Reginald Dare

{{Short description|English footballer and cricketer (1921–1993)}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Reginald Dare

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Reginald Arthur Dare

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|11|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Blandford Forum, Dorset, England

| death_date = October 1993 (aged 71)

| death_place = Bournemouth, Dorset, England

| heightft = 6

| heightinch = 0{{cite news|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000329/19500804/093/0008|title=Southampton player for Exeter|work=Western Morning News|location=Plymouth|page=8|date=4 August 2024|access-date=6 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}}

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Slow left-arm orthodox

| role =

| family =

| club1 = Hampshire

| year1 = {{nowrap|1949–1954}}

| club2 = Buckinghamshire

| year2 = {{nowrap|1958–1963}}

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 109

| runs1 = 1,679

| bat avg1 = 12.25

| 100s/50s1 = 1/3

| top score1 = 109*

| deliveries1 = 15,229

| wickets1 = 185

| bowl avg1 = 35.02

| fivefor1 = 5

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = 6/28

| catches/stumpings1 = 70/–

| date =

| year =

| source = {{Cricinfo|id=11799|name=Reginald Dare}}
23 February 2010

{{Infobox football biography

| embed = yes

| position = Centre-forward

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 =

| years1 = ?–1949

| clubs1 = Alton

| caps1 = ?

| goals1 = ?

| years2 = 1949–1950

| clubs2 = Southampton

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1950–1951

| clubs3 = Exeter City

| caps3 = 6

| goals3 = ?

| years4 = 1951–1957

| clubs4 = Dorchester Town

| caps4 = ?

| goals4 = ?

}}

Reginald Arthur Dare (26 November 1921 — October 1993) was an English first-class cricketer and footballer. In first-class cricket, he was associated as a slow left-arm orthodox bowler for Hampshire, with Dare taking 185 wickets in 109 first-class matches for the county. As an association football centre-forward, he played for Alton, Dorchester Town, Exeter City, and Southampton.

Cricket career

=First-class cricket=

Dare was born in November 1921 in Blandford Forum, Dorset. He made his debut in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Oxford University at Bournemouth in 1949, with Dare playing a second match that season against the Combined Services at Portsmouth.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6551/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Reg Dare|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=4 August 2024|url-access=subscription}} A slow left-arm orthodox bowler, he came into the Hampshire side when their elder spin bowlers such as Jim Bailey, Tom Dean and Gerry Hill were coming to the end of their careers.{{cite web|url=https://hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com/2017/12/02/a-z-d1/|title=A–Z (D1)|website=www.hampshirecrickethistory.wordpress.com|access-date=4 August 2024}} He established himself in the Hampshire side in 1950, making nineteen appearances. In these, he took 43 wickets at an average of 31.53;{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6551/f_Bowling_by_Season.html|title=First-Class Bowling in Each Season by Reg Dare|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=4 August 2024|url-access=subscription}} he claimed his maiden five wicket haul during the season against Oxford University, when he took 6 for 28,{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19232.html|title=Oxford University v Hampshire, University Match 1950|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=4 August 2024|url-access=subscription}} and later in the season he took 5 for 33 against Northamptonshire.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19428.html|title=Hampshire v Northamptonshire, County Championship 1950|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=4 August 2024|url-access=subscription}} The following season, Dare featured in just twelve matches and struggled to take wickets, claiming only 8 wickets at an average of 71.62. Despite his poor return in 1951, Hampshire persevered with him.

In 1952, Dare took 56 wickets at an average of 33.82 from 28 matches; just as he did in 1950, he took two five wicket hauls. During the season, he scored what would become his only first-class century, when he made an unbeaten 109 against Worcestershire.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19520829/142/0006|title=Townsend takes 4 for 3 in 18 balls|work=Birmingham Daily Gazette|page=6|date=29 August 1952|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} Across the season, he scored 628 runs at a batting average of 17.94, which was to be his most productive season with the bat.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6551/f_Batting_by_Season.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Reg Dare|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription}} He played 27 matches in 1953, taking 44 wickets at an average of 34.27. Against Derbyshire, he notably made 74 runs in 43 minutes to guide Hampshire to a victory by four wickets.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000104/19540522/156/0007|title=Hurricane hitting|work=Western Mail|location=Cardiff|page=7|date=22 May 1954|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} In 1954, he took a further 31 wickets from 21 matches, at an average of 32.41; he claimed one five wicket haul, with 5 for 49 against Derbyshire.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/21/21052.html|title=Hampshire v Derbyshire, County Championship 1954|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription}} With the emergence of spinners Mervyn Burden and Peter Sainsbury, Dare was released by Hampshire at the end of the 1954 season. In his 109 first-class matches for Hampshire, Dare took 185 wickets at an average of 35.02.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6551/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Reg Dare|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription}} With the bat, he scored 1,679 runs at an average of 12.25.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6551/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Reg Dare|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription}}

