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General Cricket => Your Cricket => Umpires => Topic started by: Warneymonster on June 25, 2014, 11:08:56 AM

Title: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Warneymonster on June 25, 2014, 11:08:56 AM
In the Surrey Champ clubs are required to provide an umpire. At our club we constantly struggle as we only have 2 umps for 4 sides, are we the only ones? this week we have both umpires on holiday so we are at the mercy of the oppos umpire - cannot complain about bias if we cannot even provide our own.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: uknsaunders on June 25, 2014, 11:32:30 AM
I think it's a countrywide issue. Many older guys are continuing to play to make up the numbers, as clubs struggle to attract players. Even panel umpires who get paid are getting fewer and fewer.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Warneymonster on June 25, 2014, 11:43:29 AM
you migh be right, the average age of our 4's is nearly in tripple figures
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: MD2812 on June 25, 2014, 02:33:48 PM
you migh be right, the average age of our 4's is nearly in tripple figures

Same for our 3rdXI or Sunday XI.

Disappointingly there are colts trying to break into these sides but they don't make enough spaces available.

If you have the numbers for teams I think the older players should be putting back into the club with help umpiring or scoring etc.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Warneymonster on June 25, 2014, 02:36:18 PM
We don't have the numbers consistently. The youth are currently in the 3's. We're cancelling almost every other week in the 4's due to availability and the weeks they play are extremely senior


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Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: TangoWhiskey on June 25, 2014, 02:44:13 PM


If you have the numbers for teams I think the older players should be putting back into the club with help umpiring or scoring etc.

So the older guys who have already probably put years of service to the club should be forced out to pasture and sent off to umpire? I'm only 27 but it would irritate me if when I'm old I get told that I can either umpire or do one.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: MD2812 on June 25, 2014, 02:55:15 PM
So the older guys who have already probably put years of service to the club should be forced out to pasture and sent off to umpire? I'm only 27 but it would irritate me if when I'm old I get told that I can either umpire or do one.

We don't tell them this. It's more I think when your over 70 and playing 3XI, when your 2XI play Surrey Champ div 2 there are no players getting the chance to be fed into the 2s from the colt system and a chance of playing.

These guys aren't in the 3XI on merit, the other week a ball was played to deep backward square. The 70 year old at backward square leg went after the ball, mid on got there before him....

Meanwhile we have 15/16/17 year old colts who are fighting for the max 3 places that they have made available. When the 2XI are short, we can't call up any 3s players because the standard gap is a huge gulf! Hence me posting on here the other week for a player.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: MD2812 on June 25, 2014, 03:00:04 PM
What i'd rather is that if we have 6 colts available they play the Saturday game for 3XI and an older guy helps out umpiring or with scoring. Then the older guy can still play a Sunday game.

I'm not talking about club senior players, more senior citizens who are still playing.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Warneymonster on June 25, 2014, 03:14:44 PM

So the older guys who have already probably put years of service to the club should be forced out to pasture and sent off to umpire? I'm only 27 but it would irritate me if when I'm old I get told that I can either umpire or do one.

Not the case at all, we welcome people who want to play. There just seems to be a serious lack of umpires. We would much rather have all 4 teams out but we struggle with the league stipulating we must provide umps


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Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: uknsaunders on June 25, 2014, 03:36:00 PM
Think this thread has gone a little off topic!. My point was that the older guys play because there are no colts available. Many of them would be happy to umpire I imagine but have to dust off the kit bag and play to make up the numbers. The issue with many clubs are the lack of colts coming through to replenish the senior teams as they lose players. Very few clubs have a surplus of umpires.

I might be wrong about this but things work differently downunder with regards to how club cricket is played. In Australia, its quite competitive and many guys hang up their boots in the late 30's. If they can't play hard then they settle for the odd vets game or retirement. Might mean less participation but a higher quality of cricket plus the older guys are in a position to fill the umpire slots.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Manormanic on June 26, 2014, 07:38:18 AM
wierdly the TVL is doing very well for umpires nowadays!
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Warneymonster on June 26, 2014, 08:40:04 AM
Do they fancy sharing some with the surrey champ


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Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Manormanic on June 26, 2014, 08:42:44 AM
errr, nope.  we recruited and trained 'em etc!!!
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Gingerbusiness on June 26, 2014, 09:03:32 AM
wierdly the TVL is doing very well for umpires nowadays!

Tbh the standard of TVL umpires has also improved massively over the last 5 years too.

I am actually very impressed with the professionalism and man management of 99% of them.

However, they have spent alot of time and money organising it.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: golden duck on June 26, 2014, 09:37:02 AM
Do the umpires you 'provide' have to be affiliated with your club - but umpire any panel game in the league, or do they have to umpire your games.

It might be worth getting in touch with your local umpires association.  There are often umpires who are not affilitated with a club so they could become 'your' umpire.
Title: Re: shortage of umpires - surrey
Post by: Gelds on July 09, 2014, 07:07:05 PM
Sorry to bring up an old topic but it seems the lack of umpires is a national issue. I am only 27 yet have already decided that as soon as I can't play to a standard I'm happy at (would like to play until I'm around 40) I will go umpiring, not only to give something back but also as I feel it something I would enjoy. We see at all clubs (my own included) how people carry on playing far too long even if it is just making up numbers. Juniors need to be given the chance to play senior cricket as soon as possible as it speeds up their development no end but the only way spaces are available are if the 'older end' 'give something back' by scoring or umpiring.