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Clubs with poor facilities paying players

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BatEleven said:
How many teams, if any, don't pay anyone in the NEPL leagues? It's local cricket and should remain that way. I don't understand how someone can leave their home club where they played their junior cricket for the sake of a few quid. Some of the tripe getting paid is unreal.
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I always found this weird in cricket but I suppose in terms of the standard, local cricket is extremely high compared to the equivalent of local football for example. Take for instance the NEPL2. This is full of teams on a "local" level as you put it, but effectively there is only NEPL1 between it and the professional game. You could even go as far to sat when using a football analogy you are looking at the league being the equivalent of League 2 or Conference, where players are on a professional wage.

Not saying I am for or against it but always found it interesting. I do hate seeing a club paying over half a side with no regard for bringing through their own kids. Thankfully in my experience of NEPL2 so far, most sides have a "local" feel to their sides, complemented by some quality paid players. The balance feels right to me. Ironically it seems to be the Durham League where there seem to be more mercenaries switching left right and centre for a few shillings more.
 

Carteron said:
I always found this weird in cricket but I suppose in terms of the standard, local cricket is extremely high compared to the equivalent of local football for example. Take for instance the NEPL2. This is full of teams on a "local" level as you put it, but effectively there is only NEPL1 between it and the professional game. You could even go as far to sat when using a football analogy you are looking at the league being the equivalent of League 2 or Conference, where players are on a professional wage.

Not saying I am for or against it but always found it interesting. I do hate seeing a club paying over half a side with no regard for bringing through their own kids. Thankfully in my experience of NEPL2 so far, most sides have a "local" feel to their sides, complemented by some quality paid players. The balance feels right to me. Ironically it seems to be the Durham League where there seem to be more mercenaries switching left right and centre for a few shillings more.
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Good post
 
Sweeper said:
Played at Evenwood on Saturday - no bar, no showers. Not sure they are paying anyone though to be fair - Billy Teesdale has been paid in the past I think but isn't Evenwood his home club? Assume he's playing there for free.

Esh Winning are the worst example I've seen. Horrible changing "hut" with mud on the floor and damp all over the walls, showers didn't work but they have a Pakistan "A" player (as well as at least one paid english pro). Half of the money they pay to the overseas pro for one year could sort the changing facilities out for the best part of a decade.
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Been like that for years.

brandon said:
Aye but the DCL isn't really a 'big league' though.
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Spot on.
 
Carteron makes a great post. To sum up, there are some bang average players getting paid a lot of money for not a lot of talent. That's more fool them on the clubs' part though.

As for the idea of a vote in respect to ground grading, I can't see what grounds (no pun intended) ANY club would have to vote against ground grading. Any club who said no to it would obviously be masking their own problems or wishing to hide from them. I think that it's long overdue really. I mean I don't want to single any club out but when bairns are going to places to play junior cricket and there's no running water and the changers stink of shite - it's nee good really. It isn't much better for the adults of course. Some facilities aren't fit to house animals, never mind club cricketers :lol:

*brandon dismounts his high horse*
 
My thoughts on the matter!!

All teams want to win! If they didn't there is no point in playing at higher levels and I count the ex County League and Senior league as high levels as Cateron rightly states.

The issue for years has been teams like Esh, Bournmoor etc. winning their respective leagues, with players on wages, but turning down the chance to be promoted.

That is where the leagues become a farce. Bournmoor might win the Senior, Esh the County but they are not, by a long shot, reaching their full potential.

Due to the old pyramid system it was very easy for teams to slap themselves on the back for a successful season but play again in the same league the next season. Lets face it, Bournmoor should have been playing NEPL and Esh at least Senior.

There was, and probably still is an attitude of staying a big fish in a little pond rather than to invest in facilities and push the clubs to higher levels. The normal excuses of travel, cost, paying for better players should never have applied. If the team won the league, they where promoted or sanctions should have been placed. The fact that these teams won the leagues and turned down promotion has stiffled ambitious teams from progressing (Brandon is a prime example).There has been exceptions to the rule, for instance when Kimblesworth won the Senior the season after promotion, they where not ready to move into NEPL.

