Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Cricket Exchange => Clubs Wanted => Topic started by: richthekeeper on February 10, 2016, 12:54:12 AM
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Alright chaps, long time no speak and all that.
I'm in the process of interviewing for a job in that London and am considering what this would mean for my social life. I'm also thinking of dragging my housemate/opening bat partner with me, and any relocation would definitely have to factor in cricket.
This isn't a straight forward enquiry as I don't know where in London I would be living. The job would be based in Holborn but require enough travel outside the M25 to make it sensible to live a little further out and commute in. Somewhere like Stoke Newington or Kentish Town coming up in my initial musings.
Anyway I'm just wondering if anyone can help guide my thinking? My current club has a fantastic ground just minutes from my house and represents the majority of my summer social life, so it's a key decision.
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In all honesty It'll be easier to help find you a club once you know where you are living. You've got Middlesex, Surrey, Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire leagues to name a few which all serve London. You dont want to be treking across London because you decide on a club and then move in somewhere on the other side of town.
I wouldn't worry too much, No matter where you move to you will find several suitable clubs you could join.
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I think it will depend a lot on where you will be able to afford to live.
There are hundreds of clubs around London as mentioned. I can recommend a few for you when you have got the job and if you have an idea of where you want to be living. Affordability is key for you. Living in London isn't cheap.
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Agree with the other posts.
If you end up moving to North Herts/Bedfordshire let me know however, we're always looking for new players.
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As mentioned by Buzz, living in london is really expensive, even when renting. Worth checking the surrounding areas such as Kent etc (You can even look at Essex if you are really desperate) as the transport links are decent enough
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Sensible advice. And if you wind up in Surrey, give me a shout. My club's based in Walton on Thames.
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Hello chaps! I'm resurrecting this thread as I have now actually moved to London. I'm currently renting in West London and looking to stay in the area around Chiswick/Fulham. Confusingly I'm also playing football for a team based in Catford, but that shouldn't really impact the decision!
Any suggestions of clubs nearby? I've got a car and am really keen to start looking for the right club ahead of the season. Ideally I'd like a club that has several sides, plays at a decent standard and has a nice ground. However, good people and a good community atmosphere are much more important.
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Hello chaps! I'm resurrecting this thread as I have now actually moved to London. I'm currently renting in West London and looking to stay in the area around Chiswick/Fulham. Confusingly I'm also playing football for a team based in Catford, but that shouldn't really impact the decision!
Any suggestions of clubs nearby? I've got a car and am really keen to start looking for the right club ahead of the season. Ideally I'd like a club that has several sides, plays at a decent standard and has a nice ground. However, good people and a good community atmosphere are much more important.
I play in West London if you find a good club with decent people can you please update this thread!! haha :)
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Haha I guess your club isn't the one then?!
From the "big clubs" it looks like Shepherds Bush, Ealing and Acton are the closest to me. Anyone play for or played against these clubs?
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haha... yes I know all these clubs
London is generally covered by 2 leagues, Surrey and Middlesex. Middlesex has County League where Ealing and Acton are, below that a second league called Championship. Of the two league you need to be in County.
These are the top clubs with good players(a lot have ex pros), Championship is the rag end of the two Leagues. That's where I am :)
Ealing are the strongest team and have won the Premier League a few years, although not last year. Ramprakash turns out in the County League for his club(he was 160 not out batting 5 against Ealing last year-some of our guys watched him and it was different class)
So you get good players in County.
In the Surrey leagues it's further out but nice grounds, might be more travelling.
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thanks for the tip. I'd prefer to play for a bigger club as it's likely to mirror the club I play for in Wales. I'd rather play 2nds or even 3rds at a big club than 1sts at a small club.
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no problem good luck
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Bank of England is in barns, drop me a pm
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Try our lot Brentham CC we are in the county League and about half a mile from Ealing to the north. Indoor nets start second week in January come a long.
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I grew up playing at Wycombe House in Osterly, the ground is easily accessible from chiswick being just of the great west road (A4) on the edge of Brentford/Isleworth.
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I grew up playing at Wycombe House in Osterly, the ground is easily accessible from chiswick being just of the great west road (A4) on the edge of Brentford/Isleworth.
small world. I had friend who played there
Owais Shah played there when he was a teenager
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@richthekeeper - we're always looking for good players, what do you do?
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We have 4 Saturday sides 1/3's County League 2's in the championship and 4's in the 1987 pretty good spread so you can find your level from just good fun to playing with our overseas Pro in the ones.
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Thanks for the responses all.
Cat - officially I'm a wicketkeeper/opening bat. At my old club I played in the 2's, and my role was basically to bat as long as possible to protect the middle order from the moving ball. I've been the first choice keeper in the 2s for years and probably get called up to the 1s about 5-6 times a season.
At the ripe old age of 31 I'm happy playing at a reasonable standard in the 2s and will never disgrace myself if called up to fill a space in the 1s. That said I'd be open to the idea of playing a slightly lower standard and maybe having a bit of a bowl/standing with my hands on my hips at gully/helping the youngsters.
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You may lose interest in cricket when you move to London. There are a lot of distractions!
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I've already moved to London and having negotiated with the gf that I'll be allowed to play cricket I'm loathe to give up that particular privilege. Also I'd quite like to be able to use public transport to get to games so I can drink more beer afterwards :-)
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Thanks for the responses all.
