Sir Len Hutton (1916 - 1990)

Biography

Len Hutton was the captain of the England Cricket team in the 1950s. He has been described as ‘one of the greatest batsmen in history’ by other cricketers. Sir Len Hutton ‘retired from cricket in 1955 after a distinguished 21-year career which saw him captain Yorkshire and England’ and he passed away in 1990, eleven years before the gates were unveiled (Anon., 2001).

Context

The unveiling of the gates was met with criticism in some places due to the depiction of Asian women spectators in saris. It was alleged that ‘ the design was "politically correct" and that Len Hutton’s career finished before Britain was a truly multi-racial country’ (Anon., 2001). One former Yorkshire Cricketer said to the BBC ‘There were certainly no Asian women watching when Sir Len was playing in Yorkshire’. However, Yorkshire’s then-CEO, Chris Hassell, pointed out that the images were meant to link the past with the present: "Headingley has staged international cricket for more than 100 years and scenes of Asian supporters are an important part of its history as well as its future’. (BBC, 2001). There was also controversy over a ‘southern Mayor’ unveiling the gates from ex-players at the club (Chaudhary, 2001). More recently, Yorkshire Cricket club have been found at the centre of some racial controversy, as ‘Azeem Rafiq, who played for Yorkshire between 2008 and 2014 and then again between 2016 and 2018, has made a number of allegations of racist abuse relating to his time at the club’ resulting in the club losing the entire coaching team and the launch of a full investigation regarding racial abuse in the club (Mellor, 2021).

The gates

Date Erected:
Unveiled 15 August 2001

Artist:
Kate Maddison (1960 - 2020)

Commissioned / funded by:
Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Format and materials:
Wrought iron decorative gates

Location:
The gates are located at Gate G at the Emerald Stadium Headingley which is the home of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Description:
The commemorative gates at the Emerald Stadium Headingley depict the late cricket hero both playing as a young man and a more recent portrait in his older years. The image also shows Asian women in Saris watching from the stands in a bid for inclusivity which caused controversy when they were unveiled.

Sources

• ‘Row over Sir Len Gates’. BBC News, 3 August 2001.
• ‘Tribute Gates unveiled for Sir Len’. BBC News, 15 August 2001.
• Chaudhary, V., ‘Yorkshire ex-players erupt as 'southerner' Major asked to unveil gates’. The Guardian, 5 August 2001.
• Mellor, J. ‘Cricket racism scandal: Yorkshire sack entire coaching team’. The London Economic, 3 December 2021.

[Image by 'Mtaylor848' via Wikimedia Commons]