They had attendances at one point in the thousands, the league contained professionals of test match class and they provided most of the cricketers for Durham when they were a minor county side.
Instead of 100s of very good sides which were all very competitive you now have an elite of about 12 clubs all of whom are hugely reliable on sponsorship money and a league which imposes absurd demands on clubs in order for them to be accepted. Most of their players are drawn from all over the area rather than as happened in the past from their local village.
That was when local players played for local clubs and there was a family atmosphere. Under the current system clubs are drawing their players from all over the area-players which have no affiliation with their clubs.
As a league which had existed for a 100 years they probably felt they had the right to tell johnny come latelys where to get off.
Johnny come latelys I may add who sole purpose was not to promote club cricket but to promote the County.
Attendances in the thousands? Ha'way man Wicketkeeper, there's nobody still alive who remembers them days man? All clubs would've been well supported back then. Unfortunately we have cars and technology now which gives people other things to do on a Saturday afternoon (which is actually part of the challenge for local cricket going forward).
Yes, they did provide cricketers for the Minor County side which meant good players from outside the league had to move clubs and into the DSL to achieve that goal.
There was plenty of money sloshing around the DSL as well and clubs drew players in from all over the county as per my comment above. There wasn't many local Felling lads in the side that won the DSL lads in the 90s for one example (Chris Pleasants and young Moffatt but can't think of another). Philly in the 80s had the likes of Paul Burn and Stephen Peel from Sacriston and Stephen Ball from Tudhoe . Chester-le-Street had Stuart Wilkinson (Shotley Bridge) and the Stokoe brothers (Greenside) to name just a few off the top of my head so what is happening now is of no difference to back then imo. I'm sure others on here can give more examples.
Also, you still have clubs who are predominantly home grown like Eppleton and Sacriston, one of which would never have been given the opportunity if the DSL had been allowed to stifle progress.
Your last comment sums the attitude of the DSL and the reason why it no longer it exists which I find a crying shame given it's long and rich history. Once the county went 1st class then change had to happen in order for clubs, and not just players, to have the opportunity to progress. For the record, I can sit and listen to the old boys talking about the DSL days for hours on end as I find it fascinating and my Father would take me to watch Philly now and again in the 80s as a kid although we weren't DSL lads so to speak.
We'll never agree on this one but to bring up crowds of thousands from a bygone age is farcical against progress and increased opportunity for all and the days of the big name pros are well and truly over with the busy international cricket calendar and money involved in it now.
