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[alexhilly1492]

Correct

I also originally joined when there was 3 Saturday teams, 1 Sunday team, 1 midweek team and an indoor team.

The club is now down to 2 Saturday teams and 1 midweek team and I think the 2nd team played with 8 players or so a few times last year from what I heard.

thats a shame always enjoyed playing millhouses works!
from what ive heard from ex team mates theres quite a few clubs reducing the number of teams they have in the yorks and derby league

[GoldenArm]

@Seniorplayer I know you play in the Worcester leagues too, I've heard on the grapevine Worcester Dominies are folding now as well after several years of struggle, despite finishing top of the league a few times and being denied promotion due to their ground being too small! Think there was a thread about that started by another local boy @neoncricket There are surely more to follow judging by the turnout for a few teams this year.  Malvern have been crashing down the divisions last few years, not saying they will fold but they are definitely struggling for players and that's sometimes the death knell for a club.

[Neon Cricket]

@Seniorplayer I know you play in the Worcester leagues too, I've heard on the grapevine Worcester Dominies are folding now as well after several years of struggle, despite finishing top of the league a few times and being denied promotion due to their ground being too small! Think there was a thread about that started by another local boy @neoncricket There are surely more to follow judging by the turnout for a few teams this year.  Malvern have been crashing down the divisions last few years, not saying they will fold but they are definitely struggling for players and that's sometimes the death knell for a club.

@GoldenArm - Dominies have merged with Norton, they've taken in the large majority of the players along with the kids section.

Also Barnards Green 4s have folded, 3rd team have been moved from Div 3 to Div 6 as a result...

[GoldenArm]

@GoldenArm - Dominies have merged with Norton, they've taken in the large majority of the players along with the kids section.

Also Barnards Green 4s have folded, 3rd team have been moved from Div 3 to Div 6 as a result...

Have they really, well at least they still exist in some form. Wonder what's happening to their ground? Not surprised about Barnards tbh, their 3rds must be annoyed though. Don't think I'll particularly miss playing at Newlands it has to be said!! Cleobury have gone down to one team and are moving into the marches I think. Won't miss playing them either!! Horrible ground.

[ScottParko]

I know the Cleveland league in my area of the country in 2015 had 5 teams in the league 2 of which were 2nd teams!

In all fairness a fair few of the sides that left that league have joined other leagues such as the Langbaurgh league, but a lot of them also folded completely. I know at least one of them struggled with getting a suitable ground. Started in the council ran  recreational grounds which of course being council ran were not looked after at all, but expensive to rent, turning people off playing! My club, who are also struggling to keep going, managed to get a boost from that side folding with the arrival of a few of their players meaning we could get 2 full sides out more often!

[Neon Cricket]

Have they really, well at least they still exist in some form. Wonder what's happening to their ground? Not surprised about Barnards tbh, their 3rds must be annoyed though. Don't think I'll particularly miss playing at Newlands it has to be said!! Cleobury have gone down to one team and are moving into the marches I think. Won't miss playing them either!! Horrible ground.

Yeah, good friends with a couple of the Doms lads so got the inside scoop haha. As far as I'm aware the Doms ground is due to be sold off for housing - the Uni owns the ground and it's been in the pipeline for while (hence the big plan a few years back for them to move over to the Cinderella ground).

Yeah good riddance as far as Cleobury are concerned IMO, right trek too!!

[Seniorplayer]

Barnards green got hit in the face there when they were Newland Swan anyway  Domionies they have merged cleobury  Mortimer went down to one team after the first game of 2016 and were fined  120 points which they weren't happy about  I was told last summer they were  planning to leave.
 Also told  by a club chairman last week. That his club was meeting that night to decide if they were going to drop a team and at  the Worcs AGM  on the 22 Nov other clubs  were still deciding on the number of teams for 2017.
Hope it doesn't delay the 2017 fixtures they are usually published Christmas week.

[Andythomo21]

I know the Cleveland league in my area of the country in 2015 had 5 teams in the league 2 of which were 2nd teams!

