Forum

Re Billy/Ivan

Billy I am not looking to start a war of words not saying I agree with Ivan's proposal however I think the point he is making is that 22 people were let down, it is not all about the 1st team and as passionate as Ivan is about MCC I do not think that it was he is intimating in the slightest. Ivan is a cricket man to the bone as are the majority of the contributors to this forum, we all seem to agree cricket is on the wane, perhaps if we all looked at the 3rd/4th/5ths players and made their lives a bit better then just maybe everything else would fall into place.

Re David Edwards
I won't deny there was a hint of "red mist" about when I wrote that post however my reason for suggesting that the 1sts lose points (and yesterday someone suggested to me all a club's teams should lose points) was to focus the minds of others within the club rather than leave the captain of the bottom team to fend for himself. Walk overs are featuring more and more and it's not only effecting the club who can't get a team but the opposition. The quickest way to drive people away from our game is to leave them with no match at short notice . I think we maybe focus to much on the top leagues and boys cricket yet forget that the majority of people playing our game are sandwiched in the middle of those two extremes . I think clubs need to take more responsibility for making sure they can field the number of teams they enter. I know a few clubs might then enter less teams but is that not maybe more desirable than letting opponents down. I don't ever proclaim to have all the answers or indeed any answers but I care about the game and aim certainly don't for one minute subscribe to the theory that it's "dying on its feet". It may require surgery and it will " recover" quickly if more people commit to making it better.

Ivan do you really think that all clubs have 5k to put into a prize fund? You're in dreamland. For most clubs if they have that kind of money it should be spent on improving ground facilities/machinery etc. E.G. It's a joke that one of our leading Premier League teams doesn't even have a proper toilet in it's so called changing rooms!!!

Docking a clubs 1st team points for the lowest team having to scratch a fixture. I have never heard anything so ridiculous in my life. How is that promoting cricket by punishing the players who actually do turn out?

There is a real problem right throught 90% of the NCU clubs, cricket is dying on its feet and the standard is dropping.

Just having a glance these are a few of the clubs would have lost 1st XI points if that suggestion was implemented... North Down, CIYMS, Downpatrick, Derriaghy, CSNI, Saintfield, Millpark, Lisburn, Lurgan, Laurelvale, Academy, Instonians. Many of these have more than one concession so far this season. That would look good going through the 1st XI leagues... maybe it might have kept Muckamore up?

At today's Premier League game Muckamore v Lisburn there were numerous debates on changes or possible changes to League structures , overseas and / or paid players .
One idea that I heard from the very experienced and respected John McCormick was " if clubs are forking out £10k on players why not reduce that to £5k and put the other £5k into a prize fund with the winners maybe getting £25k."
Haven't heard that idea before but maybe we need some " outside the box thinking ".
I think it's a great credit to the spirit and quality of the Ballymena team that they have survived now for 7 successive seasons in the top flight with only one paid player in each of those seasons ( in fact there might have been a few of those years they had no overseas professional ). They are probably already installed as favourites to go down next season - but I wouldn't be so sure.
Some clubs seem to now favour a ten team PL and I think those clubs would want it in 2015. That may require a rule change about league structures taking immediate effect but then that's what the AGM is for.
I think the idea I heard today of a 12 team league with everyone playing each other once and then splitting into two leagues of six and then play each other once giving a total of 16 games. ( Irish League football has a system like this ) merits discussion .
I also think great credit should be given to Neil Gill and Uel Graham who kept the morale up at Muckamore despite losing every game.

re Ivan McCombe

As you are aware I am one of those people that contacted you yesterday and it was as early as I could (and before 10pm by some distance). You paint an ideal picture of how things should be with lots of advertising and cajoling bringing enough players for 6 teams but I'm afraid it is not that simple.
I captain a 4th XI whose purpose is to permit U13 and U15 players an introduction into the senior game in order to help develop their game. As such I am at the mercy of being bottom of the Club's feeding chain and also the wishes of parents to have a final family getaway before the return of schools. In the interests of cricket I tried for as long as humanly possible to put together a team but in the end I would have needed to play mainly U11 cricketers and I'm sure you would neither think it appropriate from a child safety viewpoint nor would you want me to breach the NCU rules on Child Protection by not having prior approval from them. I have things outside cricket to occupy my mind and having spent a lot of time on this, including in effect the whole of Friday, I don't feel happy about having to sit about either.
Your plan to deduct points from a 1st XI on the basis of non-fullfilment of fixtures of lower teams is frankly impractical. The fixture meetings for logistical purposes take place about 6 months before the start of the season and fixtures for lower teams are agreed as much on the basis of ground availability as anything else. Without a crystal ball it is impossible to know who is taking holidays when, who is doing exams when, who will retire mid-season, who will have decided that there is another sport that holds more interest, who will get a part time job to earn some spending money and as such there will be times when getting out the required teams is not possible. With this rule we would all need to have less teams and that is obviously not helping the development of the game.
It is apparent that you have written this whilst in a serious strop, but no matter how angry you felt you should have waited until you had calmed down before venting your spleen on the forum. Your idealistic solutions are based on the premise that cricket is the only sport but in this country it is still very much a minority sport and with the demise of seasonal sports it has too much competition.

Ivan - I totally agree. Unacceptable from the teams in question. From my limited knowledge I think that Ulster Hockey operates the suggested system of punishing clubs for scratched fixtures.

