SA Churches and Community Cricket Association 2009-10

[Rubbish Binny]

How can you have a crack at Rich a top cricketer on the field and an above average bloke of the field
He spends most of his time on the field and off (GF the exception) trying to get a laugh at his own or a teammates expense (normally Simo as he gives him so much amo or myself). Hardly knob behaviour have a good look at yourself champ and see if you have done as much for your club or the assoc as Rich has done over the last few years. Tipping PV would not have won 3 in a row if it weren’t for the work Rich and others do on and off the field.[/quote]

Looks like i've made my debut on the herald SAfooty forum. Thank You Reggie.

I would like to echo Reggie's words and say that Richo has single handedly batted, bowled, fielded and most importantly recuited PV into 3 straight. Great man.[/quote]

Good luck making it 4[/quote]

You must be a well informed young man Pidge, he wont be single handedly batted, bowled, fielded and most importantly recuited PV into 3 straight. Great man.[/quote] I think you will find that he will be playing in the PADC for Salisbury West. Spin twin maybe able to confirm this.

[auto]

How can you have a crack at Rich a top cricketer on the field and an above average bloke of the field
He spends most of his time on the field and off (GF the exception) trying to get a laugh at his own or a teammates expense (normally Simo as he gives him so much amo or myself). Hardly knob behaviour have a good look at yourself champ and see if you have done as much for your club or the assoc as Rich has done over the last few years. Tipping PV would not have won 3 in a row if it weren’t for the work Rich and others do on and off the field.

Looks like i've made my debut on the herald SAfooty forum. Thank You Reggie.

I would like to echo Reggie's words and say that Richo has single handedly batted, bowled, fielded and most importantly recuited PV into 3 straight. Great man.[/quote]

Good luck making it 4[/quote]

You must be a well informed young man Pidge, he wont be single handedly batted, bowled, fielded and most importantly recuited PV into 3 straight. Great man.[/quote] I think you will find that he will be playing in the PADC for Salisbury West. Spin twin maybe able to confirm this.[/quote]

Know of a Fitzroy B grade star going to Salisbury West, coz its closer to home and he has friends there.
As for Richie going to Salisbury West that would be a longshot.

[Wizard of Oz]

What are their ties to Salisbury West ?

Edit - I know you said one has mates there, but are these blokes close to anybody in particular ?

[Pidge]

How can you have a crack at Rich a top cricketer on the field and an above average bloke of the field
He spends most of his time on the field and off (GF the exception) trying to get a laugh at his own or a teammates expense (normally Simo as he gives him so much amo or myself). Hardly knob behaviour have a good look at yourself champ and see if you have done as much for your club or the assoc as Rich has done over the last few years. Tipping PV would not have won 3 in a row if it weren’t for the work Rich and others do on and off the field.

Looks like i've made my debut on the herald SAfooty forum. Thank You Reggie.

I would like to echo Reggie's words and say that Richo has single handedly batted, bowled, fielded and most importantly recuited PV into 3 straight. Great man.

Good luck making it 4[/quote]

You must be a well informed young man Pidge, he wont be single handedly batted, bowled, fielded and most importantly recuited PV into 3 straight. Great man.[/quote] I think you will find that he will be playing in the PADC for Salisbury West. Spin twin maybe able to confirm this.[/quote]

Know of a Fitzroy B grade star going to Salisbury West, coz its closer to home and he has friends there.
As for Richie going to Salisbury West that would be a longshot.[/quote]

I hope you are wrong. I'd like to see Marshall stay in the comp.

[george]

I have just heard a rumour that a PV 3 time premiership player has walked out on the club. It is not Marshall but i do believe it will hurt PV's chance at 4 in a row.

[Mythbuster]

I've heard a rumor that a prominent member of churches cricket is actually a woman.

My mate Mr Akermanis told me that there is a gay amongst us.....

[Mythbuster]

I've heard a rumor that a prominent member of churches cricket is actually a woman.

My mate Mr Akermanis told me that there is a gay amongst us.....

Also, could it be that Marshall is not actually a human, but in fact a well groomed cartoon character by the name of george jetson, and could be bringing out Jane, Judy, Elroy and astro out for a hit in the 10/11 season. All this as well as being a gay woman playing for salisbury west.

[Mythbuster]

I've heard a rumor that a prominent member of churches cricket is actually a woman.

My mate Mr Akermanis told me that there is a gay amongst us.....

Also, could it be that Marshall is not actually a human, but in fact a well groomed cartoon character by the name of george jetson, and could be bringing out Jane, Judy, Elroy and astro out for a hit in the 10/11 season. All this as well as being a gay woman playing for salisbury west.

