Seaham Harbour CC

Maybe we have to identify at what age the biggest dropout is. If it is, say, 17, then why not have an under-21 league and lads might be more keen to continue playing, as they would be still with their mates from the same age group. I have found that lads who are 17/18 and who don't get a weekend game are very difficult to attract to another club as the one they were at since they were little is all they've known.
 


Carteron said:
I understand what you are saying, maybe there is an argument to slightly lower the standards. But as far as I can see, the criteria of having to have 3 senior teams means the club are showing they can satisfy fixtures in the foreseeable, and requiring a junior set up means clubs cannot just come along with a sugar daddy who finances a superstar XI, with no regard for the rest of the club (ie 2nd/3rd/junior development), get them to the top, then destroy the club once he or she loses interest. That IMO is the intention of the NEPL. To give clubs the opportunity to rise to the top, but not to the detriment of their junior section, and not getting an unfair advantage by investing heavily in their 1st team whilst other clubs think of the future.
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I totally agree the last thing you want is a sugar daddy just paying for one team and not interested in the rest of the club,

You need the whole club to be put first,however it’s the numbers.

I simply don’t think there is enough interest to consistently have 3 teams at the amount of clubs required ,it’s sad but true.

I also don’t think the NEPL has the best interests of ALl clubs at heart.

This is illustrated by other strict criteria’s other than the 3 team criteria

It’s more of elitest criterias rather than best for all clubs.
 
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Ageing trundler said:
Maybe we have to identify at what age the biggest dropout is. If it is, say, 17, then why not have an under-21 league and lads might be more keen to continue playing, as they would be still with their mates from the same age group. I have found that lads who are 17/18 and who don't get a weekend game are very difficult to attract to another club as the one they were at since they were little is all they've known.
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The ECB identified the drop out age years ago. It’s between about 15 and 18. They’ve tried the coloured kit, music, Friday night, pink ball approach and that hasn’t really worked. Unfortunately, cricket is a time consuming game and often expensive game. The world has changed massively in the past twenty years or so and participation is dwindling. It is going to be very hard to address that and sustain any kind of long term growth for the game.

This is why the league systems simply have to adapt and realise that clubs will drastically struggle to field two let alone three senior sides at the weekend. It needs a major upheaval to stop clubs going to the wall.
 
The Voice Of Reason said:
Things not looking to good ?
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Here me out on this!

Durham CCC is the worst thing that has ever happened for the club game in the North East!

There's a reason why the club game was so strong! No first class cricket! We craved it! Now we don't watch it!

Firstly it's in the wrong place! It should have been Durham and Northumberland and been based in Newcastle! Chester-le-Street is in the middle of nowhere as far as people finishing work is concerned. Metro home would be fine. Look at Headingly! That's the reason Yorkshire didn't move to Wakefield in the late 90's.

The Premier League Cricket pull skids from clubs like Seaham and therefore their community. They leave straight after the match to get home. It places expense on clubs by having uniforms, fancy scoreboards, and social media.

Where are the tea ladies now? They'd do it for a cause but not when people are making from it.

I played at Whitburn and a stalwart batsman (Class in the DSL) who should be playing into his fifties retired aged just 42 as he was just a fraction of a second slower than in the old DSL. This then kills the social side.

The pits have shut too and the generation at the time are now in their 40's and 50's.

The world is changing constantly and the game I love is dying and I blame those Empire Builders keen for the elitist glamour, and Durham CCC birth. Hindsight is wonderful and be careful what you wish for.
 
Useless at Roker said:
Here me out on this!

Durham CCC is the worst thing that has ever happened for the club game in the North East!

There's a reason why the club game was so strong! No first class cricket! We craved it! Now we don't watch it!

Firstly it's in the wrong place! It should have been Durham and Northumberland and been based in Newcastle! Chester-le-Street is in the middle of nowhere as far as people finishing work is concerned. Metro home would be fine. Look at Headingly! That's the reason Yorkshire didn't move to Wakefield in the late 90's.

The Premier League Cricket pull skids from clubs like Seaham and therefore their community. They leave straight after the match to get home. It places expense on clubs by having uniforms, fancy scoreboards, and social media.

Where are the tea ladies now? They'd do it for a cause but not when people are making from it.

I played at Whitburn and a stalwart batsman (Class in the DSL) who should be playing into his fifties retired aged just 42 as he was just a fraction of a second slower than in the old DSL. This then kills the social side.

The pits have shut too and the generation at the time are now in their 40's and 50's.

The world is changing constantly and the game I love is dying and I blame those Empire Builders keen for the elitist glamour, and Durham CCC birth. Hindsight is wonderful and be careful what you wish for.
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Don’t understand yer point re batsman

BTW is it Oxy yer referring to. Was amazed when he gave it up
 
Useless at Roker said:
Here me out on this!

Durham CCC is the worst thing that has ever happened for the club game in the North East!

There's a reason why the club game was so strong! No first class cricket! We craved it! Now we don't watch it!

Firstly it's in the wrong place! It should have been Durham and Northumberland and been based in Newcastle! Chester-le-Street is in the middle of nowhere as far as people finishing work is concerned. Metro home would be fine. Look at Headingly! That's the reason Yorkshire didn't move to Wakefield in the late 90's.

The Premier League Cricket pull skids from clubs like Seaham and therefore their community. They leave straight after the match to get home. It places expense on clubs by having uniforms, fancy scoreboards, and social media.

Where are the tea ladies now? They'd do it for a cause but not when people are making from it.

I played at Whitburn and a stalwart batsman (Class in the DSL) who should be playing into his fifties retired aged just 42 as he was just a fraction of a second slower than in the old DSL. This then kills the social side.

The pits have shut too and the generation at the time are now in their 40's and 50's.

