Forum

An interesting trend occurred when you analyse Junior cricket results this year. The 15 winners and promoted teams of the sections can be broken down into -
junior teams of clubs in the Premier league (8) and
junior teams of clubs not in the Premier league (7).
A pretty high proportion of winners and promoted sides considering that there are 36 teams in total. (although obviously the bigger clubs have more teams and the opening of leagues is relatively new).
More surprising is the breakdown of teams relegated. Waringstown 4ths were the only Junior team relegated whose 1sts play in the Premier League. The other 13 relegated sides are attached to clubs outside the Premier League.
Why is that? Maybe Prem league teams getting stronger and lesser clubs getting weaker Maybe a bit of the no cricket on Inter Pro days where the Prem clubs can avail of a few of their better players? Maybe others will have a view but the trend looks one way.

Clarence, the only thing that is professional in today's game is the fact that players are being paid. Do I detect a sense that you are finally agreeing that we don't need professionals, due to the fact that they are merely hired guns that cost clubs more than they can afford ?

Interesting discussion in regards to professionals and their roles within clubs, my son is a junior at CIYMS and is enjoying success with his team and with his own game. This however along with the success of CI youth teams is not the product of paid locals who are brought in each year or paid overseas "coaches", more to the hard work of stalwarts such as Michael Hingston and Alan Mcilwaine who turn up week nights and want to see the youngsters develop and learn.

I am not a follower of the ci firsts but I do hear friends talk about the majority of the team being paid per match, is there some form of cash incentive in winning the premier league or a champions league spot for finishing in the top 4? I'm aware most clubs do it but I find it appalling, put the money into your coaches who do it off their own back or the ground facilities that your youth can also enjoy.

I heard a stat recently that since CI were promoted to the premier league more than 20 different faces have walked in and out of the dressing room of which have been paid, this is not the sort of team I want my son playing for in the future, when I played rugby I liked playing within a team that had my back season after season guys I know and were teamwork was the ethos not who much we would be getting paid!

Unfortunately I can't see this changing, if you want to see a team v team go watch any game below premier league

Neil,
That lofty ideal that overseas pros are hired as coaches first and players second went out the window 20 years ago. We live in an era where teams are getting more and more professional every year and professional means getting paid. It is a bandwagon that most, but not all, Premier Clubs are riding on to compete with each other. That said, we still fall well short of the Leinster clubs in competition.

pre-season prediction for section 3
" failing that my prediction would be
Saintfield - BISC
Victoria
Portadown
Ards
D'dee
Dungannon
PSNI
Dunmurry

But more importantly, I hope that none of the sides have to scratch games due to not being able to field a side, and that Portadown and Dungannon are able to field second 11's next year again."
Some I got right, some I got wrong, but i feel that the NCU should do all it can to help Portadown CC renew its league status and to help Dunmurry CC and to try & get cricket back on the table at RSD and at the other schools in the Dungannon area.

Good topic Billy.
It would be interesting if someone from each Premier club came onto the Forum to express their opinion as I'm not sure it affected the other clubs that much. Personally I think it was a good idea as it kept matches more competitive at the top and bottom, but sharing a title within such a small group was an anti-climax. It was possible that four teams could have finished level which would have been farcical. Let's hear it from the clubs!

Andy ncu umpires lost by 40 odd the leinster pro won them the game again for them lol

Bumper,

Some positives and negatives in relation to the 8 team league.

Positives

1. Up until the last game, there was great interest at the top and bottom of the league.

2. The season finishes at the beginning of September which allows groundsmen to get the squares put to bed early which helps with the germination of seed

Negatives

1. The amount of money thrown at overseas Irish passport holders and locals being paid

2. The lack of youngsters given a chance to play at the highest level because of the pressure to win

There are some youngsters coming on the scene but if you look at it from a bowling perspective, can anyone tell me where all the young fast bowlers are, are is just a case there aren't any?

I worry for the future of the standard of cricket in the NCU.

I will pose this question. If all of the clubs that state their pros are doing a great job coaching, why has the NCU under age teams in the last few years been performing so poorly and why is there a need to bring overseas players over on top of the professional when all this coaching is going on?

Any result or report of the White Stick Trophy?

I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HEAR THE VIEWS, POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE OF THE ELITE 8 TEAM PREMIER LEAGUE.
HOW IT HAS AFFECTED ALL CLUBS IN THE N.C.U.

As Matt has said, many thanks to all that have offered us congratulations (& we know it will be a major task to avoid going straight back down...especially if I am on the pitch), and the Dee lads were what we have came to expect from them, a bunch of gentlemen, regardless of the result), but have to pull Harv up on his comments on Gerald, I have never known Gerald to be injured by a beach-ball.

Neil - must agree with your comments regarding
Mr. Johnston. I met him a few weeks ago at
Pollack Park and he was looking as dapper as ever. I reminded him of his dancing with Flossie at the Victoria dinner a couple of years ago. He would make a great replacement for Forsythe on 'strictly'!

Victoria C.C. promotion...

Well played indeed men; as Swanney says, you've created your own bit of cricket history and glad to see a few posts relating to Gerald, a real character and if you don't mind me saying so, his prolonged dedication through the leaner years have in every way, been just as essential as anyone else's efforts in your success story!

Your Pro v our Pro

1.Your Pro I guess, comes from a foreign soil
Our Pro lives local, doesn't bother with suntan oil
Your Pro is young, fit, the darling of your crowd
Our Pro's getting on, has arthritis, but he's still proud.

2.Your Pro bowls well with vigour and zest
Our Pro just bowls and hopes for the best
And when your Pro bats, the crowds in a trance
Our Pro bats eleven, likes give the other lads a chance.

3. I bet your Pro gets runs and wickets galore
when our Pro last got a wicket, his hamstrung he tore!
And I know your Pro runs, like an Olympic champ
Our Pro can't run fast, cause he goes down with the cramp.

4. But let's look at the 'Pro's and then the Cons',
in a few years, will your Pro be gone?
Is he like Clint Eastwood, the young hired gun
'For a few dollars more', will he up and run.

5. Not so our Pro. No! He'll never leave
been at his club 60 years, wears his heart on his sleeve,
Now what price would you pay, for service like that?
Yes he's our Pro and if you meet him,
please...Tip your hat!

RE Andy
As much as Gerald may want too come out of retirement when batting I think it would be difficult to hold a bat, zimmer frame and white stick all at the same time. In fairness to him though I hope I am in as good a nick if I see his current age!
All in all a great season for our wee club. We look forward to testing ourselves at a higher level and no matter what the score cards read we will do so with a smile on our faces!!

Thanks to the guys on Donaghadee. It can't have been easy to miss out on promotion in the last game of the season, and their players were very gracious in defeat, and invited us for a drink afterwards.

Hopefully we will be able to survive in Section 2, and play Donaghadee in it the following year!

Thanks to everyone who wished us luck or offered us congratulations! It was very much appreciated. Needless to say, we had a great weekend and a great end to the season.