The issue has been that the respective leagues have been ran as totally seperate from the pyramid and the league committes have allowed this to happen. Hopefully with the leagues now under the control of DCB this will never be allowed to happen again and hopefully if a team does win its league if it can not meet the criteria for promotion funding is withdrawn until the facilities are up to scratch.

It is still happening now, I use the example of Brandons excellent junior set up. Refusing to join the central division and play against the best junior teams in the NEPL and blaming travel. How can their juniors reach their full potential if the don't step out of their comfort zone and play against the best regularly. I know that they should win their leagues and get to play these teams in the play offs but I fear they will recieve a huge shock with the standard.
 
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Excellent post that Mick.

I know we have disagreed previously about the Brandon Junior issue but if I can just add one bit of an opinion - it may change your view slightly on it. I was in a meeting earlier in the season with the coaches and the committee and the travel reason was discussed at large. One thing Brandon have never been scared of is a good hiding! The chaps at the top table within the club have youth at the forefront of their plans and if by playing better opposition and getting beat regularly the kids will learn and improve - they're all for it. It is simply a travel issue (in their opinion).

I would like to see them elevated myself mind. Even if I'll not be doing any travelling myself.
 
To be honest, in terms of ability your Brandon lads will be every bit as good as the NEPL lads.

The difference, in my experience, is the intensity generated by the teams during games. Come and see CLS under 18's play compared to most other teams.

The are never quiet, are in the batsmans ear throughout, encourage each other constantly. I've seen many teams fold just because of the pressure they are put under. That is the big difference I'm talking about and if your youth set up learns to cope with that, they can compete anywhere.
 
mickonline said:
To be honest, in terms of ability your Brandon lads will be every bit as good as the NEPL lads.

The difference, in my experience, is the intensity generated by the teams during games. Come and see CLS under 18's play compared to most other teams.

The are never quiet, are in the batsmans ear throughout, encourage each other constantly. I've seen many teams fold just because of the pressure they are put under. That is the big difference I'm talking about and if your youth set up learns to cope with that, they can compete anywhere.
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That's how it should be, trouble is even some of our senior players aren't like that. They drift in and out of the game and lose concentration, its a massive shame cause theres some cracking talent there.

I myself don't shut up, mainly cause I'm a mouthy fucker but also cause my other life as a goalkeeper warrants a gobby persona!
 
brandon said:
Excellent post that Mick.

I know we have disagreed previously about the Brandon Junior issue but if I can just add one bit of an opinion - it may change your view slightly on it. I was in a meeting earlier in the season with the coaches and the committee and the travel reason was discussed at large. One thing Brandon have never been scared of is a good hiding! The chaps at the top table within the club have youth at the forefront of their plans and if by playing better opposition and getting beat regularly the kids will learn and improve - they're all for it. It is simply a travel issue (in their opinion).

I would like to see them elevated myself mind. Even if I'll not be doing any travelling myself.
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Have to say I've enjoyed my 3 visits to Brandon this season for our seconds, thirds and development teams lovely ground and nice atmosphere but have to say what happened last Monday completely contradicts what you saying about your juniors:-o

Eppleton under 11s were to play in a 3 team competition on Monday (this day was forced on us by a committee member who insisted we play that day!!! ) Blaydon who were the other team never turned up :evil: Brandon only had 7 players although they should have been 10. At least 3 of the Brandon players in the under 11 team were under 13:evil: at the end of our game that we were beaten Brandon admitted to us that they were playing over age players and gave us the match.

We turned up with our 10 and paid £50 to get the team there and as we only played one game had to take our players back to Eppleton and keep them at he club till the time we had arranged for parents to pick them up!!!

Lets see what happens Tuesday when your under 13s play at ours!!!
 
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