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Gloucestershire CCC founder W.G. Grace honoured with commemorative bust at Bristol County Ground

21 September 2021

Gloucestershire Cricket’s founding father W.G. Grace will be forever remembered at Bristol County Ground after a commemorative bust of the Club legend was unveiled to the public today (September 21).

Located outside the Bristol Pavilion at Gloucestershire’s home ground, the bronze bust will act as a permanent tribute to W.G. Grace, the Club’s first ever captain and arguably the most famous English cricketer of all time. The bust, stood atop a plinth, is a re-cast of an original that was created in 1888 and is on display in the Lord’s Cricket Ground Museum, under the ownership of Marylebone Cricket Club.

The re-cast and homecoming of W.G. Grace was only made possible thanks to the immense generosity of Gloucestershire CCC Members and supporters, who kindly donated towards the £15,000 cost of bust. While all donations were greatly appreciated, those who donated £50 or more have had their names engraved onto a plate that is displayed alongside the bust itself.

It took almost a year for the bust to be made after former Club President, Marie Journeaux, in consultation with the GCCC Heritage Trust, gained permission from the MCC Arts and Library Committee in 2019 to re-create W.G. Grace’s famous figure. Now installed and on display at Bristol County Ground, the bust of W.G. Grace, who is regarded as one of the game’s greatest ever players, will overlook the outfield at the ground he helped the Club to acquire in 1879.

Unveiled by the Lord-Lieutenant of the City and County of Bristol, Mrs Peaches Golding OBE, the bust is the latest and most significant way to date that the Club has recognised W.G. Grace’s legacy and place in history as a Gloucestershire great. The Grace Room in the Bristol Pavilion, the Grace Gates at the Nevil Road entrance and numerous paintings of W.G. Grace, which include street art portraits created by Silent Hobo and that adorn the walls of Bristol County Ground, are all reminders of the iconic top-order batsman’s famous role in the creation of our Club.

Will Brown, Gloucestershire CCC Chief Executive, said: “W.G. Grace is an iconic figure in the history of cricket and he played a massive part in making Gloucestershire the club it is today. We’re delighted to unveil this fitting tribute to him at the Bristol County Ground. I’d like to thank Marie for all of her hard work behind the scenes to get this fabulous bust produced for the Club, which is where it all started for W.G. Grace 151 years ago.”

W.G. Grace is undoubtedly Gloucestershire’s most famous player and was once described by Ian Botham as “the first superstar of the game”. He recorded the Club’s first ever century in 1870, scoring 143 vs Surrey at the Oval, and went on to score the first ever triple century in first-class cricket, in 1876, scoring 318 not out vs Yorkshire. In the same year W.G. Grace became the first batsman to pass 2,000 first-class runs in a season, tallying 2,739.

He then made his England debut vs Australia in September 1880 alongside his brothers E.M. and G.F. Grace, in the first Test Match played in the country. W.G. Grace went on to play in 22 Test matches for England, scoring 878 runs.

Among a host of guests at today’s unveiling event were a number of descendants of the Grace family, including Charles Kidd, pictured below, who were able to watch on with pride at their ancestor’s expanding legacy in cricket. The bust will remain permanently on show to visitors at the entrance to the Bristol Pavilion.

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