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[Warneymonster]

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.

[uknsaunders]

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.

[Warneymonster]

you migh be right, the average age of our 4's is nearly in tripple figures

[MD2812]

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.

[Warneymonster]

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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[TangoWhiskey]

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.

[MD2812]

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.

[MD2812]

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.

[Warneymonster]

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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[uknsaunders]

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.

[Manormanic]

wierdly the TVL is doing very well for umpires nowadays!

[Warneymonster]

Do they fancy sharing some with the surrey champ


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[Manormanic]

errr, nope.  we recruited and trained 'em etc!!!

[Gingerbusiness]

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.

[golden duck]

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.