Clive Hubert Lloyd CBE, affectionately known as “The King” or sometimes “The Gentle Giant” is an unassuming, courteous and softly-spoken man who should have every good reason to boast about his prowess on the cricket field, his work for the United Nations, his endeavours for the under privileged sections of the community and much more. But he does not boast. It is not in his nature. His telling of these aspects of his life is in a matter of fact way, a glancing tap to mid-on, a chip to the slips or a glance to square leg. His boundary shots are for when he is relating, as proudly as Punch, one aspect or another concerning his family or he is speaking warmly of his relatively short time within the Craft.
    Clive Lloyd’s encounter with Freemasonry has not been over-long. A few years ago the West Indian Lodge No 9424 was formed, meeting at Great Queen Street, its members including the then Antiguan High Commissioner, His Excellency JAE Thomas, the lodge’s first Master, who intitiated Clive Lloyd. One of the lodge founders, Dr. Frank Jacobs, a confessed cricket buff, explained: “We were looking for prominent West Indian people to join, and who better for our first Initiate than the former captain of the West Indies cricket team?” After his first degree, Clive Lloyd progressed the way of all towards his Third and then became Inner Guard until he was invited to become coach to the West Indies team (the side he had captained so successfully), which he accepted. This meant world-wide travel again and he was unable to undertake lodge duties during that tour of duty.
    “It was a shame really in a way, because I was enjoying my Freemasonry over three years or so in the lodge” he mused. “Everywhere I travelled with the team, it seemed I had just missed out on visiting a lodge, in Trinidad, Barbados and New Zealand, so it had to go on the back burner for a while. Now I am back in the UK I am looking forward to it again very much indeed.”

Two Centuries

This hard-hitting left handed batsman and right arm medium paced bowler was born in Georgetown, Guyana (formerly British Guyana) in 1944. After being educated at Chatham High School he became a clerk at Georgetown Hospital from 1960-66. His cricketing career had begun with Demarrara CC in Georgetown in 1959 and his debut for Guyana came in 1963. In 1966 his test career began with innings of 82 and 78 not out in the West Indies’ victory over India. In the next series he hit two centuries against England. In the season of ’74-’75 he captained the West Indies for the India tour. In the first match he achieved 100 runs off 85 balls to finish on 163. His career best of 242 not-out came in the fifth test. He also took the ‘Windies’ to World Cup triumph in ’75 and ’79 and, when he lost his last match as captain in Sydney in January of ’85 it was his first defeat in 26 matches
    He had journeyed to the colder climes of Lancashire to play for Haslington in the Lancs League then for Lancashire CCC from ’68 to ’86. He was captain from 1981-84 and 1986. The Ultimate Encyclopaedia of Cricket states that: “He moved with the silkiness of a cat.” Few would disagree. Of his Lancashire days, the same book says: “He gave magnificent support to Lancashire and dominated the one-day game. He was immensely popular.”
    His father, who died when Clive was 13, had been a member of The Oddfellows, which he likened to Freemasonry, explaining: “He was very proud of it and was into it in a big way.
    I always used to wonder where he went wearing a black suit.
    I thought that if he was going to so many funerals then a lot of his friends must be dying off!”
    When asked to join the London lodge he had no hesitation in accepting. “I said ‘Fine, that will do for me.’ I knew there were some prominent people in the lodge but I did not know just how many until my initiation and the blindfold came off and I looked around and saw all those faces looking at me. It was quite a revelation!”
    Having led what has probably been one of the finest cricketing sides in history and having been placed on the pedestal of the all-time greats of the sport, there can be little in the way of ambition left for this legendary man. Yet he has one ideal within Freemasonry. He told me: “My ambition is to be able to say the Charge without a stutter. There are some friends of mine who are word perfect and that is what I want to be as well, word perfect. It is a matter of remembering all those words. It is wonderful to see my friends do it so well. I used to go to the rehearsals at the lodge and this 90 year old fellow could remember everything; that is the fascination about it and I will feel proud when I have accomplished it.”

