"That's something that has never changed in 50 years," the team's first captain Geoff Flood said last week.

Formerly the Repco Cricket Club, the club was formed in 1952 by employees of the Repco Bearing Company to play against employees based at Repco in Melbourne.

Mr Flood remembers the trips to play in Melbourne fondly.

"It seems like yesterday," he said.

He particularly recalls in 1956 when he and a team-mate went to look at the newly-built Olympic pool and subsequently missed the plane back home and had to stay overnight in Melbourne.

Mr Flood captained the team until 1959 and it wasn't until the club joined the Wilmot Association that it improved enough to finally defeat the Melbourne side in 1957.

"When we first started, all club members were employees," the former left-handed opening batsman said.

The club provided morale for the staff at the factory in Mowbray and it was good public relations, he said.

Now many of the players are from outside the company and include players who have gone on to play in the NTCA, including Chris Holt, Scott Plummer and Ross Clark.

The club closed down in the late 1970s before restarting for season 1987-88 when ACL took over the company and the club subsequently changed its name.

Mr Flood remembers a game against Melbourne at Bethune Park that was delayed until the following day. The only problem was someone else was using the ground so the match had to be transferred to Poatina - but they still lost.

When the club first started they were talking in pounds and the club had an annual turnover of 100 pounds or $200. Now the club turns over a bit more than that a year, Mr Flood said.

They raise the money through a weekly 20c raffle, beer raffles and "through sales of beer," secretary Sam Gannon said with a laugh.

"It shows how the company has been behind the club, even over 50 years," Mr Flood said.

One of the major forces behind the club was the first president Geoff New, who was actively involved as a patron up until his retirement in 1976.

It was only in 1996 that a permanent clubroom was built adjacent to the ACL Rocherlea plant.

"Before the clubroom, the club existed out of the boot of a car," club member Kerry Heyne said.

Books and equipment were kept in people's homes on a rotational basis and some things were lost during that time, including scorebooks and canvas matting to peg over the cement pitches.

"We used to take gear home after the game and keep it in the garage," Mr Flood said.

The players recall memorable bus trips when they played country teams at Cressy, Avoca and Campbell Town.

"We would hire a bus, so we didn't have to drive the long trip home," Mr Gannon said.

They used to drop into the first pub they passed on their way home and Gannon, Heyne and Dean Martin remember the time the bus ran out of petrol on its way back from Beaconsfield.

Most volunteered their services to push the bus back to their local pub, but three decided it was wasted drinking time.

"They were on their second round by the time we got there," Mr Martin said with a laugh.

So far more than 550 players' names have been found, but there are no records for up to 10-year periods in the club's history.

For the reunion the club has organised a commemorative port and stubby holder, upon which club premierships in the Wilmot, Tamar Valley and the Tasmanian Cricket League competitions are highlighted.

As Repco, the club won five A-grade premierships in the 1970s, and B-grade in 1974-75. As ACL it won A-grade in 1995-96, 1999-2000 and A-reserve in 1996-97. The club now has 79 registered players in the TCL competition and is hoping for finals berths for its A-grade and C-grade teams who have been performing well.

The club will name its best team from the 1952-77 and 1977-2002 eras at the reunion.

It invites anyone with memor- abilia, photos or tales to contact Mr Flood on 63272956 or Tony Dunstone on 0418365686.