The world is changing constantly and the game I love is dying and I blame those Empire Builders keen for the elitist glamour, and Durham CCC birth. Hindsight is wonderful and be careful what you wish for.
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Your second line sums it up, rightly or wrongly the premier league was set up solely with the purpose of supporting the county, without a second thought for local clubs who had been going 100 years.

It is elitist and has put pressure on local ran clubs and their finances.
 
As we've shown before any club is welcome to join the NEDCL if they need help. You can enter with only 1 team, and it might just be for a season or two to allow rebuilding. Hopefully this safety net will survive, with at least two clubs looking for promotion this season.
 
robkitchuk said:
As we've shown before any club is welcome to join the NEDCL if they need help. You can enter with only 1 team, and it might just be for a season or two to allow rebuilding. Hopefully this safety net will survive, with at least two clubs looking for promotion this season.
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as long as the DCL relegate a club down it will survive - was shocking this didnt happen this year.

Ageing trundler said:
Maybe we have to identify at what age the biggest dropout is. If it is, say, 17, then why not have an under-21 league and lads might be more keen to continue playing, as they would be still with their mates from the same age group. I have found that lads who are 17/18 and who don't get a weekend game are very difficult to attract to another club as the one they were at since they were little is all they've known.
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This was exactly me, albeit a few years back now. I played U13 & U15 cricket and fell out of love with the game and with the mates i'd played junior cricket with, i didnt know anyone playing anywhere else. It was only my gaffa at a former job who got me back playing cricket again in my early 20's othwerwise i probably would never have played again.
 
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SAFC2403 said:
as long as the DCL relegate a club down it will survive - was shocking this didnt happen this year.


This was exactly me, albeit a few years back now. I played U13 & U15 cricket and fell out of love with the game and with the mates i'd played junior cricket with, i didnt know anyone playing anywhere else. It was only my gaffa at a former job who got me back playing cricket again in my early 20's othwerwise i probably would never have played again.
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The avenue of getting people back into cricket may be one worth considering. Lads getting to drinking age naturally have their heads turned, and inevitable lasses come on the scene demanding their time. There may well be a generation of late 20 somethings out there who would love to play, even just in a midweek capacity, but don't necessarily have that link to a club.
 
redandwhiterob said:
Not sure if mentioned before but the Russell Foster league more or less running for 52 weeks a year is going to make it much harder to get younguns involved in cricket. Football season never ends for many kids and there parents
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Correct me if Im wrong but this summer league stuff came in for younger kids?? U9s? U11? This was due to cold weather and pitch conditions which could be solved with 3g surfaces.
They then invented winter leagues to run alongside their new summer leagues??? Unreal
 
Greavsie said:
Correct me if Im wrong but this summer league stuff came in for younger kids?? U9s? U11? This was due to cold weather and pitch conditions which could be solved with 3g surfaces.
They then invented winter leagues to run alongside their new summer leagues??? Unreal
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Thats part of the problem for some people the only sport that exists is football.
 
Useless at Roker said:
Here me out on this!

Durham CCC is the worst thing that has ever happened for the club game in the North East!

There's a reason why the club game was so strong! No first class cricket! We craved it! Now we don't watch it!

Firstly it's in the wrong place! It should have been Durham and Northumberland and been based in Newcastle! Chester-le-Street is in the middle of nowhere as far as people finishing work is concerned. Metro home would be fine. Look at Headingly! That's the reason Yorkshire didn't move to Wakefield in the late 90's.

The Premier League Cricket pull skids from clubs like Seaham and therefore their community. They leave straight after the match to get home. It places expense on clubs by having uniforms, fancy scoreboards, and social media.

Where are the tea ladies now? They'd do it for a cause but not when people are making from it.

I played at Whitburn and a stalwart batsman (Class in the DSL) who should be playing into his fifties retired aged just 42 as he was just a fraction of a second slower than in the old DSL. This then kills the social side.

The pits have shut too and the generation at the time are now in their 40's and 50's.

The world is changing constantly and the game I love is dying and I blame those Empire Builders keen for the elitist glamour, and Durham CCC birth. Hindsight is wonderful and be careful what you wish for.
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So where exactly should the ground have been built
 
Parkside said:
Presumably you're a cricket lover VoFP. Are you saying that you'd prefer that we didn't have 1st cricket to watch in the region?
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Well, I think it's a balance, I agree with the poster that said too much priority on the county has meant that local clubs that have been going 100 of years nobody seems to care about.

The local league set up is to the disadvantage of local clubs.

I know there is plenty of other issues as has been discussed,but before the county, local cricket was striving, and it's not now.

To be honest and answer your question I have enjoyed going to watch England play cricket there, but have no real interest in Durham, and going to watch a standard championship game does not really appeal to me, I would prefer to watch local club cricket than Durham against whoever.
 
Voice of fair play said:
Well, I think it's a balance, I agree with the poster that said too much priority on the county has meant that local clubs that have been going 100 of years nobody seems to care about.

The local league set up is to the disadvantage of local clubs.

I know there is plenty of other issues as has been discussed,but before the county, local cricket was striving, and it's not now.

To be honest and answer your question I have enjoyed going to watch England play cricket there, but have no real interest in Durham, and going to watch a standard championship game does not really appeal to me, I would prefer to watch local club cricket than Durham against whoever.
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I agree with most of your points but disagree that the demise of club cricket is Durham's fault. Durham went 1st class several years before the pyramid structure was formed. I suspect cricket is still more buoyant in the NE than elsewhere in the country and we've got Durham to thank for local lads becoming internationals and being able to watch world class cricketers-surely that's good for promoting the game and also for promoting the region itself. Preferring club cricket to CC is purely a personal choice of which you're fully entitled.
 

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