Forum

Clarence... Similar to Jeff the reason i didnt include anyone was that other people from other clubs made better individual contributions to their team than the lurgan players i could think of. I dont know the exact stats but guys that were close to making my team were Grieve, Chambers and Johnston, but at a guess the guys i picked either scored more runs or took more wickets than these boys.

I have been wrong before.

yes id say next season is only possibilty but no reason when losing as as charity will be winner. CONGRATULATIONS CIYMS ten years ago below us in section three = if CARLSBERG do dreams theres hope for everyone and great year for Muckamore winning lots trophies . ps Clarence my late dad told me that first sentence quite possible he was passing the CLASSIC line on as it just about covers everything , id love see lots forumites post there teams up in all sections?

Thanks Jeff. That first sentence just about sums it up!
Moving on a charity match is always good idea but I suspect too late this year and the start of season is never safe because of the weather. Match is a bit of all to lose for premier team and it would be quite a shock if they lost given the quality of team they could field. But then if it was all predictable the favourites would win every race.

Clarence OPINIONS are like ar$eholes everyone has to have ONE. The reason o didnt include any lurgan players was we played them in 50/20 games and no one impressed me enough (yes they beat us both games and the SUPERB nirjan godpole was out early both games ninja was supposed to score 1200 runs there next best 350) thats not a DIG by the way as every club would love have him . They won the league (congrats)but imo they wernt the best team i seen this year but leagues dont LIE! I will say this i picked my team as a team that i also think could give the premier side a DECENT game as imo this game will take place next year as a FUND RAISER for charity ?

Love to add my 5 cents worth to the PL team of the season (Irish qualified players only).

1. Jeremy Bray (CIYMS)
2. Chris Dougherty (CIYMS)
3. Ryan Haire (North Down)
4. James Shannon (Instonians)
5. Nigel Jones (CSNI)
6. Kyle McCallan (Waringstown) (C)
7. Taimur Khan (CIYMS)
8. Corin Goodall (CSNI) WK
9. Zach Rushe (Instonians)
10. Eugene Moleon (Instonians)
11. Stephen Hughes (CIYMS)

Love to see a match between this team and the Section 1 lads...

Michael Foster
I put my name forward to Ian Houston and was given three games to umpire. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would encourage others still playing to give it a go on your " days off". I'm surprised others didn't get a call when available. I had Alan Neill , George Gillespie and Sam Alexander as my partners and it was obvious from all three that they got real enjoyment from being in the middle.
When Cyril gave me out LBW off the middle of my bat last Sunday I must admit my reaction was different than it would have been if I hadn't been an umpire this season. It is certainly easier being an official umpire than it is umpiring your own batsmen. In those matches players just assume that you are cheating.

Am I the only person who can't understand how the Section 1 League winners can't get a pick on any of the ace selections by the experts? Are they not eligible?

R.E Umpiring

As ive said before on here the problem is attending the courses over a weekend in Belfast, its just too big a commitment for people involved in winter sports and the travel associated doesnt make it attractive either.

Im sure if there were a few regional beginners courses maybe over 2 or 3 Tuesday nights attendance wouldnt be an issue.

I thoroughly believe there's a fairly obvious answer as to WHY there is an ever decreasing number of local cricket umpires as each season ends and comes round again.

I'm referring in particularly to new recruits, willing to give it a go and just as importantly, stick at it !

Alas, although as I've already stated, it's pretty obvious to me anyway and I dare say to most other folk despite the 'deafening silence', there's little in my opinion that either NIACUS or the NCU can do about it!

I've heard it diplomatically referred to as player 'decent', but I've much more colourful language I could use to describe the individuals and what I think of it and them, but the editor would quite rightly refrain from putting it up on here !

Let's spell it out plainly for what it is ! A lack of respect to put it mildly to:( Not necessarily in any order)

1. The Umpire /himself & colleagues
2. The spirit of the game
3. Your skipper/team/ & opposition
4. Watching spectators, supporters, the general public, ( All or some of whom may be very young and impressionable)!!
5. Yourself !
6. Your parents ! (Were you brought up that way ?)

Sort this out and we'll happily find both new and returning umpires, merrily joining and re-joining the fold !

But like I've said, NIACUS or the NCU have no magic wand to wave !

It begins and ends with.........

'The man in the Mirror'!!

Interesting debate on the umpires issue, and no easy solution. One thing the NCU did appear to develop this year was the idea that each club should provide at least one current member/player to volunteer to stand in at least one game. For example, I volunteered to do this, and sent the NCU details of a number of dates that I would be available on, based upon the fixture list. I think I provided at least 3 Saturday dates, and indicated that, fixtures permitting, I could do most Sundays.

I am still waiting on a call, and I know of several others who went through this process who are still waiting on a call. It would be interesting to know if many/any of those who put their names forward under this initiative were actually asked to umpire this season.

It may well be that the pretty dire weather on most weekends, which wiped out many games, led to the umpire shortage issue this season to be less acute than normal, but surely if the NCU and NIACUS are serious about attempting to get more people interested in umpiring, this initiative should have been pursued with a little more vigour?

But perhaps I am in a minority of those who didnt get the call and if that is the case, then hopefully a few more will have caught the bug and will take it up on a more regular basis in due course.

Stewart - I'm only trying to kick-start a debate as to why there is a reluctance for guys to take up umpiring - especially when there are so many opportunities for advancement. This was highlighted in Alan's interview as quoted in the afore-mentioned Newsletter. Before Ulster rugby started having to pay people referees had free admission to Ravenhill - not much of an incentive in the good old days but at least it was a perk. Blue sky thinking perhaps but, for example, a corporate admission for umpires to an Ireland game could be such a perk. It is recognised that many clubs do not provide umpires - some in the higher echelons as well - but the figures that were quoted yesterday make for disturbing reading. It might be interesting for NIACUS to produce a rough age range of the current active umpires. I suggest that a considerable %age, like myself, won't see 60 again! If the present trend continues then perhaps the day isn't too far away when teams in sectons 1 & 2 will be umpiring their own matches and we know the hornet's nest that exists in the lower leagues with regard to decision making! And apart from the hand-wringing about coercing people, no-one has explained to me WHY the NCU should coerce clubs into providing umpires - there are plenty of rules that seem to cover everything else!

Andy as eloquent as ever. Alter point has always been you can't force individuals or clubs to do something they don't want to do. Name and shame away if you want. I personally don't think taking someone on a guilt trip will change umpiring numbers dramatically.

jeff- Good idea in theory, a couple of problems apart from the ground.... getting boys interested to play and also a PL against a senior 1 team would be very competitive in my opinion as the PL select team depending if it was the strongest eleven or not would be very much stronger than senior 1. I think lots of boys are glad the season is over so it might be a runner for early next season.

Last year I suggested that a list showing the club membership of the current "active" umpires. I suggested that this might "shame" clubs into accepting responsibility for recruitment. I was lambasted by a couple of forumites who felt that therewas no place for such coercion. PLO'H, on his NIACUS blog, expressed his concerns that despite active canvassing at the start of 2012, the response at the umpires' course was not terribly good. In this morning's Newsletter the president of NIACUS is quoted that there are now 30 active umpires. This means that a maximum of 15 games can be covered each week. Perhaps those "forumites" mentioned above might now reconsider their views. What goes round comes round and there is a lot more that I could say on the subject but Flossies got the dinner on!

Jeff sounds like a plan ! Maybe you could mix teams eg Co Down versus Co Antrim? Could run it for the Lords Taveners fund etc