In all fairness a fair few of the sides that left that league have joined other leagues such as the Langbaurgh league, but a lot of them also folded completely. I know at least one of them struggled with getting a suitable ground. Started in the council ran  recreational grounds which of course being council ran were not looked after at all, but expensive to rent, turning people off playing! My club, who are also struggling to keep going, managed to get a boost from that side folding with the arrival of a few of their players meaning we could get 2 full sides out more often!

@ScottParko Who's your team mate and where do you live?

[KIPPERS]

certainly all the works teams have folded. Gone near me in the last 30 years Glaxo. Kodak. LNER. GWR. Guinness. GWR taken over by Trailfinders so the guys moved to Brentham. Trailfinders Started there own team with all ex Glaxo players as there ground was sold to build a new school who have kept the square. Kodak demolished and gone LNER ground no longer used for cricket I think. Guinness sold and demolished. Nearly all the Old West Indian teams have gone, there used to be 5/6 around here. But on the bright side most have been replaced by new teams from the asian communities and all the local grounds are fully booked every weekend. Ealing council are actually trying to bring old unused squares back into use with Club partnerships as the demand is so high. The nature of the game has changed beyond recognition, you wont see many Clubs with a bar full of players till 11 at night anymore like it was when i started.

[ScottParko]

@ScottParko Who's your team mate and where do you live?

Hartlepool Power Station CC based in Hartlepool in the North East.

[JB]

Our whatsapp group of senior members were discussing how we can carry on without folding just this morning. Our league looks like its already lost one team during the winter, who lost their financial backing resulting in 9 first team players leaving!! We are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit players. Everyone, even really average players are looking for money! We have around 16-17 players so the only option would be to drop a league and field one team. Only thing is that quite a few of the group would rather spend their saturday with the children than play in the lower league. Standard of ground and opposition being the reasoning

[Johnny]

@smilley792 I used to play against Sheffield United. They had a great set up with the cricket school and several pitches. Sad times if they've started to struggle.

Local to me I've seen my old works team BAe Warton go from 3 teams to folding. Also Harris Park, which was Freddie Flintoff 's first team folded in the last few years.

They're just the ones I know off the top of my head. I'm sure there are many more

[Andythomo21]

Hartlepool Power Station CC based in Hartlepool in the North East.

Ah, ok.  I live in Whitby and play for a team about 10 minutes north of Whitby. Used to work at Skinningrove/Carlin How and then Lackenby between Redcar and Middlesbrough.  Just with you mentioning the Cleveland league, I know a fair few lads from Loftus & Staithes who used to play in the Cleveland League.

[smilley792]

@smilley792 I used to play against Sheffield United. They had a great set up with the cricket school and several pitches. Sad times if they've started to struggle.

My old team hired a pitch from them.

Back a few years and they had a wonderful set up, 6 lane netting hall, 4 pitches. 1 of great standard, 1 decent and the other two good enough for lower leagues(still better than council pitches)


The lot went downhill a tad and then Hallam university bought the lot from them.

They have since removed 3 of the 4 pitches to replace with football and rugby pitches and just left the main pitch and sport hall for cricket.

Sheff u/Phoenix f St stillnplayt her edit the 2nds and 3rds play at Rotherham Phoenix old ground(which is just 1/2 a mile up the road)






Go back many many years and Sheffield united cc shared bramall lane with Sheffield united football club, the main stand and what is the car park used to be the cricket square and pavilion.

[ScottParko]

Ah, ok.  I live in Whitby and play for a team about 10 minutes north of Whitby. Used to work at Skinningrove/Carlin How and then Lackenby between Redcar and Middlesbrough.  Just with you mentioning the Cleveland league, I know a fair few lads from Loftus & Staithes who used to play in the Cleveland League.

I think Loftus were one of the final few and I think applied to the Langbaurgh league. I'm only a youngster to the game but I know a lot of our lads played most of their careers in that league and are gutted seeing it go to ruins as with many other cricket leagues and teams.

Dormanstown are fairly new to our league from the Cleveland league, if my geography is correct that may be around the Lackenby area.