A Brief History

St Albans and District Netball league was reformed in 1966/67 and local netball enthusiasts were asked if they could encourage old or new players to form local teams to play in the league.

This was the beginning of the Kardale Netball Club; Daphne Payne formed the club in 1967. Daphne was a very keen netball player and played netball for a club in the Herts League, she also taught Netball at a local school and was very aware that St Albans needed a local League to encourage young players. The name Kardale was a combination of Daphne’s daughters name Karen and the school were Daphne taught Lyndale, the team was made up of some of the pupils from Lyndale and Daphne’s daughter and friends.

The club has certainly seen changes in the 36 years that it has been in existence, it started with one team that quickly progressed through the second division into the first division and Kardale has retained a team in this division for the past thirty four years, it now has three teams playing in the St Albans and District league and a team competing in the Herts League. An integral Part of the culture of the club has been to encourage young people to join and enjoy the game of netball and Daphne has spearheaded this. So many young people have played in the teams and some are still playing (though they are slightly older now!). One of the strengths of Kardale Netball Club is the mixed age groups and varied experience of the players but above all their enjoyment of the game of netball.

During the Summer of 1996 Daphne decided that Kardale Netball Club needed to develop a junior section and so she asked a teaching colleague if she would assist her in this new venture, it was a success and the club has grown to the successful club St Albans Junior Netball Club.