Forum

Every so often I drop into the forum to read the banter - If rumours were to be believed Inst have paid the majority of the team for years - no-one ever thought I got paid though - wonder why that is?
As for CI rumours re who is coming and who is getting paid what - I am sure they are all greatly exaggerated and if they want to spend the money let them. The reason they seem to get a bit more stick is that their results have not been great in recent years. I think this is more due to the fact the team has changed every year and players have come and gone - if they keep a settled side for a couple of years they could be a threat. It is very difficult to generate a team spirit that will get you through the close matches without a settled team. Liked Coops comment re getting paid for runs in front of square - I, like him , would struggle to generate much income over the season! Now if it was £5 for every run through gulley - I would at least have enough to buy a quarter of Jeremy Bray for the season depending on who you talk to!!

de Villiers was just ok. Best outfielders off the top of me noggin: Hutchy, Whitey, Greg Thompson. Outside bet: Paul Coverdale, quick and best arm I've seen. Now, worst fielder...

Now that the 'stour' seems to have settled a little on here for the time being at least, I reckon it's a good time to update the readers and those itching to get back and at it... how my early outdoor cricket practise is progressing!

Well as you know, I like to keep ahead of the chasing 'pack', the early bird gets the worm and all that, so what with the unseasonally mild winter we've been experiencing I should be able to report that I'm well ahead off schedule.

Alas this is not the case!

The problem being ofcourse as I've alluded too from previous posts, as I use the nearby football pitches in Moira demense I don't have the convenience of any cricket nets, subsequentially and as no brave souls ever dare to join me, I rely on my dog to retrieve the numerous cricket balls that I hurl down from 22yrds at the single stump.

Wee Oscar our 1yr old Shi-tzu just isn't shaping up at all, he loves getting out alright and as I've previously mentioned he'll chase the ball willingly, but the retrieval instinct of the Shi-tzu breed just isn't there and when he does collect the dam thing, it's away he goes in the opposite direction, dropping the ball somewhere along the line as he proceeds on his merry way.

Ah well, at least I'm getting fit and losing an inch or two off the waist-line as I chase after the 'wee blighter' !!

(Further updates will appear as & when it occurs).

On a more serious note:

Not much real debate about who would clearly be rated as the best, so who would the forum think could be perhaps the second or third best out-fielder out there over the years in the NCU?

Seeing as even my old mate has, surprisingly, bitten the bait and entered a posting in the case for the defence, will stick it my own, opinion that is, not case for the defence.

There has been some fairly blinkered stuff on both sides of this so called argument. On the anti-recruiting debate some fanciful notional statements about payments to players are just thrown out casually as if all are privy to what is paid by each club and to who; (perhaps this is something that the Union would like to get involved with as in The Premier League in England all players salaries are now public matter). Speaking of the Premier League, Manchester City are taking similar flak through their recruitment etc but can tell you for nothing if they win the league not a supporter or anyone affiliated to the club will give one dot how much they have forked out. Each cricket club has their own amount of money to do with what they will.
On the ‘CI side’ though there appears to be just as much fanciful stuff on show. The argument that they ( and being fair almost every club does the same), recruit players mainly to help coach etc etc and they all have roles within the club is becoming to say the least a bit thin. Why not just come out and say that the majority of players are being recruited and brought in, first and foremost to win cricket matches (and not to coach); this may result in promoting the club to a higher standard which in turn may attract younger players and so on for the future. And given that this is the policy be prepared that others will not like it and criticise; that’s the nature of success in general. And anyway is being talked about not one of the top criteria for spending the dough in the first place???

Andy K :

We could invite "Dan" back and let him bash you again??!!

c'mon Clarence - we can't "bash" CI or England and the rants about Derriaghy died out years ago so what's left?!! I'll have to start writing about Flossie!

Re Coops;

You are quite correct my old friend, i am infact a v fleeting reader of the forums these days, they bore me, tbh. I generally only reply when i see something to do with myself, hence my lack of forum messages!!!

