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Davy McD VCC

Looking forward to watching England Sri-lanka instead of playing :-(

25th Jun 2011

Lost grounds
Another one to add to the list would be Newry and Mourne at Newry Rugby Club.

With regards to the start time, one more thing to take into consideration, today we were supposed to be playing Ards seconds with a 1pm start time, I carried out a pitch inspection last night and there was doubt about the ground with water lying in a couple of spots in the outfield.
Knowing that Ards would be leaving about 10:30 - 11am I got up about 8.30 and arranged to go in at 9.30 to make a decision about the game, pitch was unplayable with quite large areas of water lying in parts of the outfield, but if the game had been scheduled for an 11am start, what time would the pitch inspection have had to taken place? 7.30am, so getting up at 6.30 on my day off work?
yeah right.

Dicky

Saintfield

24th Jun 2011

Many congratulations to Saintfield U15's in their Graham Cup victory. Well done to all involved over the years as i believe the first Graham Cup in the clubs history.

David Edwards

Work but don't tell the boss

24th Jun 2011

Lost grounds

Warren Gardens, Lisburn (Leisure Centre car park)
Ormeau Park (Parks pitch)
Several at City of Belfast Playing Fields
The Dub
Cherryvale?
Inverary Avenue
Shorts
ICI
Holywood on A2
New Forge Lane (Cooke)

Steve McChesney

Work

24th Jun 2011

Lost grounds - how could we forget Greenisland????

Neal

Still in work

24th Jun 2011

Big one of the clubs and grounds that is missing is Ormeau Road - North of Ireland CC

Neal

Work ( unfortuneately )

24th Jun 2011

Re : Steve McChesney

Bod you dont want to start that rules and regulations stream again. I said exactly the same thing way before the start of the season about playing ODI rules with powerplays, coloured gear etc to help NCU plays feed into the Ireland set up easier if selected and also to help bring a bit more excitement back into the game.

As usual though there were plenty out there who thought cricket as it is now works and that no-one is walking away from the game because they are stuck in the same 100 overs a day game that starts at 1 ( until July ) and normally finishes by 8 then home by 9 if your lucky ( unless you have a freakish game ).

How could we ever cope if something changed? It could be the end of the game in our wee country!!! I THINK NOT!!

taito

belfast

24th Jun 2011

latest finish i have ever played in last night: Our game last night finished at 9.50pm, crazy time to be finishing a cricket match. Has anyone played in a game without floodlights that finished later?

andy kennedy

sunny Buckna

24th Jun 2011

Davy - add to your list Cloughfern, Academy at Mallusk, St. Mary's in North Belfast, the grounds of the "Parks League", Cliftonville on the Cliftonville Road, Musgrave Park.

Davy McD VCC

thinking of my childhood

23rd Jun 2011

Grounds lost (and club if you can remember)
lord lurgan Memorial park - first home of Victoria CC
Shane park - Instonians
Lurgan park (upper pitch) - Crossbows
Blaris - Lambeg CC / Lisnagarvey hockey club
Deramore Avenue - Collegians
Deramore Drive - Park or whatever the name was - ?
The Meadow - Crossgar

Fix the mistakes or add grounds that you can recall playing on that are no longer listed (i.e. show your age lol)

P.S. I can also recall seeing Lambeg playing at ballykinlar army camp in the early 1970's but not sure who they were playing against, anyone help?

Padraig MacGabhann

Baile an Choinnleora

23rd Jun 2011

Yes - hats off to Jeff and co at Dundrum CC. I noticed in last week's Mourne Observer a photo of Jeff and club professional receiving "cead mile failte" at Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche in Castlewellan as they introduced cricket to the young pupils at this school. This school in case some of you hadn't worked out, teaches in the medium of Irish Language at primary school level. Talk about taking cricket to the very grass roots.
"Maith thú" Dundrum

Davy McD VCC

dreaming of grounds long since past.

