Short History of the club

 

The roots of cricket in Ghent go back further than we think: members of the "English colony" in Ghent registered a cricket club on 12 April 1893, the founding act of which is still in the city archives. Unfortunately, we have no other information than the founding date and the name of one member, Th. Delary-De Mulder from Ledeberg. We assume that this club did not exist for very long.

 

Around 1900, cricket was also one of the many sports played at "La Gantoise", the predecessor of "KAA Gent "( the current 1st division soccer team in Ghent). The club archives mention that the cricketers left in 1907 to form a dedicated cricket club. But here as well, the foundation is the last known feat of the club. After these events, cricket disappears from Ghent for a century.

 

Until in 2004 some enthusiastic cricket lovers get together and organise a tournament in September of that year. No less than 36 local cricketers turn up, and one month later, a club is founded: Arcadians Cricket Club Ghent.

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Arcadians plays its home games and has practice sessions at Domein Claeys-Bouüaert, between Notenstraat and Alphonse Claeys-Bouüaertlaan in Mariakerke (9030 Gent). While Arcadians played on a portable Flicx pitch during its first year of existence, the club was able to install a permanent artificial Notts Sport pitch in 2006, with the financial support of the Belgian Cricket Federation and the City of Ghent, thus improving the quality of the game.

 

(*) Bron http://www.ethesis.net/gent_sport/gent_sport_bijlagen.pdf , ref: SAG (Stadsarchief Gent): fonds 171 W4.