Free Foresters Cricket Teams

The Free Foresters originated in the Forest of Arden and was in the first place confined to members drawn from the midland counties. The colours of crimson, green and white were adopted, combined with a badge consisting of a loosely-tied Hastings knot and a motto, `United though Untied'. This indicated that members might play against the club, unlike those of IZ, whose rule on this matter was only recently suspended. From their foundation in 1856 (the club played its first match on July 20, 1856 against the Pilgrims of the Dee, at the Rectory Ground in Sutton Colefield) the Foresters soon became a largish club undertaking a correspondingly ambitious fixture-list including first-class matches against Oxford and Cambridge and a variety of tours, at home and abroad. The membership of the club has grown from the original 64 members to around 2,000 and the fixture list to around 80 matches.
EW Swanton