23rd Jun 2011

Dont often do this, but have to agree with Vic Johns for once lol
the amount of young players that Dundrum cc are bringing through is a credit to their (small) club, and shows what can be acheived with a go-ahead seam of willing workers at any club.
Likewise, having had the "pleasure" of being destroyed at Moylena a couple of weeks ago, there are a lot of very talented young players there, again a go-ahead forward thinking club, that rather than sell off land, decided to spend money making the second pitch better and with plans to improve it further.
If only some other clubs could have had the same forward thinking a few years ago, my memories of playing at Deramore and Shane Park, could have been re-visited on homeward journeys from other grounds inside the Belfast area.

Andrew

Dry Shaws Bridge

23rd Jun 2011

Brave boy hiding behind a player with no name.
You worry about your bowling!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ivan mccombe

home for an evening

23rd Jun 2011

Andrew/Muckamore player. " see no comment from Ivan,facts must be correct".

Have I missed something ? What was I meant to comment on ? I certainly don't want involved in a slanging match between clubs. Instonians have some fine cricket people and none of them ever gave me the impression they saw their club as a " big club ". I will add that the Instonians chairman Mr Norman Shannon sent a very nice note to Muckamore via Andy Clement congratulating us for promoting the game v Waringstown last weekend.This gesture was certainly appreciated by all of us who had made the effort. Let's hope we see a good turnout from both club's at this weekend's league game at Moylena and let's hope we put up more of a fight than we did last weekend in what was an embarrassing defeat at Shaws Bridge.

Also M.Parks(VCC),none of my comments were pointed at any individual or any single club. To help cricket grow in Ireland I think we have to think for the game not our own club. Victoria are surely an example of what can be achieved and Dundrum are proof if proof is needed if you have a leader who goes out and spreads the word. Just look at their results, league position and youth section.

I was at the second night of the Bready v Eglinton game last night and I was amazed at the number of under 15 players who sat and took in the game.

Vic Johns

Bloomin hailstones now !!

23rd Jun 2011

Stevie Max.
Yes kudos to Jeff, yourself & Dundrum C.C.

I noticed that within these most recent seasons when our two respective clubs play eachother, there is quite alot more younger players involved (on both sides) and this is surely proof and just reward for the good work being done by the afore-mentioned gentlemen.

A further good example as in my previous post, of how committment and no little amount of hard work and effort can still make cricket a fun,enjoyable and worthwhile sport for the young-uns !

(And some older folks too)!!

Stevie Max

Mallusk

23rd Jun 2011

Guys, I don't think that slagging each other’s clubs off about their support and/or facilities are good on this forum. We all recognise that cricket requires a lot more work put into it at club level especially to keep/attracted young people. Other sports find it so easy to do. Our sport is a summer sport and that in itself is a problem, because we often don't get summer! Freezing your b******* off at any ground in April or late September certainly isn’t my idea of enjoyment!
Vic has mentioned youth in Lurgan/Waringstown and at his beloved Victoria. Well here in Dundrum and in particular Jeff Maguire has set up youth coaching and teams. We had over 50 in one evening. We have matches organised between schools, tournaments in the summer and coaching schemes organised too.
As far as the children are concerned I wonder how many of them will stay on and develop into top rate senior players. There are quite a few who have the potential but do we have the coaching ability to bring out the best in them? i don't know, but I fear that the work that Jeff does in Dundrum and other people in other clubs could have limited reward because the children have so many other potential attractions to lure them away.
The ECB and Government have initiated a "Chance to Shine" campaign which brings a cricketing theme into every lesson in school life. "There's so much about cricket that prepares you for life - working in a team, communicating with other people, getting out and being active and learning how to win and lose" – quote by England skipper Andrew Strauss. Could we try this in a few selected schools here and gauge the reaction from teachers and pupils? You may even find that kids won’t mind playing cricket all day Saturday. It may only work in schools where cricket has always been taught but trying something is better than thinking about it!
In India, they same that Cricket is not just a game, it’s a way of life.