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Hilarious to listen to the England rugby coach complaining abiut the Italian tactical use of the Laws and the vaunted English forwards bemused by their lack of knowledge of the Laws!! This surely wouldn't happen in cricket, would it??!!

Re: Paul

While some of the statements you make are true, others are inaccurate and show a lack of understanding of what has happened. Perhaps I can take this opportunity to clarify the situation

There is no doubt that the Home Office will taking a much stricter line this year, and former first class players or those who have received remuneration in the past may have difficulty obtaining a Standard Visitor Visa this year. Clubs should also be aware that if they manage do to get players into the UK via SVV's, they are entitled to flights, accommodation, and living expenses only, and they may not be paid a salary for playing, or coach. This has always been the case but the Home Office have made it clear that where they have largely turned a blind eye in the past, they intend to enforce the regulations this year. There is no doubt that clubs would be foolish to ignore this as there could be a heavy fine for any club caught by the Home Office infringing the terms of their visa. SVV's were never really intended as a route to bring professional players into the country but as a way for overseas amateurs to gain experience and improve their game by playing in the UK (just as some of our young players do in other countries during our winter), and can still be used as such.

However, better news is that Standard Visitor Visas are not the only entry route for player/coaches for clubs below the Premier League. Anyone who holds a British, EU, or Irish passport, or holds a UK Ancestry visa (parent or grandparent born in UK), can subject to the Union's requirements for a Level 2 coaching certificate, be paid for playing and coaching without restriction.
Another method of entry, the Youth Mobility Visa allows amateur players under 30 from Australia/NZ to play and coach here, and although they can't be paid for doing so, they are entitled to work in the UK for up to 2 years (many employed as barmen etc)

I hope this clarifies things a bit, and if any club requires further information or advice they are always welcome to get in touch and I will try my best to assist.
Telephone 07980 514186 of email rbellccc@aol.com

Colin,

You must be out of the loop. There has been a change in VISA regulations.

Only visas a player can travel in on are a professional sports visa. Which state you need to have played first class cricket in the last two years.

Were as NCU regs don't allow a first class pro in section 1... So there is no choice!

You can risk bringing a pro in on a sports traveller visa. Bound to raise an eyebrow when customs ask an Indian with an empty bank account how he is funding his 4 month stay in NI. Add to this, the fact the visa clearly states they cannot coach. Hence my 'tip off' likelihood.

These regulations have came in this winter, so the previous decades you refer to are irrelevant.

Have heard some NCU stalwarts talking off the record about how this now makes a legal risk for section 1 clubs to bring in a pro.

Seems to be common sense from the 7 clubs, not what you are suggesting anyway!

paul

why would a club agree not to bring an overseas player in if they are within the home office regulations and also the ncu regs. the home office rules have been about for years I'm led to believe. maybe the clubs that have agreed to ban pros this year have something to hide

Ed,

Would seem the Common Sense approach. Otherwise you be looking at three chairmen in jail and £20k fines when there are a few 'random tip offs' given to the border forces.

Seems extreme! But can guarantee if only 3 clubs proceed with a pro is that it will happen.

NCU need to show leadership and common sense on the issue. Not right to risk it, when no club is going to be disadvantaged by stopping pros playing in section 1.

Whereas, 7 clubs would be disadvantaged. Makes no sense, and it will lead to 'tip offs'.

This isn't a threat by any means, but why wouldn't clubs do that? They are being disadvantaged, and 3 clubs would be breaking the law of the country.

From what I'm led to believe 7 of the 10 section 1 clubs have agreed to proceed with no pros this season.

Armagh, Donaghcloney and Lurgan are resisting this.

I hope the NCU respects the 2 thirds majority and prevents a section 1 club from having pros for this coming season.

I appreciate the benefits they can have off the field. But on the field you will see a complete flip in the league. And those teams heavily reliant on their pro the last decade will be highlighted.

There must be cumalativily hundreds of thousands of debt between section 1 and 2 clubs. Time for common sense! Trust your youth and your home grown players.

To save all the hassle of pros why not ban them from playing altogether save money and we would find out how good teams really are without the hired gun or in some cases all the hired guns

Hear! Hear! Paul in Bangor

Does this basically suggests then that any section 1 club bringing in an overseas will be breaking the law?

What is the NCU stance on the matter?

Re: VISA implications for professionals

Paul,

Section 1 clubs - and, maybe, some Premier League clubs - may find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

The ECB and the Home Office now define a professional as anyone who currently derives, has in the past derived, or will in the future derive any sort of living from cricket, whether coaching or playing. This likely includes - although the wording is ambiguous - anyone who has ever played U19 representative cricket in a foreign country.

Such 'professionals' can only be brought into the country under a Tier 5 Creative & Sporting VISA. The problem is that the only cricketers eligible for such a VISA are current first-class cricketers, who are ineligible to play in Section One.

I hope that helps, but I fear that it won't,

Michael

with the new pro regulations coming into play is now not the perfect opportunity to ban the overseas pro from section 1 and below ?

Taito, It's good news.
Section 1 sides can't pay anyone who 'holidays' here.
Think of all the money that will save!
I think you can be sure there'll be a few boys watching with their whistle to their lips.
Could just create a surge in the employment of locals of course.

Re: Taito

If any club needs information or advice regarding overseas players below the Premier League, please feel free to contact me on 07980 514186 or rbellccc@aol.com

Re Taito

Interested to see the response to this, I'm sure you have read the article on cricket Europe north wests page

http://www.cricketeurope.com/DATABASE/ARTICLES2017/articles/000029/002900.shtml

If applied to NCU this would mean an overseas player could play section 1 or below just not be paid for playing or coaching. Not sure how this will be policed but the original message from NCU said clubs chairpersons would be liable for fines.

Hope I'm not getting anything wrong as applies to the NCU and really not sure how Irish/UK passport holders affected.

I know some of the section 1 clubs are getting together to discuss the issue but does anyone know for sure how the new visa regulations affect the signing of pros for section 1 clubs?