Luke Reaney Cricket Umpire

[duckweed]

I'm trying to find any info on Luke Reaney. He died in 1892 and was buried at Wardsend Cemetery and managed a cricket team called Yorkshire Colts and was an umpire at a lot of important games particularly at Bramall Lane in Sheffield. But other than random mentions of matches he umpired can find no information other than it was quite possibly him at 4 years old in the 1841 census in Rockingham Street.

 

[gibbo]

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph (Sheffield, England)
Thursday, June 30, 1892

DEATH OF A OLD YORKSHIRE CRICKETER

We regret to announce the death of Mr Luke Reaney, of Wentworth Street, Sheffield, which took place at his residence on Tuesday night, after a illness of only three or four days duration. Mr Reaney officiated on Thursday and Friday as umpire in the match Lancashire V Surrey, but on Saturday was seized with cold, erysipelas supervening. The deceased who was 52 years of age was well known in the local and Lancashire cricketing circles, his prowess with the bat in the St Helen's district even now a subject of gossip amongst cricketers of the old school. He was one of the most respected men on the list of county umpires and his enthusiasm in connection with the ? of local ? talent will be long remembered. He leaves a sickly wife and four daughters. The internment is fixed to take place at Wardsend Cemetery on Saturday at 8.

 

[duckweed]

Thats great gives me something to work from. I know he was umpire for a game which was Yorkshire United v Australia at the Hallam ground Sandygate, which is interesting as Sandygate still in use for Hallam FC and is oldest football ground in the world. Nearly all the older football grounds in Sheffield were also Cricket grounds. I've found out that the Yorkshire Colts would appear to be the Youth team. I also found out he played at Bramall Lane against a baseball team from Philadelphia. They played Cricket as a friendly.