.
An elegant and stylish top order batsman, he scored thousands of runs for the Deanery and later Trojans in Saturday cricket, and put many a bowling attack to the sword in the colours of Southampton Touring Club and Southampton Wednesday.
He likened to playing on the Sports Centre’s shirt-front pitches and powered favoured shots galore off his legs through mid-wicket – his strong flick of the wrists proving equally prolific on the table tennis tables throughout the winter months. Young children splashing about in the old paddling pool at the Sports Centre always needed to keep a watchful eye on flying cricket balls while Don was the crease.
One particular weekend during the 1970s, he hit a century for Deanery (Lloyd Budd was his batting partner) on a Saturday and made 206 not out for Southampton Touring Club the following day.
He finished his playing days captaining Trojans and skippered the Stoneham club during the early days of the Southern League.
Don may have retired from cricket – but remained a dominant opponent in table tennis circles.
He was the first player to win all three of the open singles titles of the Southampton Table Tennis Association.
He won the junior (under 17) title in the 1950/51 season and the veteran singles (over 40) in 1974/75 and again in 1975/1976.
In between, he won the men's singles title on five occasions !
His outstanding record led to the STTA making him a life member and honorary vice president of the Association.
One of the few sports Don couldn’t master was golf; instead, he took up lawn bowls – and promptly became a leading light at the Atherley Club.
Off the field, Don was a charming, genial character, always keen to pass on tips to aspiring young sportsmen, who revered him as a terrific coach, not matter what ball sport it was.
Don Cartridge will be remembered with great affection : a real sporting master …