Proud

Was he wary of telling people he was a Freemason? His reply was an instantaneous “No,” adding: “I am proud of being a mason. It is not what they think, these people who knock it without knowing anything about it. A lot of people are ignorant of the work and what we do. I have no hesitation in telling people. After all, the Duke of Kent tells everyone!”
    Reflecting, he continued: “We don’t preach hatred; there is nothing sinister about it. I think that now we are more open, people can understand a lot more. I don’t think there are so many secrets nowadays, so people can understand. It’s that simple really, and people are not looking at it as a way to help in their career.”
    I inquired what then was the future for Freemasonry, and he instantly replied: “Getting young people in. And we’ve got to feel proud. Like at the end of the day when the lodge has worked a ritual well, there is that pride in doing it well and once people are aware of that pride they will understand what Freemasonry is all about. Freemasonry is world-wide and it is brotherly love. You are recognised wherever you go; you feel you have something in common. I sat down in Australia with some friends of mine who are masons and it was wonderful. We were together spiritually.”

Masons and Cricket

He is not the first, and will surely not be the last, cricketer to be a Freemason. The 1995 Prestonian Lecture by John Webb, entitled Freemasonry in Sport showed that in 1941, at 24 years of age, Leonard Hutton was initiated into the St. Lawrence Lodge No 2330 in the Province of the West Riding of Yorkshire. Present on that occasion was Bro Herbert Sutcliffe, later installed as Master of the Armaments Lodge No 3898 and Bro Bill Bowes, later Past Grand Junior Deacon in 1982. Len Hutton became the England captain and during his reign the Ashes were won from Australia. In Australia, a cricket lodge was formed in New South Wales, the first Master being RW Bro ‘Bert’ Oldfield. Among other cricketers who have joined the Craft are Bros Gamini Goonsena of Sri Lanka, Wesley Hall of the West Indies; Colin Cowdrey was inititated in Camden Place Lodge No 3042 and Brian Statham was inititated in the Lodge of High Endeavour No 7266 Manchester.

Family

As we talked, Milly, the family’s miniature pet dog, who had recently survived being run over by a car outside their home in Greater Manchester, joined us again. Throughout our chat she had been vying for attention and affectionately licking our faces. The topic changed to that of his family, for there were framed photographs of family members gracing every wall in the room. His face lit up, and as proud as he is of his masonic connections, he is prouder still of his close family. “I met Waveney in London through cousins who were in Shepherds Bush and we have three children now; two girls and a boy.”
    Melissa is an actress and has appeared a number of times on television, with Ross Kemp, in an episode of “The Bill” and is shortly to appear in a comedy series entitled Armstrong and Miller.
    She went to drama school then the Royal Shakespeare School at Stratford. Samantha is at university, studying speech therapy. Their 18 year old son, Jason, is all of six feet seven inches tall in his stockinged feet and enjoys golf, although he wants to play soccer professionally. He was in the England Under 15s World Cup squad.

Lottery

Mr and Mrs Lloyd run a nursing home in nearby Wilmslow - Harefield Residential Nursing Home for elderly people - which they started eight years ago and at one time ran a children’s nursery as well, and if this, coupled with his sporting activities, did not keep him busy enough, there is a list of charitable achievements to his name. For instance, he is the chairman of the North West Lotteries Commission and he and fellow members decide where to give away some £38 million. This can bring him face to face with the problems of homelessness, one-parent families and deprived areas. “I know the north west well” he said, “and it is gratifying to help.”

Africa

He has been a Trustee of the Sports and Arts Foundation for five years but money from this (through donations from football pools) has been reduced because of the national lottery.
    He was a UN volunteer to The Gambia in 1993 visiting projects that were coming to fruition - the year after he received his CBE - and meeting Nelson Mandela whom he referred to as “a fine man indeed”.
    ITN’s top newscaster, Trevor McDonald, wrote a book, entitled simply Clive Lloyd, in 1985 and a semi-autobiography with Tony Crozier, Living for Cricket, was produced in 1980.
    Now, with his active participation in cricket far less demanding than before, he keeps fit in the gym and plays golf, emphasising he does this “not very well”. He enjoys watching football and “tends to go to United” although he does also watch the other Manchester team, Manchester City, as well. “I think a city such as Manchester needs two teams for the rivalry it produces” he said.
    As a result of his associations with Lancashire CC he knows the area well, and the area knows him equally as well. Even today, some years after reaching his peak with the Red Rose side, he is still recognised and hailed as a hero, not just in cricketing circles but when he visits Old Trafford to watch the Red Devils or to witness the resurgence of the Sky Blues as well. And whenever he visits the West Indies he is still

“The King”

The legend of this cricketing Freemason who has, among many achievements, played havoc with English sides, routed the Indian national team and dominated the world, will undoubtedly live on for many a year.