Two Woodvale stalwarts, David Scott and Stephen Warke honoured their late fathers and siblings with the unveiling of ‘Woodvale Cricket Club from Black Mountain’.

Internationally acclaimed portrait artist Colin Davidson allows himself a single landscape each year and was struck by the view from Black Mountain when a shaft of sunlight illuminated a patch of green amongst the buildings of the city.

Researching the location of that green oasis resulted in his work being named, ’Woodvale Cricket Club from Black Mountain’.

With the permission of the owner of the original artwork, Colin created a unique print of his painting to allow it be used in David and Stephen’s tribute.

Ireland international Wilson Scott was a long serving member of Woodvale, both as a player and club treasurer. Not one to go out at the top he played down the club in his later years captaining a successful second XI and guiding many of his young charges to represent the club in the First XI.

An opening bowler who formed an indoor bowling section in the club as a means to keep players together socially throughout the non-playing season.

Stephen described his father as a Shankill Road man, born not 100 yards from the ground, the son of a Shankill Road hardware store owner who then went to Inst. and Trinity College.

Larry Warke played cricket at Trinity and Leinster CC when studying medicine in Dublin and indeed was capped at rugby for Leinster. But he would return to Belfast to the GP Practice on the Ballygomartin Road, next door to Woodvale, and it was there he spent his working life and from where he was able to look in to follow his sons Stephen and Iain pursue their playing careers.

As part of the tribute, a rare photograph of Larry and Wilson playing together for Ireland was also unveiled.

It shows Larry as captain of the Ireland side versus New Zealand leading out Wilson, his opening bowler at College Park in 1958.

David’s sister Heather and Stephen’s brother Iain were also remembered in the dedication, both of whom died tragically young.

Heather had compiled a history of her father’s sporting achievements through interview and creation of numerous scrapbooks, a lifetime of memories.

Iain Warke, like his father and elder brother, captained Woodvale and was a Junior Cup winner, like his father he was an excellent rugby player representing CIYMS.

David and Stephen thanked all those who had made the acquisition of the artwork possible and the many former club and family friends who were in attendance.