BosworthBear
Member
Highveld wrote:
I don't know how many times it has to be stated, but Nuneaton cricket club is barely adequate for the top division of the Warwickshire league, the facilities are non existant.
Have you ever visited that ground?
Having just spent 3 days at Rugby School, I can confirm it is a wonderful venue, with an excelelnt wicket and outfield, but there are absolutely zero facilities for spectators, no seating, no catering, no parking and no toilets. All would have to be imported at great cost, remembering that playing at an outground means that our main facility will be sitting idle, but still incurring costs for the club. Also, as a business, Rugby School will make a better financial and reputational return on hosting 2 weeks of junior cricket festivals, which also allows it to hire out other parts of its sports and learning facilities than it would from having the site closed for a week to prepare for a one day county game.
With all the extra costs involved, I'd estimate that it would cost well over £100,000 to convert any of the suggested outgrounds into acceptable locations for a List A of championship game.
The ground at Berkswell is a public park, with a poor pavillion, and a car park that is barely adequate for the demands of a club game.
I am not against having a game on an outground, but I am realistic about the financial and logistical realities of outground cricket.
Yes I do know NUneaton cricket club given I’ve been a member there for forty years and a vice President and have long standing family connections.
I know you have said the same thing over and over again but you are utterly wrong and in my opinion obstacle placing.
It’s one of the five oldest clubs in the midlands. Has good pavilion facilities, is tree lined has huge amount of potential parking and spectator areas.
It has hosted first class matches before, was where John Whitehouse learnt his craft and is regularly voted one of the top pitches in the midlands because currently it has first class gorundsman in Dave Button.
Just because you keep posting something doesn’t make it true.
Playing at outgrounds is about having the mentality and motivation to do so. I despair the current Board has it but I would hope genuine Warwickshire born and bred members would!
I love Derbyshire's kit!
GerryShedd wrote:
There might, of course, be a few supporters and potential supporters for whom Welbeck is more convenient than Trent Bridge.
Yes no doubt we would get the same moans from Birmingham based members who don't understand the County concept. I remember this happening when the subject has been raised at agms.
It is incredible really we don't play any games in Coventry or Nuneaton given the history and the populations. The grounds are more than capable of holding matches.
I'm glad somebody raised the removal country membership. There has been steady erosion of acting like a county cricket club. Warwickshire Cricket board the last hope but even that seems to be undermined to an extent these days.
The Povey era was pretty disastrous all round.
Marginalisation of the members, ludicrous branding of Edgbaston and creation of the awful Birmingham Bears.
GerryShedd wrote:
I have just been looking at a report of the Notts home match at Welbeck today, in which Jamie Ramage says: "The ground on the outskirts of Mansfield has the feel of a traditional outground with banks around the boundary for spectators to get the best views of the action. Marquees with home-made cakes and a low-rise pavilion, it is the perfect setting for county cricket."
Pity we haven't got a Welbeck.
Interesting post thanks.
As has been mentioned lots of times now we have lots of Welbecks.
It’s a question of will by the club and making it happen in the same was Notts and Glamorgan have.
I saw Gary Barwell today moaning about having to use one of the last fresh strips for the Hundred at Edgbaston.
We really do need to be more enlightened!
Anybody on here going to the screening at Electric Cinema tomorrow?
Be nice to meet anybody if so.
Exiled Bear wrote:
The second replay angle shows it best I think. You can see that the toe of his shoe is inside the rope, not on it.
I’ll have a pint of what you’re on! 🤣
If he doesn’t touch the rope then he is levitating because it’s a long time before that foot touches the ground again.
To me the honest answer is he trod on the rope then reacted.
We will be a poorer game if we can’t rely on player honesty. And if we can’t then the correct decision is to give the batsman the benefit of the doubt.
We might well have won anyway. This one leaves a poor taste in the mouth.
GerryShedd wrote:
Regarding the Brookes catch, there are two possibilities. One is that it was a fair catch, he is a Bear through and through and would never cheat. The other is that his foot was on the rope, he cheated and we always knew that he was a Pear at heart.
I’m as pro Warwickshire as they come but it was never a catch. He flinches as he treads on the rope. I don’t think it’s good at all he didn’t own up.
As for out grounds we’ve been through it all and I still think the cynics are talking total drivel. There are several capable of holding games such as today around the County, Especially after seeing inside the dressing room at Neath, it’s just a question of will by WCCC and I am afraid under the current regime that will be lacking,
I don’t think that was a catch by Brookes whatever commentators say.
Can understand why Glamorgan supporters annoyed.
The player always knows!
Looks like the cynics being proved wrong about the outground.
Looks like its working on every level!
Let's hope the wicket is better than Edgbaston for the last Championship game!
I got the impression with the last game at Edgbaston against Middlesex that everybody had had enough.
The pitch was poorly prepared. the facilities aren't great and lunch wasn't even ready on time in Tom Dollery.
The crowd was low.
A revived regular fixture in Nuneaton would bring in 1-2000. Perhaps Coventry even more.
Not only does it bring cricket to people and increase interest it reminds us who our County actually represents.
Unfortunately with AGMs and Members Committee currently mere talking shops I cant see change coming because so much accountability was lost under recent Chairs and CEOs.
Interesting that the marketing "genius" was interviewed ahead of the Hundred yesterday.
He accidentally said "final" year of the Hundred and then corrected himself to "third" year.
It would be ridiculous to play at an outground which wasn't in Warwickshire.
And there's no need whatsover!
KingofSpain wrote:
I'm not sure why lack of "facilities" is cited as a reason not to play at outgrounds. As long as there is enough space and a decent pitch, that's all that really matters. Everything else can be brought in: seating, marquees, vendors, toilets etc.
Warwickshire is a county cricket club and it does not revolve around Edgbaston, despite its "facilities" in the members lounge.
I think its a myth and excuse.
Its purely about the will and the current culture of those running the Club.
The Clubs I mentioned earlier are all more than capable of staging first class matches. Timed right there would be much bigger crowds than Edgbaston and no reason why it should run at a loss given sponsorship etc. I remember local companies ensuring their sponsorship went to Griff rather than Warwickshire to ensure continuity of staging.
Not sure what induction non exec Board members receive but one would hope the geography of the historic county and the history of WCCC would play as prominent a role as "Edgbaston Stadium" (the artist formerly known as the County Ground, Edgbaston)
BosworthBear wrote:
Yep its all about will not about regs.
There are more than enough outgrounds in Warwickshire but needs a different outlook and level of geographical and historical knowledge from the current hierarchy.
Done right they will attract bigger crowds than at Edgbaston (as Griff & Coton used to show)
Yep its all about will not about regs.
There are more than enough outgrounds in Warwickshire but needs a different outlook and level of geographical and historical knowledge from the current hierarchy.
I'd like to see Nuneaton CC, Cov and North Warwick, Rugby, Kenilworth and Stratford on a rota.
The facilities thing is a complete red herring. Edgbaston is pretty basic for county games.
And of course the latest wicket at Edgbaston was pretty low quality. So there's another red herring there.
If there is a will there's a way but the present Executives think they are running a "stadium" (which is really a ground) rather than a County Cricket Club. I was shocked at the ignorance of a fairly prominent Non Exec member on a recent linked in discussion.
All the suggestions above would easily match and surpass Beckenham and the Middlesex outgrounds..