Colin Atkinson
Encyclopedia
Colin Ronald Michael Atkinson CBE
- Cricketer, schoolmaster and headmaster of Millfield School. (Born 23 July 1931, Thornaby, Yorkshire
; Died: 25 June 1991, Glastonbury
, Somerset
)
Atkinson was married to Shirley and they had three children: David, Sally and Jonny
, himself a first-class cricketer.
, where he studied history, Latin, and English. Whilst still at university he was also playing county level cricket. After graduation Atkinson took a Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Loughborough College
and an external degree
in Education at Queens University Belfast and another in Psychology back at Durham.
After University he was in the 1950s commissioned into the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers, serving in Ireland and Kenya.
Before joining the staff at Millfield in 1960, he had taught at both Great Ayton
and at Darlington
. Atkinson was appointed Headmaster at Millfield in 1971 upon the retirement of the school's founder Boss Meyer
. He was awarded a CBE
for his work in education in 1989. During his time as Millfield headmaster, he acquired a nickname that he did not like of "Colin the builder". He retired in 1990.
in the Minor Counties as a professional. In 1959 he switched to Durham
, then also a Minor County, and appeared for the Minor Counties representative side in the first-class
match against the Indian touring side
, his first first-class appearance.
Having joined the staff at Millfield, he was approached to joined Somerset
for the 1960 season, the new captain at Somerset that season being, like Atkinson, a Teessider, Harold Stephenson
. In 1960, Atkinson appeared only in the school holidays, and achieved little with the bat, though he took his first five-wicket haul, five for 56, against Kent
on the spin-friendly pitch at Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare. Wisden pronounced that he was "a valuable acquisition"..
In the following two seasons, released from his school duties for the summer terms, he played almost all matches for Somerset, making useful runs in the lower middle order and taking rather expensive wickets: his bowling average in both seasons was comfortably over 30 runs per wicket. He was awarded his county cap in 1961 and made his first half-centuries in 1962. His seven wickets for 54 runs against Gloucestershire
at the County Ground, Taunton in 1962 remained his best bowling performance.
But in 1963, with arthritis affecting his spinning and his schoolmastering duties increasing, he played only twice and in 1964 not at all. Then, at the end of the 1964 season, Stephenson, who had been injured for most of it, stepped down from the Somerset captaincy. Bill Alley
, rumbustious Australian all-rounder, who had deputised as captain in Stephenson's absence in 1964, was not seen as a long-term captain, and Atkinson was released from school duties to take the job for 1965. He was an instant success: Somerset led the County Championship
table in June 1965, an unaccustomed position, and though Atkinson's batting was unreliable – he averaged less than 15 runs per innings for the season – and his spin bowling days were over, he developed as a tight medium-paced bowler, taking 38 wickets at under 24 runs apiece and complementing Somerset's pace attack of Fred Rumsey
and Ken Palmer
.
Somerset finished seventh in 1965, and third in 1966, equalling their then highest-ever placing in the Championship. In 1966, Atkinson's bowling fell away, but he advanced as a batsman, making 1120 runs in all matches, though without a century. Somerset won more games than in any other season, 13, and also reached the semi-final of the knock-out competition. It was, said Wisden, "their most successful season".
1967 was Atkinson's final season as a player. His batting fell away, though he got closer than ever before to the elusive century, with 97 against Warwickshire
at Edgbaston
in late August. His final duty was to lead Somerset in the Gillette Cup knock-out final at Lord's, but the game was a disappointment, and Kent won the match.
Having retired from playing, Atkinson remained influential as a cricket administrator inside the Somerset club. He was club chairman when the county finally won its first trophies in 1979 and, less happily, he was president during the period when Viv Richards
, Joel Garner
and Ian Botham
were leaving the club in some acrimony. As at Millfield, Atkinson was responsible for a lot of building work at the Taunton ground, where he supervised the construction of the new pavilion.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
- Cricketer, schoolmaster and headmaster of Millfield School. (Born 23 July 1931, Thornaby, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
; Died: 25 June 1991, Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
)
Atkinson was married to Shirley and they had three children: David, Sally and Jonny
Jon Atkinson
Jonathon Colin Mark Atkinson was an English cricketer. He was born at Butleigh, Somerset. He played first-class and List A cricket for Somerset and Cambridge University between 1985 and 1990...
, himself a first-class cricketer.
Education
Atkinson was educated at Hummersknott School and later at Durham UniversityDurham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, where he studied history, Latin, and English. Whilst still at university he was also playing county level cricket. After graduation Atkinson took a Post Graduate Certificate in Education at Loughborough College
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
and an external degree
External degree
An external degree is a degree offered by a university to students who have not been required to be physically present within the geographic territory of the institution. These undergraduates may be called external students and may study at classes unconnected with the university, or independently,...
in Education at Queens University Belfast and another in Psychology back at Durham.
After University he was in the 1950s commissioned into the 5th Northumberland Fusiliers, serving in Ireland and Kenya.
