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[uknsaunders]

Now and again it crops up in threads on this forum. Several new teams are formed each season. On this forum alone I could point to Jakes Ketton Lions, Liams Brook Walton and to some extent my own Headingley. Clubs more often than not formed through dissatisfaction with existing club setups. The clubs form with 1 team and grow, and grow. Headingley has 3 teams following a merger with a local club, Ketton 2 teams and also Brook Walton. From a player point of view they were created by like minded individuals and in my case a refreshing change from other clubs I had played at.

However, what do people at other clubs think? Are they placed in the right divisions to start with?. Are they taking playing resources away from other clubs? Are they good for cricket or simply killing other clubs, is it just a natural cycle?

[Manormanic]

The right divisions is difficult because most leagues have a defined structure and if a side enters a long way up the pyramid it means that someone else has to be relegated or denied a promotion that they had technically earned.  Can mean you get some silly results - we had that in the TVL when Datchet Cranbourne started off in D9 and ran up 300 every week - but at least it is transparent.

[uknsaunders]

The right divisions is difficult because most leagues have a defined structure and if a side enters a long way up the pyramid it means that someone else has to be relegated or denied a promotion that they had technically earned.  Can mean you get some silly results - we had that in the TVL when Datchet Cranbourne started off in D9 and ran up 300 every week - but at least it is transparent.

It is a problem. When Headingley started we were put in the bottom division because "we only had one team". This was despite finishing 3rd in a much tougher league the season before. We then racked up 393,334,341,etc . Some teams almost walked off the pitch and others cried off. I don't think league committees look into the player makeup enough. They are also rigid in their thinking, when we joined other teams left higher up but they preferred to promote 3 teams or even 4 instead of acknowledging a team should start higher up.

[nudgemaster]

Its a tough question.

I believe that the league does not often know what personnel the club will have available, the club must also be wondering who their players will be until winter nets etc. By which time major decisions will have been made.

Our league of 8 divisions as never placed anyone higher than Div 3, we went in 3 and went up back to back. This is the president the league has now set and it will be reluctant, rightly or wrongly to change.

Its one of the down sides to what alot of the leagues did in splitting the first and second team leagues.

Team need to find own level, however an educated guess should be made as to standard. Brook Walton 2s in Div 8 is a joke, I would have gone 5 and finding own level from that point. I guess they would go up maybe twice. I here the opponents won the Toss against Brook Walton, put them in then proceeded to moan!! HELLO!!

[smilley792]

Do new teams form because it takes to long to make changes on a committee?


When we(players) wanted to change leagues, the committee wanted to "look at it in 2 years to see where the leagues were"


When we(the players) wanted to play midweek, they(the committee) didn't believe it could work. So technically our midweek sides(we now have two) are a separate entity ran by me who merely hire the ground from our club.


Had we not pushed things through anyway, I could have seen a situation where a new club was formed.
But I'm glad we didnt

[uknsaunders]

Do new teams form because it takes to long to make changes on a committee?


When we(players) wanted to change leagues, the committee wanted to "look at it in 2 years to see where the leagues were"


When we(the players) wanted to play midweek, they(the committee) didn't believe it could work. So technically our midweek sides(we now have two) are a separate entity ran by me who merely hire the ground from our club.


Had we not pushed things through anyway, I could have seen a situation where a new club was formed.
But I'm glad we didnt

Can't speak for other clubs but Headingley was Yorkshire Post originally and we had 1 team playing friendlies. In the first season I think I was the only one with league experience from the surrounding area, possibly 1  other . Most of our growth came from tapping into 20 somethings who were returning to cricket as we didn't have a youth setup ourselves. For the most part the 3 teams currently (fros would know more than me) have very few guys taken from local clubs. The ECB should give us a medal for the number of guys we brought back into cricket lol

Most other clubs I have played for have the issue smilley talks about. Reluctance to change or to embrace the current landscape. It's even worse if you sit on a league committee with 3 guys 60+, nothing gets done then!

[Tailendfielder]

Ive set up a club 3 seasons ago and we went unbeaten for three seasons on our way up and i can say it was pointless. We lost our first game last saturday because we were so out of practice against decent sides. Yes new clubs should not have to start at the bottom but i understand why it happened.

Weve now got two sides and i doubt more than 5 of us would be playing any cricket. So i dont think we steal players from elsewhere.

We are made up of lads who got fed up of snobbery and politics. Or guys dropped by clubs for not being strong enough to make other clubs firsts and are not young enough for development sides. There are a few who wanna play with there mates as well.

Its hard work but we believe its of huge benefit to cricket and should be welcomed. New clubs bring new ideas.

[ppccopener]

good subject.
Anyone who has spent time on a cricket committee maybe thinks to actually get anything done, regarding the ethos of the club,and what you want to achieve, it's far better to do that with like minded people who at least have the ultimate goal in common.

Having spent years discussing the most basic things you would think everyone would agree on....speaking from personal experience, it's hugely frustrating and time consuming.

You always need good admin people at a club, they are invaluable especially with Clubmark etc...

[jwebber86]

There are 3 new teams in our league this season. One is the village I play for only 6 players in are team have regularly played league cricket before so obviously we started at the bottom. Our team has been playing friendly games for the last ten years and eventually constructed a new ground and then entered the league

One of the teams have come across from a different league which was a higher standard and have currently win every game as they are in the bottom division.

Apparently said team would of gone into division 3 out of 5 but they applied  after the season had finished once all the promotion and relegation had already been sorted.

[LDifa]

I think that the rise of new clubs is just natural, as is the demise of some old clubs, it is sad that clubs disappear when a change of management and attitude could prevent the need for a new club.
As for the league positions - that is so so difficult - try having numerous leagues but no pyramid system in place!

Next year will see the first ever pyramid in Lancs with the formation of the Greater Manchester Cricket League, there will be some almighty drubbings handed out as the teams find their right levels over the coming years, but at least it is progression.

[Cin88]

I think that the rise of new clubs is just natural, as is the demise of some old clubs, it is sad that clubs disappear when a change of management and attitude could prevent the need for a new club.
As for the league positions - that is so so difficult - try having numerous leagues but no pyramid system in place!

Next year will see the first ever pyramid in Lancs with the formation of the Greater Manchester Cricket League, there will be some almighty drubbings handed out as the teams find their right levels over the coming years, but at least it is progression.

The first season of the GMCL is going to be hilarious as far as results go. Although it should be noted that some of the soon to be folded leagues in the area are producing some fairly lopsided results this season.


As far as new clubs go, I have no problem with them. The major problem lies with older clubs being set in their ways, a lot of committee members don't seem to realise that they need to adapt in order to survive. They seem to dig their heels in over any and every issue regardless of whether the issue is minor or major. Then they're left scratching their heads when everything is going to pot and a load of their former players are forming their own club and having some success.