The announcement by Civil Service North Captain Nigel Jones that his club had recruited two talented young players may have inadvertently provoked both a positive and negative response, but it was hardly earth-breaking news if both players have serious ambitions.
Whether we like it or not, the development of cricket over the past decade has been along the lines of the strong get stronger with a dog eat dog culture. Throw in a few thousand quid and local cricket has caught up with our football peers and the annual wrangling of pulling together a competitive squad for the new season. That may not be as crucial down the divisions as at several top Premier clubs and therein lies the destiny of cricket in the future. Our game has gone professional even if an ostrich mentality exists at some clubs and there’s no turning back. You sink or swim in professional sport and if you haven’t the resources of a thriving bar or a wealthy sponsor then you are not going to succeed at the highest level. It is a cold fact of life and for any young aspiring player there’s nothing to be gained by staying too long at your home club if it is going to curtail your ambitions. If you and your club don’t have any lofty ambitions then there’s nothing wrong with that either. Enjoy your cricket.
I suspect Muckamore had a much more enjoyable 2012 season winning cups at a lower level than getting beaten every week in the top division. I also suspect Holywood are fighting to re-ignite the flame of yesteryear and recognize their short-term ambitions won’t revolve around Premier Division status. With this in mind good luck to Jason van der Merwe and Mark Adair for backing themselves at the higher level and good luck to Civil Service North for providing the opportunity. The Stormont Club has a solid cricket structure and a good balance of youth and experience. It is also the international ground.
Young players have moved clubs for years, but the new dimension in modern times is a player moving for remuneration. There’s nothing wrong with that if the shoe fits, but playing for money carries an added responsibility when you don’t produce the goods. Blossoming careers can be jettisoned by failure so the move into professionalism may not be as productive as it seems. And what happens when a young player doesn’t make the grade? I sincerely hope he returns to the club from whence he came and is welcomed with open arms.
Much has been said and written about feeder clubs. Some lesser lights might feel too proud to accept the definition, but it already exists and has been around for years. The greatest club team in the post-war era was Waringstown and they have much to be grateful for feeder clubs. The young players who moved to the Lawn were integrated into a cricket dynasty and helped the Villagers produce great teams.
It seems logical that modern clubs should recognize the changed playing field and work with each other. Is it so wrong to compensate a junior club for taking one of their best players? After all, when we see thousands of pounds being paid to local and overseas professionals why not pay a transfer fee for an up and coming young player and get the feeder clubs behind the wheel rather than against it?
Contracts and transfer fees are on their way into local cricket. As more money comes into the game more regulation and commitment will follow. Our sport has become a business.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