Good to hear you're back playing mate, your non stop chat on the field is a pain tho!!!

Russeller

Its not often russeller or coops get dragged in to talking on this forum... shows you the extent of the absolute rubbish which has been talked over the last week or so. The CI bashing comes up on here every few months.. im sure its water off a ducks back now for the boys.

The usual responses are applicable.. they are not the only club spending money.. times are changing so up to any club if they want to spend money etc etc etc.

Coops, according to Cricinfo Taimur's only 36!

This is a good read hey, helping get the day in all right! I haven't come on to justify or defend, it's not my thing, and a futile exercise here anyway but at least nice to see a few considered posts this time round and even some support. The Owens make a fair point re perception of paid players but Andy is clearly misinformed re Craig McMillan - if Macca's coming back he doesn't know it himself yet.

Fair do's to Michael Johnson's sledge, points for that, though we know you jest. Or did you mean swapping with the wife?

Personally, my own retirement was pathetically short-lived, having been coaxed back for another rattle at it this year by all these new faces. Don't kid yourselves about our wage bill; hype and speculation is obviously free. Billy from Lisburn concedes to not having the NCU contacts any more yet has somehow gleaned sufficient inside info to assure us that CI are in for 50k this year. Me? £5 a run (in front of square only) and a bonus for walking in with the bowler properly, fair recompense for a decrepit 42 year old surely? If the nay-sayers knew the facts they'd still refuse to believe it.

I don't think we'll see too much of PC or Ryan H at Belmont this year either, just to pour cold water on Kyle Mitchell's and RB's assertions.

Russeller, you gotta stop munching the bait, this forum isn't for discussion or debate it's for rantings, slurs, accusations and bunkum. You're tiring out your typing finger for no good reason.

To more pressing matters, if you haven't signed Victoria's petition, be ashamed and rectify.

Lastly, does anyone know Taimur's real age? I reckon my reign as oldest player in the team is over...

Well spoken Andy McCullough. Your silence was deafening until that email. Nobody enjoys criticism, especially if it is unfair, so it is very important that your club gives an official perspective and you have done that very effectively. You will never please everyone so do what you feel is best for your club and good luck with your ambitions. We need more clubs to be as positive about their future so let's stop the CI bashing and move on.

Thanks to those adding their name to the list as we speak!

We only need another 123 to reach 1,000 signatures!!

Your support is appreciated!

Our petition will be presented to the council this evening. If you haven't already signed up to this petition, I would urge to to take a look.

PLEASE sign it and support us in our opposition to the proposed hige price increase!

http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/victoriacc

I have deliberately avoided this forum for some time as many of the ill informed comments make me cringe. As President of CIYMS CC for a second year I am very proud of our club's ambition. What you do not see is an excellent committee working hard to find sponsors, organise fund raising events, source coaches and players suited to our plans and, above all, meet the demands of our members. We are a club thriving with an abundance of young players to provide us with a future at all levels within the club; and yes, with every opportunity being made for the talented players to improve their game and give them the ambition to play at the highest level they can. It's not many years ago we had no youth section, nets were the same old faces doing the basic routine. Now we are full to bursting and the players at all levels are learning the good habits for match preparation; proper training from talented coaches such as Hinky, Smudge, Mackers, Sleithy in addition to those the club has had the good fortune to have in our ranks the last few seasons and especially now with the first class team of players, coaches and management to support our club. Yes it will be in the years to come when we all may know just how successful this investment has been. But be aware, it's a long-term plan and the committee recognises we have still much to achieve. So, for the CI bashers I would never expect you to understand or accept CIYMS as a right thinking club doing all we can to move forward. For the rest of us, I can honestly say we are loving our time in the top leagues - 1sts, 2nds, 3rds & 4ths all playing against better oppositions and enjoying their sport. The friendships and rivals will remain and are a part of the game we all love. So I look forward to seeing you all this season.