Forum

Thanks Interested Observer. Keeping a low profile with all those people looking for me.
PS
Whatever happened to free speech?

Re Paul Stafford

Any chance of any constructive feedback or is it just veiled threats ?

True Stuart - I am sure it is sqeaky bum time at the Aghy. Just exciting for the neutral!! The only positive is that there is 2 up next year so if you dont manage to avoid the drop you will have a fair cahance to get back up (although, I think Lurgan, Muckamore and whoever else comes down ill have something to say about it!). At least you can look back at the end of the season and say you done your best to get games played and tried your best.

If so many people are upset about September cricket in one way or another, why do the rules say the season ends at the end of the September, why not propose it ends at the end of August.
That way, there will be even more time to kill over the winter being dragged around shopping or some other exciting task.
Its a long winter, so why are so many anti-cricket?!!!

Unfulfilling fixtures?
This is the time of year when clubs are often cajoled into fulfilling fixtures not necessarily for their own benefit but for the sake of the opposition.
Sides going for the titles will always get their best XIs out while the opposition are emotionally blackmailed into fulfilling the fixture with whoever they can muster so as not to upset their opponents title bid.
September has always had more than its fair share of 'meaningless'(to one side) matches where easy points have been picked up. A couple of the sides well represented on the forum have over the years have regularly 'saved their skins' in the relegation stakes with wins which would have been unthinkable on a sunny June Saturday.
It may seem great that there is still something to play for in September but I'm not sure that the play itself is that great however.

Michael,
Can I be on your side? Looks like warfare with Staffie @ Co....

paul doherty

don't think exciting is the word i'd use for the bottom of the premier league, not from our position anyway ha ha. should be an interesting last weekend.

maybe we were being used as a hypothetical example, but i'd like to point out that we at derriaghy have always made every effort to fulfil our fixtures, to our own cost maybe. as the league table points out, we have played at least 2 more league games than anyone else in the league.
it has been a real struggle for us and we have taken some severe beatings especially in the last few weeks, but we have tried our best, so i think for a certain reporter to be spouting off to all that would listen to him that we were a 'disgrace to the premier league' is a bit harsh.

Paul, I'm leaving the country. I feel like you are gathering a possee to seek me out. I've doubled my security and pulled the blinds. Give me two days start.

2 up 2 down? What great excitement it has generated - the bottom of the Premier league looks even more exciting than the top at the moment.

Gary Cheese

Perhaps you could introduce yourself to me sometime, perhaps at the NCU dinner as it would be lovely to put a face to a name and we could put the world to rights over a pint.

Michael Patterson

I'd love to meet you too Michael to apologise for finally snapping after 9 months of snide remarks in my direction. Lisburn CC who denied you were anything to do with them and the Waringstown CC you insulted, I'm sure would love to meet you as well. NCU board and in particular the Union secretary Bryan Milford whose appointment you accused of being an inside job would be keen to talk to you, and last but not least the Northern Ireland Umpires Association whom you damned with faint praise and followed it up with accusations they had members who were open to corruption would be keen to listen to your positive contributions.

Yes Michael, there is a long list of people who can't wait to meet you.

re craig, think theirs no doubt that lurgan always be welcome in dundrum as all teams are , its time too move on at the end of the day its only 4 points & they might have won game anyway. I hate too see others people slagging clubs over anything & i have no doubt that it will happen again as its very hard getting teams out any day at this time season including ourselves.Dundrum will try play their last 4 games as we have still a good chance of wiining & stay in a super competitive section , and all clubs have made us welcome and thats what cricket is about.have too say craig im ringing your boss too make sure your working on the 27sept as you were man of the match in the meadow.DUNDRUM seconds are away too play ards the day and they turned up with 12 players now thats funny.ps think TANTO FAZ win at great leighs.

Can I please state that I speak for myself and not on behalf of Lurgan CC. Our Chairman Graeme Hunter has outlined our clubs position.

As a player I was devasated to receive a text from Neil Anderson late on Thursday 11th Sept saying our game was off was due to the fact that we could not raise a side. I was one who had agreed to play and had again been given an agreement from employers. (Unless you are in this position it will never be fully understood.I can state that Friday fixtures cost me an estimated £500.)My comment is that in no way would Lurgan ever jeopardise the integrity of the League. In fact Lurgan could have been both promoted or relegated depending on results if all games were brought to conclusion and have arranged games with sides needing to play.
I personally would like to apologise to Dundrum CC for our withdrawal gainsy Holywood and sincerely hope that when we next meet, the welcome will be as warm as our first meeting

Ivan, what about going back to the old senior and junior committees that were scrapped in the 70s? It seems senior and junior cricket needs are different these days and that the rules down the leagues need not be as strict as for senior cricket. I like your positive approach to the current problems but surely the committee you are suggesting already exists? It took the junior clubs nearly 50 years to get rid of the senior committee but it did look after its own needs. Maybe the existing committees don't have enough senior reps making the senior cricket decisions?

Although I haven't a clue and I'm negative and bitter according to Paul Staford, it seems there are plenty of others that share my views.
I think there is mileage in having the serious league games at the front end of the season and another competition at the back end, possibly starting earlier and of shorter duration. It won't improve the weather but it will make it easier to fulfil fixtures.
First three leagues of 8 teams and the rest in section four. All cup games on Sundays including Irish Senior Cup. Second competition to start in mid August possibly 20-30 overs, maybe involving North-West clubs to give it additional interest. Starting date unfortunately 2010 season.

How do we get the rules to cover a season like this ? But Senior teams pulling out of fixtures and handing points to teams in the relegation zone just can't be right. But is playing on a mud heap with a bar of soap a fair contest. If the NCU directive is to have a Premier League of 16 over two divisions why not play this "serious " cricket under different rules to the remainder . Maybe have stricter rules on covers ,ground sheets.water hogs,quality artificial wickets , quality professionals, rearrangements etc..Maybe have a situation were there is a play off between the bottom team in Section Two and the top "qualifying " club from Section Three to determine who plays where in the following season.
If you look back over the past ten seasons and analysis the number of games NOT played by teams outside the top two leagues then I would guess a "no rearrangement " policy would just tidy things up. Maybe we need to appoint a Premier League supremo charged with ensuring we have a real best v best contest and attract a sponsor and prize money that makes investment in facilities and players easier.
In fact would it be totally wrong to make a proposal to the NCU AGM that from 2009 season the clubs elect the Board of Directors / Committee call it what you will . ( I would suggest that this should include some Non Exec types not affiliated to any club ). Full stop.After that this elected executive of about 11 people take over all the decision making including what rules we play under.That way hopefully decisions will be made solely in the " interests of the game " and not in a "everyone looking after themselves " approach.
Radical thinking but we daren't carry on as we are.