...and is just about to travel to India as Manager of the Ulster Grasshoppers. Editor Clarence Hiles put Alan in the Hot-Seat just a few weeks before this historic trip…
1 Another tour, another adventure for you Alan, but what makes this trip to India so special?
There are a number of reasons. Despite our many trips around the world, the culture inIndia will be different to anything we have experienced before. The ethos of The Grasshoppers has always been about visiting new places and encouraging those travelling to sample as much of the country as they can. On this trip for example we have organised trips to two world heritage sites, The Taj Mahal and The Elephant Caves. It appears that India is now both the political and financial power base of world cricket and the trip will give us the opportunity to understand how big a role cricket plays in Indian society.
I am particularly pleased that we have six young players under the age of 20 travelling with us. I hope this trip will give them a cricketing and cultural trip they will remember for a long time. In the last 25 yearsUlster cricket has had strong links with India because of the number of Indian professionals who have played here. Sonny Singh who played for Ballymena is our main contact in Mumbai, and Niranjan Godbole is our contact in Goa.
2 The Grasshoppers history is a remarkable story, almost 30 years old. What has kept it together amidst a culture of competitive cricket, almost defunct of social and friendly matches?
Probably the key to our longevity has been a succession of dedicated and respected “Chairmen” who have faithfully believed in the concept, have organised the trips and pulled the various touring parties together. John Elder, Ivan Connolly, Sam Beckett, Graham Crothers, and Andy Clement, have ensured there always has been a safe and secure handover to the next incumbent. In many ways the Grasshoppers has also been self-perpetuating. From each tour, stories and legends build up which act as an encouragement for the next generation.
As Ireland’s national team continues to develop, the gap between club and international cricket will widen. There are now greater opportunities to travel for the younger guys in the international team, but for the good club cricketer who has reached mid-twenties without the necessary recognition, the opportunities to travel and play in other countries is limited. I think the Grasshoppers help fill that gap.
3 The club continues to encourage young players. Who should we look for in India?
For this trip we made a conscious effort to get as many young players to go as possible, as apart from refreshing the playing numbers we felt it could benefit their future cricketing careers. Andrew Cowden had a great season for Carrick in 2008 and I am hoping he will make a big contribution with both bat and ball on this trip. I have played against the Nixon twins over the last couple of seasons, and have found them to be fine competitors on the field and extremely sociable off it. Cameron Grieve, who is still at school, is a fine left-arm spinner who Lurgan will be looking to build their attack around as they try to get back into section one. Carlo Rendell from Railway Union is a fine left-arm opening bowler and a more than useful bat.
The late addition of Lee Nelson is a big bonus, giving us a top class bat and off-spinner and someone I would expect to play a major role in the social activities!
4 The party is quite a mix of old and young, experienced and less experienced players, alickadoos et al. Is this the culture of a Grasshoppers tour?
The Grasshoppers have always tried to get a good blend of ages and a spread across different clubs. For example, on this trip Ray McCavery is the first Saintfield player to tour with the Grasshoppers. In sitting down to plan a trip we will literally go through all the clubs in an effort to identify guys who might be interested in touring. One of our disappointments on recent trips is that we have not been able to get better representation from The North West or Leinster. However, with Carlo Rendell from Railway Union on board this time, hopefully he will carry a positive message back to other players inLeinster. It should also be noted that The Grasshoppers is not just about the players. On recent trips we have had Peter White, Ivan Reid and Keith Smith as travelling umpires, and Joy Smith as scorer. These folk have been invaluable assets to the trip.
5 The terrorist attacks In India late last year put the tour in serious jeopardy. What has made your party so determined to tour in the aftermath of such atrocities?
The month following the attacks in Mumbai was definitely the most difficult I have experienced in relation to any Grasshoppers trip. We had a number of major issues to contend with. The planning process for India has probably been greater than any other trip, so to give it up was always going to be a major disappointment for everyone, and it may well have meant that India as a future destination would never be considered again. We also had a financial issue, in that no travel ban existed, so if we cancelled we were likely to be seriously out of pocket. Above all else was the safety of those travelling, and the concerns of families who would be sitting at home inIreland. As manager of the trip, I felt a particular responsibility for the younger players, and knowing most of the wives and children of the older guys, these were big concerns that played heavily on my mind.
We took advice from many sources, including the British High Commission, travel agents, and local contacts on the ground in India. We also had to work on a plan B in terms of a trip if it was felt Indiawas not an option, as total cancellation was going to cost a lot of money.
After much soul searching and consultation with all the tour party we finally took the decision to travel. Unfortunately three of the original party decided not to travel, which I was sad about but fully understand their reasons. On a personal level, I am very grateful for the advice and support I have received from other Grasshoppers members in helping to reach the decision to travel.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2...
