...and those immortal words “See you next season.” It usually happened in early September, but for the dual sportsmen it sometimes happened in early August, as rugby, football and hockey took away some of our best players when they were needed most. Very few senior cricketers now play two sports at the highest level, and although many cricketers play their winter sport at a more leisurely pace, they tend to see out the cricket season. However, in the modern era the climax of a season should be the annual dinner, a much more convivial finale than the annual general meeting that tends to be formal and bureaucratic.
Club dinners and union dinners still have an important place in the cricket calendar and players and members should support them and enjoy all the benefits. It’s a long winter, and the annual dinner circuit can shorten it and bring out the true spirit of sport. Annual dinners tend to be driven by the presentation of awards, but there are many other benefits that are sometimes taken for granted.
Top of the list is the opportunity to meet old friends and acquaintances and to re-live the past in sporting friendship and camaraderie. It is also a great opportunity to bury an old sore, and where better than over a drink at the annual dinner? It is also the time to pay tribute to award winners and whether it is a team or an individual; we should always acknowledge the champion. Unfortunately some people see noisy celebrations as triumphal, but in most instances it is the sheer delight of success and who can deny the winner his moment of recognition?
Annual dinners are also evenings of entertainment and sometimes it isn’t restricted to the guest speaker. I’ve attended many dinners over the years and been entertained by a plethora of high-profile celebrity speakers, but without doubt the best joke-teller was North-West umpire and former Ardmore legend Connie McAllister. I recall a break at a prolonged North-West dinner one year at Beechgrove when Connie entertained a busy bar with a bevy of outrageous stories, and he captivated his “audience” so much that when the dinner resumed there were at least 12 empty seats in front of the top table!
Celebrity speakers come in all shapes and sizes and some are highly entertaining, but in recent times many of the top names have priced themselves out of the market. In contrast, some of the local speakers should be congratulated for their unpaid contribution to the evening’s entertainment, as most speakers sacrifice their own relaxation and enjoyment for the bigger cause. I grew up in an era when Victor Haslett and Brian “Commander” White of North of Ireland fame were the best after-dinner speakers around and they were superb. In more recent times other entertaining personalities have followed in their wake and they continue to add much to a cricket evening’s entertainment.
Finally, the hidden value of a cricket dinner is the opportunity to exchange views and ideas and while this might be more beneficial at union level, it is also a good opportunity for club members to discuss future captains and club officials as AGMs are usually just around the corner.
Annual dinners are the social side of cricket, but they are also part of the dynamic, and many changes have been sparked by friendly discussions in a relaxed atmosphere. Unfortunately, the vehicle for change is the much more intimidating Annual General Meeting, but the opportunity to engage should never be lost at the annual dinner.
Rather than say, “See you next season” every player should say “See you at the dinner.”
Clarence Hiles
Editor