I feel anger tonight and disappointed. Like many others in clubs around the island I have knocked my pan in encouraging people young and old to play cricket . As a result Muckamore have fielded 5 league teams on the same day as well as two midweek league times and thanks to the efforts of others a ladies team this season.
Next season we plan to field 6 teams and probably three midweek teams and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that we will have a 2 nds team.
Now growth like that doesn't happen by accident . It happens by advertising for people no matter of age or ability to come along and play . It happens by coaxing people to play a few more years as their senior careers come to an end, it happens by encouraging young players to turn out on a Saturday.
Why am I angry ? Well at 10pm tonight I got two text messages informing me that our 4 ths and 5 ths opponents tomorrow were " scratching ".
The result if that is that 22 players at a Muckamore are left twiddling their sums tomorrow.
Here's my solution . If a lower team in a club pulls out of a fixture then that clubs 1sts are deducted 4 points.
That would soon focus the thinking. As a club we are left with 22 disenchanted players tomorrow. Some players turning down work to play , some turning away from family reunions to play .
As cricket lovers first and foremost can we think " cricket first and club second ".

a book is being done for my Dad Thomas Duncan who died this July 2014.
I am looking rather urgently for some old or recent photos of Dad playing so if possible can u contact me on 07563931136 to have these photos.
I know there is one in 1959 I think but haven't received any so anyone who has some would be appreciated if you could contact me to arrange to have a copy.

Paul
At the Management Board meeting where it was decided to propose the introduction of 8 team leagues you got up and left after that decision never to return and I was not curious enough to enquire why and Wylie noted at the next meeting that you had resigned but (rightly) gave no reason. Neither patronising nor utter rubbish but based on the evidence that was before me. Either way, you had a chance to influence the direction of local cricket from its administrative source but chose to shout from the sidelines.
In response to your last paragraph, we do want the same things but most likely disagree on how far we have come and the best way to continue on that path. I started playing competive cricket in 1978 and I've seen considerable improvement in facilities in that time and not just within my current club. To my mind there has also been a considerable improvement in standards and a very simple demonstration of that would be the number of home grown players throughout Ireland that now ply their trade on the county circuit; in my day the only one that I can think of is the late Dermot Monteith.
Participation levels is always going to be a contentious issue and it is difficult to judge by just taking a club view; we need to take an all Ireland view. Whether the 400% is an accurate estimate is really up to the reliability of statistics and indeed the data that is obtained from clubs that feed those statistics. It sounds a very impressive headline figure and we have a right to question cricket Ireland about this but perhaps the best place for that would be if they participated in the Union AGMs and held a question and answer session; if Warren Deutrom decides to answer your question then he may find a flood of others that would take up his time when he is trying to promote Cricket Ireland at the political levels.
My personal view is that participation is increasing at younger levels but it seems to wane at around the age of 16 and 17 and I would postulate that there are many reasons for this. In the days when you and I started (and a lot of the Management Board also) there was less to do and personal transport was less available. School examinations consisted of 'O' levels and 'A' levels instead of the constant stream of examinations and associated studying that we have today. What I see at the lower levels of my own club is that as soon as the examinations stop there is an exodus from this country and it can be difficult to rekindle the interest as soon as they return, in effect more than half way through the season. To my mind many a good player has been lost due to this and it was interesting to hear Fergus Slattery at a dinner state that despite Blackrock College having two Under 19 teams each year they struggled to get senior teams out. Locally, with a lot of clubs having an U15 team that will be refreshed every other year why are there not an increasing number of senior teams? I also see that players tend to stop playing at an earlier age and no longer drop down through the club but I'm buoyed by the increase in lads and dads teams that I'm starting to see.

Very sad to learn of "Gentleman" Jim Simpson's passing. Excellent tribute from Clarence and he has covered everything. As a young cub reporter he took me under his wing and his wise counsel kept me up to date with all things in the North West and he was a good friend ever since. My condolences to the family circle, especially Dean, David and Richard

Hearty congratulations to cregagh on winning the Graham cup. A real David v Goliath epic! Hope all those young and obviously talented players remain at the club and help restore it to its former glory! A special well done to David McCormick!

Very sorry to learn of the death of Jim Simpson & I extend my deepest sympathy to Dean and the wider family circle

David Edwards

“You were part of this discussion at the time but chose to jump ship because you didn't like the decision of the Board rather than using some diplomacy to try to persuade them of the errors of their ways and you retreated to your previous, cosy option of shouting from the sidelines.”

Utter rubbish and patronising rubbish at that. I suggest you have a quiet word with Wylie as to the reasons I left the NCU Board and sort out your facts. Suffice to say I will not be back.

I have no agenda. My playing days are almost over. I will never be involved in committees again so my only option is to say nothing or to make my point via forum that I feel we are going in the wrong direction. A lot of people share the views I express so bear that in mind when you express your contempt.

I assume we want the same things, improved playing standards, facilities and participation levels. Apathy levels are high because ordinary players and clubs feel they have no voice. When Warren Deutrom comes out with 'player levels are up 400%' have we no right to question that statement especially when the evidence before our eyes is so very different. Or does everybody have to sit on the NCU Board before they are allowed to ask a question?

Paul

I haven't chosen to use the word rant in a post before so I'm not where you get that opinion from and I disagree with more people than you. You will notice that I defined my use of rant and I think that your posting is very much in agreement with that. You are not the only the only person with an opinion and yours is no more valid than any other interested party. However your postings seem to mix passion for the game with aggression and disorganisation of thought and that too is a rant.