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I will be the first to admit that there is a a lot of what I said is down to jealousy. I acted in haste as to what I said , and having been given the facts, I will retract the statement. Your ambition is to be commended and good luck with it.

Excellent appointment-Neil Russell as P.R. to N.C.U.
No finer man, an enthusiast and a lover of the great game of cricket.
Best wishes Neil.

Re Peter,

Buying Section 1?? Wise up you jealous clown!!!

We have signed Jay Hunter from Templepatrick and he hopes to play the rest of his days at Muckamore. Ryan Haire has signed as not only a player but as a Youth Devolopment Officer, a role that we needed filled to continue to improve and grow our youth and to work with the elite youngsters and no better man to fill the post. And we have signed a quality pro in Avadhoot Dandekar, he will be going into schools all over the Antrim Borough along with the usual junior nights and matches. We also have ex Irish International Uel Graham coaching the 1st Xl this coming season and although we got relegated from P/L last season, everyone at the club can see the benefit of having Uel and the improvement he has made to a lot of our players and especially the youngers guys, Uel put in a lot of hours coaching doing one to ones and has been continuing to do so over the winter.

We are a forward thinking pro active club that is on the way up, we spent £10,000 on our ground last season and that included a new £5000 roller, we are also putting an extension onto the clubhouse for all the groundsmans machinery aswell as 2 new changing rooms on the 2nd pitch. We have an extremely hard working committee aswell as sub committees ie, youth, fundraising, cricket. We want to be up there with the best in the NCU and get back into the P/L and consolidate and push on.

We have had a lot of feedback about our signings, most of the knowledgable cricketers and cricket followers out there have commended us and know that we are a club that is doing the right things and have a huge desire to become one of the best in the NCU and Ireland, apologies for being ambitious.

Jealousy is an awful thing!!!!

what an absolutely ludicrous posting by this guy "Peter". Just to point out that Muckamore fielded those teams LAST season so what is this nonsensical 9000 teams? Perhaps you would tell us how many sides your club - if you have one - put out in the 2014 season? As for "buying up the country" I think Peter is getting his geography mixed up. Muckamore is in mid-Antrim, not east Belfast! As an ordinary member of Muckamore I can only surmise that the committee had decided - a decision that I fully support - to appoint a development officer who has a proven record as a terrific player who will "develop" (see that word crops up again "Peter") and build on the progess made. So what is the point you are trying to make "Peter" or whoever you are?

I've heard of buying the premier league , but muckamore buying section one has got to be a new one ? Their fabled youth policy paying dividends . Can't wait to read that they have 9000 teams out each weekend . Not hard when you're signing half the country and paying them

I see Muckamore have been busy. They are planning for the big time and I applaud their ambition. I suspect the section 1 promotion battle is over before a ball is struck. I cant see them losing a single match.

Andy...least we forget!! Probably the only day I have ever regretted umpiring. I have read all the comments on the shortage of umpires and the only thing we can all agree on is that it is a crises and that something must to be done soon. Maybe we don’t sell the positives well enough...Look at what some of the locals umpires have gone on to aspire too. For me I just love the game and now that my playing days are over, what better way to be still involved. Its not just the best view, its that your up close in personal, the consentration on every ball, the decision making and the satisfaction you get from a good day at the office. NIACUS wants to attract people into umpiring who “love the game” who just simply wish to put something back into it and in years gone by this is what we got. However, you cannot force or blackmail clubs into providing Umpires. People have got to want to it for whatever reason. Times have changed and if money is the answer....then

I find Colin's comments on the whole somewhat negative. To be honest I have never come across a colleague "who didn't want to be there" although Kevin & I still rememeber that cold, wet Sunday at Shaw's Bridge when neither of us wanted to be there. Mind you, both teams felt the same way and Kevin took pleuresy out of it and I still get the shivers at the memory! It was like a day in November! On a serious note I realise that experience in playing is not an essential for umpiring but it is an great help. However I would suggest that experience of man-management is an important quality.

A bit of a change of subject:

Any new signings or new pro's in the PL or section 1 confirmed so far?

Any clubs having problems getting pro's in section 1 because of the level 2 coaching rule?

RE: Shortage of Umpires

I agree with what Gareths saying on his post!! I had expressed interest in becoming an umprire with Ian Houston in the past but personally as ive a young family (boy of 4 and girl of 1) theres no chance I could commit to the hours that the current course. Now I completed my football referees course October 2013 it was run in Armagh over 5 Monday evenings from 7pm to 10pm and was attended by around 12 to 15 with one guy (who funnily enough plays for newbuildings) coming from derry would there be no way of maybe breaking the course down a bit maybe 4 evenings??? I know you cant please everyone and if you broke it down into 4 evenings there would be people who the whole weekend course would’ve suited better but just a thought …
Wanted to throw my 2 cents worth in regarding payments I honestly don’t know how much umpires get paid but again will relate this to my experiences with football a mid Ulster football referee gets £35 per game and 30p per mile travelling so in general its £40 per match travelling included as you usually don’t have to travel too far now time wise its around 4 hours of your day you’ve to give up including travelling etc now I know crickets a longer day but maybe if guys knew they were gonna get paid more inline with that it may interest a few more ….

Yes Clarence, there's always exceptions to the rule and perhaps as you say, it's an avenue worth exploring?

There's no doubt, NIACUS do indeed provide a very competent and professional training platform to assist those interested in getting started.

The classroom theory is relayed by Alan & Keith in a relaxed, yet informative style, with plenty of stories and craic along the way and even if ( like me ), you think you know all there is to know about the game? You don't/won't!