Before joining the staff at Millfield in 1960, he had taught at both Great Ayton
Great Ayton
Great Ayton is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire on the edge of the North York Moors in England. The name Great Ayton is thought to derive from Ea-tun, tun meaning farm and 'ea' meaning river. It has a population of 4,570....
and at Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
. Atkinson was appointed Headmaster at Millfield in 1971 upon the retirement of the school's founder Boss Meyer
Jack Meyer (educator and cricketer)
Rollo John Oliver Meyer , known generally as 'Jack', and at Millfield mainly as 'Boss', was an English educationalist who founded Millfield School and Millfield Preparatory School in Somerset; he was also an all-round sportsman who played cricket at first-class level in both England and in India...
. He was awarded a CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
for his work in education in 1989. During his time as Millfield headmaster, he acquired a nickname that he did not like of "Colin the builder". He retired in 1990.
Cricket
As a cricketer, Atkinson was a right-handed middle-order batsman and a right-arm leg-break bowler. While an undergraduate and postgraduate (and during his National Service), he played from 1951 to 1958 for NorthumberlandNorthumberland County Cricket Club
Northumberland County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northumberland and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in the Minor Counties as a professional. In 1959 he switched to Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
, then also a Minor County, and appeared for the Minor Counties representative side in the first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match against the Indian touring side
Indian cricket team in England in 1959
The Indian cricket team toured England in the 1959 season. The team played five Test matches against England and lost them all: the first time that England had won all the matches in a five-match series...
, his first first-class appearance.
Having joined the staff at Millfield, he was approached to joined Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
for the 1960 season, the new captain at Somerset that season being, like Atkinson, a Teessider, Harold Stephenson
Harold Stephenson
Harold William Stephenson was an English first-class cricketer who played for Somerset. He captained Somerset from 1960 until his retirement in 1964....
. In 1960, Atkinson appeared only in the school holidays, and achieved little with the bat, though he took his first five-wicket haul, five for 56, against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
on the spin-friendly pitch at Clarence Park, Weston-super-Mare. Wisden pronounced that he was "a valuable acquisition"..
In the following two seasons, released from his school duties for the summer terms, he played almost all matches for Somerset, making useful runs in the lower middle order and taking rather expensive wickets: his bowling average in both seasons was comfortably over 30 runs per wicket. He was awarded his county cap in 1961 and made his first half-centuries in 1962. His seven wickets for 54 runs against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
at the County Ground, Taunton in 1962 remained his best bowling performance.
But in 1963, with arthritis affecting his spinning and his schoolmastering duties increasing, he played only twice and in 1964 not at all. Then, at the end of the 1964 season, Stephenson, who had been injured for most of it, stepped down from the Somerset captaincy. Bill Alley
Bill Alley
William Edward Alley was a cricketer who played 400 first-class matches for New South Wales, Somerset and a Commonwealth XI....
, rumbustious Australian all-rounder, who had deputised as captain in Stephenson's absence in 1964, was not seen as a long-term captain, and Atkinson was released from school duties to take the job for 1965. He was an instant success: Somerset led the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
table in June 1965, an unaccustomed position, and though Atkinson's batting was unreliable – he averaged less than 15 runs per innings for the season – and his spin bowling days were over, he developed as a tight medium-paced bowler, taking 38 wickets at under 24 runs apiece and complementing Somerset's pace attack of Fred Rumsey
Fred Rumsey
Frederick Edward Rumsey is an English former cricketer, who played five Test matches for England in the mid 1960s. He is also notable for having played almost exclusively in one-day cricket for the last five years of his career...
and Ken Palmer
Ken Palmer
Ken Palmer is an English former cricketer and umpire, who played in one Test in 1965, and umpired twenty two Tests and twenty three ODIs from 1977 to 2001.-Life and career:...
.
Somerset finished seventh in 1965, and third in 1966, equalling their then highest-ever placing in the Championship. In 1966, Atkinson's bowling fell away, but he advanced as a batsman, making 1120 runs in all matches, though without a century. Somerset won more games than in any other season, 13, and also reached the semi-final of the knock-out competition. It was, said Wisden, "their most successful season".
1967 was Atkinson's final season as a player. His batting fell away, though he got closer than ever before to the elusive century, with 97 against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
at Edgbaston
Edgbaston Cricket Ground
Edgbaston Cricket Ground, also known as the County Ground or Edgbaston Stadium, is a cricket ground in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham, England...
in late August. His final duty was to lead Somerset in the Gillette Cup knock-out final at Lord's, but the game was a disappointment, and Kent won the match.
Having retired from playing, Atkinson remained influential as a cricket administrator inside the Somerset club. He was club chairman when the county finally won its first trophies in 1979 and, less happily, he was president during the period when Viv Richards
Viv Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, OBE is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv or King Viv Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald...
, Joel Garner
Joel Garner
Joel Garner , also known as "Big Joel" or "Big Bird", is a former West Indian cricketer, and a member of the highly regarded late 1970s and early '80s West Indies cricket teams....
and Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
were leaving the club in some acrimony. As at Millfield, Atkinson was responsible for a lot of building work at the Taunton ground, where he supervised the construction of the new pavilion.
Publication
- "Experiment in closed-circuit television at Millfield School" - with Peter Turner. 1971 - Published by the National Committee for Audio-Visual Aids in Education. ISBN-10: 0900553162