...and father of one of the most promising young sportsmen in the Province, 'Vanburn’ gives Ulster Cricketer editor Clarence Hiles a straight-talking insight into some of the topical issues that have been hovering around in recent times!
1 You have been out of senior cricket for some time but you have kept a close interest through your son Michael’s rise through the ranks. Do you think the standard has improved since your days at North?
The standard of the top players is definitely better, however the overall standards have dropped and there is not the same depth. There are guys playing Senior Cricket at the moment who would not have made many Senior sides 2nd's in the eighties. Most current Senior sides (Waringstown, North Down, and lately CSNI excepted) are made up with a few key individuals, and the rest effectively just make up the numbers. It does not help that people who are multi talented at a number of sports can no longer pursue all of them, or even two of them. In my days you played a summer sport and a winter sport, with perhaps a short overlap. At the top levels, you now play one, and that is it. Cricket in recent years has suffered because of this, and to name but a few, Neil Doak, Bryn Cunningham, Paul McKenzie, & Michael McComish, who were all very accomplished cricketers, have not been available to play cricket on a regular basis. Gary Wilson was also an accomplished rugby player, but even whilst at School he was forced into making a choice between that and cricket. In the Eighties, you had the likes of Stephen Warke and Paul Jackson, both of whom were IrelandCricket Captains, also playing Senior Rugby . Inevitably, the quality gets diluted. An example of the dip in overall standards is illustrated by a very good Woodvale side being relegated during the Eighties. Their side included Internationals Stephen Warke, Ian Johnston, Robert Wills and Ken Kirkpatrick, and also had in their ranks the likes of Davy Houston, Joe Campbell, Alan Ross, Graham Crothers, Alan Watson, Davy Scott, and an up and coming SimonRedpath. Those were also days when all the Internationals were available to play for their Clubs. Can you imagine a side with that talent being relegated now?
2 The old North dressing-room was a bundle of fun and you had so many characters that played the game in the right spirit, and clubs loved to go to Ormeau. Do you feel the players get as much enjoyment in the modern game?
Yes, I was very lucky to play with a great bunch of guys at a time that was totally different to now. There is nowhere near as much fun as there was twenty/thirty years ago. That is due mainly to a number of social and economic factors. Employers are not as flexible or as willing to let employees take time off for sport, and there are also many more distractions outside the sports scene. There is also more pressure from wives/girlfriends, who do not particularly get involved, nor do they see the Cricket Club as an attractive place to spend a Saturday evening. As a result you don't see the players spend their evenings in the Clubhouse after the game as much as before. That said, if you are playing at representative level, there is much more opportunity to travel and make lifelong friendships with cricketers from other Clubs.
3 Do the old North members support the new club set-up at Stormont?
Not as many as I would have hoped for, but it was good to see 8 of the eleven who won the Senior Challenge Cup in 1982 in attendance at this year's Challenge Cup Final. There is a hard core of ex North members who attend all or most of CSNI matches, and some who attendoccasionally. It was particularly pleasing to see Pat Rogan, former scorer for North, at Stormont earlier in the season. I understand that there is still some slight ill feeling at BelfastHarlequins about the cricketers leaving, but I hope that given the recent successes of CSNI that they appreciate the right decision was made. It is also very pleasing to see the number of Civil Service members who have embraced the merger. There is no "them and us" ethos about the Club, and it is an equal partnership.
4 How is Ormeau remembered by the former NICC players?
How can anyone who played at Ormeau remember it other than as it was, simply the best place in Ulsterto play cricket (I'm biased of course!). Not necessarily the best wicket, nor the best outfield, nor the best location, nor best for anything else for that matter, but overall it was outstanding. The history and tradition of the Ground, the Test Nations and the famous names who had played there only added to the experience. If a ground can possibly have character and a soul, then Ormeau had it. I, like all the other old North members will always treasure playing there. An enormous privilege, particularly when you got to play there every other week! The article published on theUlster Cricketer website earlier this year highlights just what others also felt. It was, of course, heartbreaking to have to sell the Ground and leave. Notwithstanding the memories of all who played there, for posterity there is that wonderful book "A Farewell to Ormeau". Copies still available - contact me either through the Forum or on mobile 07837447606.
5 Let’s clear up this identity issue once and for all. Is Civil Service North claiming the past records of both the NICC and Civil Service CC clubs as their heritage?
CSNI is an amalgamation of two Clubs affiliated to the NCU. North ofIrelandleft Ormeau at the time of the merger of that Club with Collegians to form the BelfastHarlequins Club. The BelfastHarlequins constitution fully incorporated North ofIrelandCricket Club, and although cricket was played under a different name for a couple of seasons, it was the same Club/entity. When the cricketers decided to leave Deramore, an Extraordinary Meeting at BelfastHarlequins enabled them to do so taking the name of North with them, so it's still the same Club. North then merged with Civil Service and CSNI subsequently took the respective places of the merged Clubs in the NCU Divisions/Leagues that were held at that time. At no stage did either Club dissolve, nor did they relinquish any standing within the NCU. Had it been a "New" Club in the eyes of the NCU, CSNI would have had to start in the lowest Section of each Division. Whilst it a new beginning, and a new Chapter in their history, the past records and heritage of both Clubs is fully incorporated within CSNI.
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