By CONRAD SUTCLIFFE
THE Brockman Cup competition has lost one of its greatest supporters with the death of Alison Stanbury. She was 92.
Mrs Stanbury, a granddaughter of competition founder William Brockman, maintained the tradition of a female family member presenting the cup every year to the winning captain.
The tradition started in 1933 with Mrs Edith Brockman, the wife of the founder, and continues today through third-generation presenter Angela Glendenning, who is also a granddaughter of the founder.
Mrs Stanbury took over from her late aunt Marjorie Shears in 1991 and that summer presented the cup for the first time to Ipplepen captain Keith Wakeham.
The last captain to receive the Brockman Cup from Mrs Stanbury was Paignton’s Mark Ashworth, who led his side to victory in the 2008 final.
After an interregnum of 12 months, when the cup was presented on behalf of the family by Mrs Barbara Buck, Mrs Glendenning assumed the vice-presidential role vacated by her cousin. She is the daughter of Mrs Shears, who was one of William and Edith Brockman’s five children.
The Brockman family owned hotels in Torquay just a six-hit away from the cricket club on the site of what is now the Riviera International Centre in Chestnut Avenue. The competition started life as an evening cricket cup for junior sides and is believed to be the oldest 'T20-type' tournament in England.
Alison Stanbury was always accompanied to the final by her husband Bill. The couple met during the war when both served in the Army.
The Stanburys initially made their home in Barking, Essex. In retirement they moved to the Teign Valley and become associated with the Brockman Cup.
Following her husband’s death in December 2002 Mrs Stanbury donated a trophy in his memory to be awarded to the man of the match.
The first winner of the Bill Stanbury Cup Memorial Cup was Kingskerswell 2ndXI captain Anthony Waters for his starring role with bat and ball in the 2004 cup final win over Stoke Gabriel.
Tim Chapman, the chairman of the Brockman Cup committee, said Mrs Stanbury had been an enthusiastic supporter of the competition.
“It was nice to have a direct member of the Brockman family and her husband involved in the competition,” said Chapman.
“Alison and her husband were a familiar sight at the final for nearly 20 years.
“It was a sad day for the competition when she said she was standing down, but we were fortunate that another family member stepped into her place.
A few years after her husband died Mrs Stanbury moved to Cambridge to be near one of her daughters.
The Stanburys had three children – daughters Jacqueline and Katie and a son James, who lives in Johannesburg.