Cat - officially I'm a wicketkeeper/opening bat.
Who knew? :D
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I didn't want to state the obvious but... :D
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London is generally covered by 2 leagues, Surrey and Middlesex. Middlesex has County League where Ealing and Acton are, below that a second league called Championship. Of the two league you need to be in County.
Don't know which London you live in, but I'd hazard a guess it's not the same one as me. London is covered by Surrey, Middlesex, Kent and Essex Leagues, at least, dependent on where in London you are....!
The area where @richthekeeper is may be covered by Surrey and Middlesex, but that sure doesn't account for the rest of the Capital!
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small world. I had friend who played there
Owais Shah played there when he was a teenager
Yep he was the year above me at school
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Paging @mdl_1979 Joe, help the man out...!
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Could try Uxbridge CC we are lacking keepers!
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@richthekeeper
Welcome to the smoke!
Feel free to check out my club, the Weybridge Vandals in Walton on Thames.
We've three league sides (the Ones are in the Surrey Champ and the Twos and Threes are in the Fullers.)
I'm in the Twos, as retiring skipper and opening bat. It's a decent standard, but not too serious.
We've two squares on an island in the Thames - it's a nice location. With a clubhouse and bar. And there's rugby in the winter if you're that way inclined.
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Update!
Flat hunt has shifted south of the river, now looking between Putney and Wimbledon. Fulham being in a flood risk zone and all that.
From what I can see; the logical options would be the likes of Wimbledon CC, Spencer or Merton. Anyone got any inside info on these clubs?
Bank of England also remains an option, thanks Buzz ;-)
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Played Spencer's Sunday side last year, they were decent and I'd assume most of them would usually be in the 1s/2s
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Wimbledon CC have a lot of money and their first team are very good (a lot of South Africans in their first team)
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Played Spencer's Sunday side last year, they were decent and I'd assume most of them would usually be in the 1s/2s
Yes played Spencer on a pre season friendly couple of season ago, faced Alex Tudor with a new ball in his hand, still quick believe me off a few paces. :) a very good a well run side.
At tea Alex came and sat with us rag bags and chatted about all sorts.
Lovely bloke.
But yes if your a decent player it's a well run club.
I'm in Fulham, there is Putney cricket club down the road, bit smaller and more village like but I know they play at some nice grounds. Standard I'm not sure of.
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I should add I played for Putney for 4/5 games at the back end of last season for their Sunday side, home ground is a bit of a pain but playing at Banstead and Woking and Horsell was nice.
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Oh small world Rick. I was thinking of joining there a couple of years ago. We played against them in friendlies in the past.
Ultimately I'm a bit ordinary bloke with an ordinary job so I didn't feel I would of fitted in. Guys were friendly alright, but not my social class. And I don't mean that in any bad way.
I believe.....a very famous England bowler bowler played there in the 50's. Wasn't Jim laker was it?
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Can you elaborate on the social class thing? I'm not a public schoolboy by any stretch of the imagination... more interested in whether my other half will want to come along and socialise!
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Also this has got me thinking, if the aforementioned clubs have strong 1s/2s then I'm likely to land in the 3s, so probably be spending my Saturdays trekking miles to secondary grounds!
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Can you elaborate on the social class thing? I'm not a public schoolboy by any stretch of the imagination... more interested in whether my other half will want to come along and socialise!
only to say very nice bunch of guys, it's a well off area and most of them I would say are city workers and privately education so it's well to do.
Nothing wrong with that of course but I grew up westside on da streets and I didn't think I would fit in
So more to do with my side than theirs.
it's a posh(ish) club....
hope that clarifies.
:)
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I was playing mostly with Pakistani lads who whilst they were nice weren't particularly social; only a few would hang about after the game.
Also playing my first game at Banstead the skipper turned up nearly an hour late and we had a 30 over game which wasn't particularly impressive and the VC wasn't pleased about it. New bloke is captaining the side next season though.
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thanks for clarifying, i'm a city worker myself so i know exactly what you're saying!
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I should add I played for Putney for 4/5 games at the back end of last season for their Sunday side, home ground is a bit of a pain but playing at Banstead and Woking and Horsell was nice.
Did you happen to play against Hook and Southborough?
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Update time ;-)
I did end up joining Putney.
I broke my arm in March just as I was looking for a pre season net, and that actually gave me the chance to scout a few of the clubs mentioned. I visited Spencer a couple of times and emailed their captain, but I didn’t feel the love and the skipper never got back to me, so I crossed them off.
Putney has a great social media presence and I noticed they were looking for an umpire. While my arm was healing I umpired for them a few times and since they were a great bunch of lads I joined as soon as I was fit. It was handy that they were just a bus ride away also. I ended up playing for most of the season and finished top scorer in the 1s.
I’ve since moved to the Putney area and look forward to winter nets at the Oval.
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Oh, how lovely!
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Yes excellent news rich, it's a nice club. Played two or three games there as an away team a couple of years ago.
It's just up the road from me.
Wit it being on the Surrey side for fixtures, rather than middlesex(for west London) the grounds I'm sure are better to play at.
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Shepherds Bush CC, check out the website. Very friendly and welcoming club. First team plays premier division. Not too far at all if you are around Chiswick & Fulham area.
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Any north London in?