But this only adds to the fun, learning experience and many interesting facets the course provides for as you learn along with your classmates.

And then when you don the official attire for your first game, one is never alone, your senior partner will quickly help calm any nerves (been there themselves),offer salient advice as and when required, building one's confidence as proceedings get underway, until in no time you're really enjoying the game from the best seat in the house, while also helping to make it enjoyable for everyone else involved.

And folk do appreciate this as you'll soon find out.. You're always assured first choice of the delicious teas served within the various palatial club pavilions, amongst many other pleasantries to say the least?

So sign up now, you'll certainly not regret it, whether footballer, cricketer or non-subscriber...All are most welcome!

Re Umpires shortage.

I qualified as a level 1 umpire 2 years ago having wanted to for quite some time. However since qualifying I have only stood in approx 10 matches, just 3 last season. Having read the comments on the forum here a few of my own points in no real particular order.

Firstly the positives,

1. The training provided by Keith Smith and Alan Neill was excellent, it was informative and set at the correct pace and in my view accessible to all regardless of playing standard. It would have to be adapted to those who have not previously played the game, but most cricket fans be they players or not know the basics from TV / watching. I was however surprised at how easy the exam was.
2. On my course we had one non player who has done very well he loves the game, played a very good standard of football previously and seems to be out every sat/sunday/midweek.
3. You get paid, not much and after you pay for your bails/ measures/gauges/mileage/jacket trousers everything else I guarantee there are very few doing it for anything other than the love of the game. Would recommend Gareth sends in an expenses form for his match.
4. The majority of folk you meet on match days are as you would expect form the Ulster cricket public, very nice and many lower league matches are just delighted to have an umpire there.
5. It is a great view in the middle.

The not so positive
1. Follow up / feedback - I have friends who are umpires and you do of course talk but other than one letter & chatting after games I have yet to receive any feedback. Its hard to learn if mistakes are not pointed out.
2. Ongoing training, I had to cancel my level 1b course last years it clashed with my Level 2 coaching, more / follow up training would be good. currently i believe my only option would be to travel to Dublin to continue this.
3. Lack of overall communication - this is mainly due to my circumstance, wife works evenings I cannot make meetings, there is of course the website.
4. Fixture swapping - nothing can be done re this, Ian Houston has the most difficult job in the NCU - volunteers dropping out and the dreaded last minute call on a saturday morning swapping you from one end of the country to the other. I have a young family, I like to plan to do something in the evenings after matches, hard to do when plans change.
5. Everyone knows the rules better than the umpire, I have heard in my short game time - Never heard that in my 20 years of playing, cries from 150 yards away criticising LBW decisions, folk not knowing no ball height or line rules, fellow umpires who are playing quoting ICC directives as opposed to our NCU playing regs. This is not the norm but almost every game if I were following the correct process I would have had the disciplinary sheet out, which is not something I wish to do.
6. I hope i am wrong in this but a lot of my umpiring colleagues really did not seem to want to be there. Maybe because they have been umpiring too long but there was a disillusionment with some.
7. Lack of player recognition - Umpires get things wrong, players drop catches miss straight deliveries, known of us are perfect.

I hope this doesn't paint too bleak a picture, the majority on my course are doing well and umpiring a lot, I have chosen not too and instead am happy watching whomever is playing at Templepatrick or Mallusk. I may return to umpiring in 10 or 15 years but I would highly recommend anyone who is thinking about it to give it a go, you won't know till you have tried and at least I have tried.

It is disappointing the lack of official umpires in the game as I think umpires are an important part of being able to play the game and enjoy it as a player.
Personally I don't think it is really viable to expect clubs to put umpires forward as although there are probably a lot of willing volunteers, most people just want to play as long as they can. Yes this avenue can be used (and has been in the past) to get the odd umpire here and there but as mentioned a little out of the box thinking is required.
For example, have we thought about trying to approach the governing bodies of the 'winter sports'...Rugby, Football, Hockey, GAA, Hurling etc, to see if we can create a progressive learning path for officials from these sports to become umpires during the summer months.
Now I am not suggesting that we fast track anyone but could there be a 1/2 year long, staged learning curve that would include practical umpiring as well as examination based learning? Depending on how 'qualified' they would be would determine the level they umpire at.
I also think a better renumeration package should be put together for umpires, with clubs footing the bill for this.
The lack of umpires is an issue I think we should all be looking to solve, players, clubs, NCU, and CI as without them it makes this game less enjoyable and less creditable.

The shortage of umpires is a concern, as the game doesn't function without them.

There was an iniative a few years ago, where clubs would nominate one person, who would officiate one match that season, alongside an experienced umpire. I thought it was an excellent idea, except that the representative from our club was never used! Would a similar iniative help in the short term?

Unfortunately, if clubs who do not provide an umpire, or umpires, to the NIACUS ranks get penalised by not being assigned umpires, their opponents and the game are also punished. But on the other side of the coin, does a club who regularly provide umpires deserve to have a match with no officials?

re. Payments for Umpires

Interesting to see the debate about the payments for Umpires, I stood in a game last season and never received any contact about payment. Good job that I wasn't doing it for the money!

Would also note that the match I stood in lasted almost the full 100 overs and I was probably more tired that evening than I would be after playing a game. Its not an easy job at all. I've always thought the training course offered by NIACUS is potentially off-putting as not everyone can give up the Friday evening, all day Saturday and most of a Sunday in a particular weekend to learn how to be an umpire.

Perhaps a short-course option would be an idea for current players (who ought to have a knowledge of the rules and regulations already?)who could potentially offer to stand on days their team has no fixture?