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[Calzehbhoy]

Left my club last season due to having to travel 20 miles for an home game joined a club  close to home  after 4 matches left and went back to my old club.

I'm in the same boat, played for the same club all my life but leaving them this year to play for the club close to where we've moved to. 20 miles to home games and about 100 mile average away trip was just too much.

[Twelfth Man]

A question for you guys.

If you've not been born and bred into a club, what is it that makes you want to join or stay at a club and leave the team you've always been with?

Not only are we looking to try and recruit new people into the club to help boost numbers and help the club grow, but also maintain and keep the people we have and past players who have stopped playing all together.

Any responses would be gratefully appreciated 

[edge]

I'm changing, thought I'd sorted my choice of club but got invited to net with a second (very different) club and now quite like them both... Nightmare!

[Twelfth Man]

I'm changing, thought I'd sorted my choice of club but got invited to net with a second (very different) club and now quite like them both... Nightmare!

What's the positives to the clubs that makes you want to pick them over the other mate?

[edge]

What's the positives to the clubs that makes you want to pick them over the other mate?

One is a big club, 4 league sides, in the West of england premier league div 3, all the youth teams, very posh, nice setup at their own ground etc with all the obvious advantages that come with that kind of thing, plus my other half plays for their ladies side. Disadvantages - whilst I'd like the challenge of a higher level (I've mostly played div 2/3 of the bristol league the last few years), realistically I wouldn't be a regular in the first team (if I can get in it of course!), so I'd possibly be in their 2s, who play a decent standard but don't seem to be much of a side (leagues got rearranged last year and they've clearly gone in too high), with a big variation of players each week. Need to have a chat with the club and see where they think I'd fit in tbh.

Other club is a two team affair so much smaller, div 5 of the local leagues. Lovely ground, bit closer to me too. Very nice bunch from early impressions and having played against them before in friendlies etc, getting on very well with them at nets/indoor games. From what I've seen I think I'd be one of the better players at the club, but not hugely so. The lad who invited me along reckons I'd bat top 4 and possibly open the bowling too so that's a definite advantage! Disadvantages - a little lower in the leagues (not hugely fussed by this, especially as they seem a te#? on the up), they don't play Sundays/midweek so I'd need a second club, although that could be sorted by playing Sundays for the other side. Possibly annoy the missus as she thought I was going to her club ha.

So I'm torn! Attracted by the prospect of being one of the key players at the smaller club, which I know brings out the best in my cricket. Also enjoying training with players much better than I am at the bigger club, I've been netting with their 1s which has been good, 2s net looks a bit disappointing. Leaning towards the smaller side at present, but we shall see, it's difficult!

[ProCricketer1982]

A question for you guys.

If you've not been born and bred into a club, what is it that makes you want to join or stay at a club and leave the team you've always been with?

Not only are we looking to try and recruit new people into the club to help boost numbers and help the club grow, but also maintain and keep the people we have and past players who have stopped playing all together.

Any responses would be gratefully appreciated 

Started playing in 2011 and lived in Northants, I picked the local side as it was.. well.. local. Didn't overly care about level etc as I was just starting.

2013 I moved down to glos and where I work essentially has a works team but their management decided their current players were 'far superior' and I'd not get in their 1's as a number 5.. I didn't bother joining as I wanted to bat 5 in a 1's, not be a filler in or play 2/3/4's.

So, I found another local club who were 2 divs higher in wepl and opened in their 1's, hence learning to open properly. Nice ground, much bigger club etc but feels more like a collection of players who turn up, play then mainly go home.. not really a 'club' (just my opinion).. so 2014 the work team said they were going to kick out a few players who were cliquey and open it up, they did so I joined. It's now had two promotions and is in the same div as I was in in 2013 but isn't quite as nice a ground, doesn't have 4 teams or youth set up but tbh, it feels like a club rather than a collection of people. Plus, I don't really care if there aren't kids around as I get enough of them at the barn now !!

For me, the ground has to be decent because what's the point playing on a crap ground, but apart from that... it's where you will get the game you want and play with mates. Again, no point going to a big club to feel like a bit part player who is there to fill in and pay for paid, overseas or coaches after all

[uknsaunders]

I think it's who you play with that matters as that determines your level of enjoyment. Other factors are important but secondary.

[Gurujames]

Totally agree with the above.

[Northern monkey]

I've played for 40yrs now, and whilst oop north I moved clubs a few times, mostly due to numbers dropping, or clubs folding etc.

I then sort of semi retired when I moved down sarf,(or so I thought) I played friendlies for a team in Somerset and a team near Bristol, so that was good.
But missed the Saturday games, so started up at a local club, this was rubbish, and in the end I left there and was gonna give up altogether,but ended up playing for a lovely village team for the last three seasons,(easy standard, got a few trophies) , but after complete team changes, with many of the older players not getting a game and the new faces basically a bunch of tools!

Soo, new season and a new club
Netted with them, and feels more like a friendly village team
A lot less ego,s which I hate, and all the lads seem keen to chip in with bowling in the nets,putting the nets out and away etc
No childish pee taking, that I find masks insecurity in a players own abilities
All things I've found over the years that make joining and playing for a club more enjoyable for all

[procricket]

I think it's who you play with that matters as that determines your level of enjoyment. Other factors are important but secondary.

it is true i have moved every 2 years for the past 18 and sick of up-rooting and starting again, it is true the journey you go through is better than individual moments

[felix]

I'll second most of the opinions here, having moved clubs out of choice or necessity a fair few times over the past 30-odd years. The most important thing is the people and the intangible club spirit. When I was last looking for a new club at the start of 2015, I went to every pre-season net session of one club I had ambitions to join.  They were well attended and well organised but I just felt like an outsider even though I'd made it clear to them that I was keen to play for them that season. Come April I felt uncomfortable about the prospect of playing for them, so I ended up taking up @Warneymonster's invite to play for Kempton, a similar size club, and it couldn't have been more different. I was made to feel welcome and included and it was notable to me that it was less cliquey than many other clubs, the 1st teamers didn't act as if they were superior and mucked in with everyone else. without giving it a try it's hard to tell what the atmosphere in a club is going to be like.

[Warneymonster]

@felix that's because you're a p155head like the rest of us at kempton.

Available for the 3's this year should I be dropped from the 1's, no chance I'm playing for the 2's while that idiot is captain

[felix]

@felix Available for the 3's this year should I be dropped from the 1's, no chance I'm playing for the 2's while that idiot is captain

Oh really? Yeah I did a bit of a double-take about that announcement, unbelievable! But that's probably not a conversation for a public forum...

[Seniorplayer]

Wherever we play  we need  to feel welcomed and part of the setup  and if  the club has nice facilities it's a bonus  but i still  see  far to many  clubs run by  club  Cliques  both on and oFf the field also seen to many guys treated as if they are only in the team to make up the numbers  clubs take there money  bat them at 11 and stick them  all afternoon on the boundary

[JB]

Agree with @Seniorplayer, I started back a few years ago to a club 20 miles away because of the lads i was playing with. It does make a difference, we'd all have a drink together, nights out, stag do's etc.

Now with the club possibly folding, i need to really look for somewhere closer. The closest club to me play in the league my current team moved out of, some poor teams and horrendous grounds. Its a balancing act getting a club close enough that its not a chore for her indoors to bring the kids and decent standard, grounds and teammates