From Long Close to the Britannia.

As the name implies, Pudsey Congs grew out of the local Congregational Church. The club was established in 1892 and played its early cricket on a tiny ground known as Long Close — just a little further than a big six from the church, with its Gothic architecture and magnificent spire.

In those days almost every church and chapel in the area had at least two teams, and on most Saturdays as many as three games could be seen at once, separated only by dry stone walls. Congs played in the Pudsey and District Sunday School Cricket League from formation until 1969, and remain fiercely proud of their origins and their link with the present United Reformed Church.

As church cricket declined, the club moved to the Dales Council Cricket League, playing at Queens Park. Congs won the title in 1978 and the Pool Paper Mills Cup in 1972, 1974 and 1975. Feared quick bowler Colin Oldfield and seamer Ralph Middlebrook were the notable cricketers of the decade.

The key to the club's future was the purchase of the old Britannia Ground in 1977 — former home of the Pudsey Britannia club, where cricket was played as early as 1854 and where Herbert Sutcliffe made his name. It was derelict and barely fit for football; selfless work by the membership turned it into a ground fit for senior league cricket.

Congs moved up to the Leeds and District League in 1979. Bill Sutcliffe, son of Herbert and a former Yorkshire captain, opened the restored ground in 1980. In 1987 further improvements were celebrated with Sir Leonard Hutton, and a match against a Yorkshire side captained by Phil Carrick and featuring Geoff Boycott and Martyn Moxon.

Elected to the Bradford League for 1987, Congs won promotion to the First Division in 1988. Relegation followed in 1990, but they bounced back in 1992 and in 1994 won their first major trophy — the Priestley Cup, beating Yeadon by eight wickets. In that side was a 15-year-old fast bowler called Matthew Hoggard, the first Congs junior to go on to play international cricket.

Former Yorkshire captain Phil Carrick joined in 1993 and led the side from 1995. Overseas stars VVS Laxman (1996) and Mohammad Yousuf (1997) both topped the league batting averages, and Congs finished runners-up in 1997. Another junior, James Middlebrook, son of Ralph, emerged to win the league's Young Spinner of the Year in 1998.

Signing Matthew Doidge as captain for 1999 has been called the best decision in the club's history. In 2000, after 14 years in the league, Congs were crowned Bradford League champions — and the 2nd XI were champions too, making the club Millennium Champions.

The titles kept coming: champions again in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, equalling the league record of five in a row. 2002 and 2004 brought trebles of league title, Priestley Cup and Black Sheep Yorkshire Champions Trophy. In 2001 the club also won the ECB National Indoor Six-a-Side at Lord's and was named BBC Team of the Year. Fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan was a huge influence before going on to play Test cricket for Pakistan.

Neil Gill, Gary Brook, Matthew Doidge, Andy Bethel and Babar Butt — the 'Fab Five' — played in all five title-winning seasons. A fourth Yorkshire Champions Trophy followed in 2005, alongside another Priestley Cup.

Congs finished runners-up to Woodlands four seasons in a row, but kept winning cups: the Priestley Cup in 2007 and 2008, and a sixth Bradford League title in 2010 under skipper Glenn Roberts. Wicket-keeper Barney Gibson, another Congs product, became the youngest player to make a first-class debut in England in 2011, aged 15.

2012 brought the Dyson Twenty20 Cup, and 2014 the club's first Heavy Woollen Cup — Callum Geldart scored 109*, 98*, 110 and 102 on the way — plus a second Twenty20 title. Glenn Roberts retired that year having helped win five league titles, five Priestley Cups and three Yorkshire Champions Trophies.

Babar Butt retired in 2015 after 17 trophies in 15 seasons with Congs. That year the club won the Bradford League Twenty20 for the third time in four seasons, beating neighbours St Lawrence at Tofts Road, and went on a remarkable NatWest Club T20 run — winning the regional and Northern finals, with Callum Geldart hitting 111 against Chester-le-Street, before losing to Exmouth by five wickets off the penultimate ball on finals day at Cardiff, in front of the Sky TV cameras.

Andrew Bairstow retired in 2016 after a 30-year career bringing more than 11,000 runs and 24 major trophies.

With a very young side, Congs were relegated from the Premier Division in 2017 by a single run on the final day. The club kept faith with its young players, and in 2019 was awarded the Tommy Mathers Ground Award.

In the Covid-shortened 2020 season, under new captain Richard Jubb, the 1st XI won the Gordon Rigg Division One League Cup — 17-year-old Jacob Slator hitting 128 in the final alongside 14-year-old Sabir Mahmood — and the 2nd XI completed a League Cup double. Spinner Sam Wisniewski went on to Yorkshire. In 2021 the side won eight of its last ten matches to finish third.

In 2022 Congs won promotion back to the Premier Division, beating runaway leaders Jer Lane twice — including a nine-wicket win in the final match, with Ryan Heptinstall taking 5-8. Yohan Mendis won the league batting trophy with 900 runs, Sam Wisniewski took 65 wickets and the Young Spinner of the Year award, and Joshua Bennett retained the league's wicket-keeping trophy. The Britannia also hosted the Jack Hampshire Cup final.

Without new signings, Congs survived the 2023 top-flight season with a final-day win at Farsley, and hosted the Priestley Cup final for the first time in 16 years. A second season proved a step too far, and the club was relegated in 2024.

Congs bounced straight back, winning Championship 1 in 2025 to return to the Premier Division. The 2026 season in the top flight ended in relegation, and the club now looks ahead to the next chapter.

Pudsey Congs now field three senior teams — two in the Bradford League and one in the Dales Council League — alongside All Stars and a growing junior section. The club is renewing everything from its player pathway to its facilities, while keeping the history and personality that make Congs what it is.