=Club and minor counties cricket=

Dare signed as the professional and coach for Torquay Cricket Club in November 1955,{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001420/19551104/161/0011|title=Torquay C.C.s' new pro – Reg Dare|work=Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser|page=11|date=4 November 1955|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000764/19560428/021/0021|title=Reg Dare as coach|work=Bristol Evening Post|page=21|date=28 April 1956|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} and in his first season he claimed over 100 wickets.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001061/19560803/104/0007|title=100th wicket|work=Express and Echo|location=Exeter|page=7|date=3 August 1956|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} In 1957, he was granted a benefit match by Torquay against Hampshire.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001420/19570816/133/0009|title=More big names at Torquay Recreation Ground next week|work=Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser|page=9|date=16 August 1957|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} His second season at Torquay yielded him 150 wickets and nearly 1,000 runs.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001420/19570906/123/0010|title=Bad luck individually|work=Torquay Times, and South Devon Advertiser|page=10|date=6 September 1957|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} Dare joined Wycombe Cricket Club in High Wycombe in 1958,{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002490/19610707/115/0008|title=New cricket pro|work=Buckinghamshire Examiner|location=Chesham|page=8|date=7 July 1961|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} and in the same season he made his debut in minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire against Norfolk in the Minor Counties Championship. He played minor counties cricket for Buckinghamshire until 1963, making twenty appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6551/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html|title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Reg Dare|publisher=CricketArchive|access-date=5 August 2024|url-access=subscription}}

Football career

A centre-forward,{{Hugman|4697}} Dare began his football career with Alton, playing for the club in the 1948–49 Hampshire Intermediate Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001816/19490529/018/0018|title=Southampton sign ex-guardsman|work=Birmingham Weekly Mercury|page=18|date=29 May 1949|access-date=6 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} He was signed by Southampton ahead of the 1949–50 season, where he led the Southampton reserves during the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000669/19500503/210/0008|title=Two make debut against Warwick|work=Birmingham Daily Gazette|page=8|date=3 May 1950|access-date=6 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} He left Southampton after one season, having not featured in the first team, and was subsequently signed by Exeter for £250,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.oldkingsclub.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/okc-newsletter-84-web.pdf|title=R. A. Dare|magazine=Old King's Club Newsletter|publisher=Old King's Club|year=April 1994|edition=84|page=11}} following negotiations between Southampton manager Sid Cann and his contemporary at Exeter, George Roughton;{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19500803/076/0006|title=Reg Dare for Exeter|work=Hull Daily Mail|page=6|date=3 August 1950|access-date=6 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} Dare had initially declined the move, fearing it would interfere with his cricket career.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19500805/176/0014|title=Dare for Exeter|work=Coventry Evening Telegraph|page=14|date=5 August 1950|access-date=6 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}} He debuted for Exeter in a 4–2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion in the 1950–51 season, but played just a single season at St James Park,{{cite web|url=https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/1016|title=The Grecian Archive|website=www.grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk|access-date=6 August 2024}} after which he transferred to Dorchester Town, who competed in the Western Football League.{{cite web|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001061/19561109/174/0011|title=Exeter City's ex-centre forward Reg Dare|work=Express and Echo|location=Exeter|page=11|date=9 November 1956|access-date=6 August 2024|url-access=subscription|via=British Newspaper Archive}}

Later life and death

Dare was persuaded to relocate from High Wycombe in 1974 to take up the post of head cricket coach and groundsman at King's College School in Wimbledon. He remained there until his retirement in 1986. Dare died in Bournemouth in October 1993. He was married to Doris, with the couple having one daughter.