P.s. Happy Birthday Mytbuster 2

[Phantom Gossiper]

Churches cricket is dying quicker than a terminally ill cancer victim!!

I would be suprised to see a church comp in a couple yrs time, i think i made the call last year or the year b4 i think all suburban hard wicket comps will become one very soon.

Lets face it wat does churches have to offer to attract ppl? No jr program, no real clubs with facilities, no recruitment or retention plans.

p.s. happy bday mythbuster

[auto]

Churches cricket is dying quicker than a terminally ill cancer victim!!

I would be suprised to see a church comp in a couple yrs time, i think i made the call last year or the year b4 i think all suburban hard wicket comps will become one very soon.

Lets face it wat does churches have to offer to attract ppl? No jr program, no real clubs with facilities, no recruitment or retention plans.

p.s. happy bday mythbuster

A chance to travel and play against other states in Australia! Dont tell me you didnt enjoy it Phantom! Churches Cricket (BTW i think the name should be changed to more accurately reflect the demographic/geographic properties of the competition, as well as for marketing of the comp) might not be the best competition in the world but i like it. Contrary to some other opinions i dont think its inevitable that it will die, though in its current form it probably will.

[Goat Herder]

Well said Auto. As for you PG, it’s disappointing to see somebody the Association invested time & money in to attend National Championships turn and bag that same very Association when it least needs it – especially seeing as you were touting (rather fancifully it seems.. ) a possible return to C&CCA in 2010/11 with a Phantom Super Team. Poor form champ – but form you’d be well used to by now..

Wow, seems like a few supposed in-house issues have leaked their way onto these pages.. Poor form again guys. One confirmed rumour is that a former Assoc skipper has had an extraordinary off-season thusfar and is looking at making a comeback. With still a few months left before the season kicks off, the only bit of uncertainty is what grade he will be competing in. Watch this space..

[dark & stormy]

well the way i see it is the only way the churches comp will die is if we
let it. dont know how you all feel about it ? but i for 1 enjoy the comp.
since retiring from turf afew years ago i thought that was it for me.
but since playing in churches i have met afew good guys from my team and afew from other sides . i enjoy the quality and battles we all have
against each other . so guys lets all play hard and rip some heads off
in the new season and i think i can go another year or two myself,.
see you all in season 10/11 . go youn knighters.

[Ecky]

One confirmed rumour is that a former Assoc skipper has had an extraordinary off-season thusfar and is looking at making a comeback. With still a few months left before the season kicks off, the only bit of uncertainty is what grade he will be competing in. Watch this space..

Ian Amey?

[Goat Herder]

I might have to check the history book Ecky, I'm not sure Tige captained a Carnival side..(??) He may well have. Certainly played in a few though, The Grand Poobah..

PS; the winter KG whiting are now on the chew locally lads.. When are ya coming out for a fish Baldo??

[Phantom Gossiper]

Well said Auto. As for you PG, it’s disappointing to see somebody the Association invested time & money in to attend National Championships turn and bag that same very Association when it least needs it – especially seeing as you were touting (rather fancifully it seems.. ) a possible return to C&CCA in 2010/11 with a Phantom Super Team. Poor form champ – but form you’d be well used to by now..

Wow, seems like a few supposed in-house issues have leaked their way onto these pages.. Poor form again guys. One confirmed rumour is that a former Assoc skipper has had an extraordinary off-season thusfar and is looking at making a comeback. With still a few months left before the season kicks off, the only bit of uncertainty is what grade he will be competing in. Watch this space..

Hey ill agree the National Championships are fantastic! And i do enjoy the competition, im just saying that looking at where the assos is now compared with say 10 years ago, and being realistic who can you see it improving unless other sides from other comps join it? Like i said there is no junior programs, no recruitment programs, most clubs dont have an actual club facility and play on school ovals and probably lack major sponsors. Im not bagging the association, these are merely my thoughts and since this is a forum i think im most entitled to them

p.s yes very used to poor form lo

[Phantom Gossiper]

also add to that the speculation that a few more sides are dropping out this season makes things look bleak dont you agree?!

[Goat Herder]

I think you'll find cricket in general fits into the 'dwindling interest' portfolio circa 2010, not just C&CCA. PDCA back when the inter-Association matches started is nowhere near as strong as they used to be. I think you could whack any metro cricket association in the same category too. Even Grade cricket isn't what it used to be. Far too many teams for the number of players who are truly A Grade standard. Greg Chappell had it spot on when he was at the SACA 8-10yrs ago, recommending that the only way SA cricket would move forward would be to have 4 zoned teams compete in an elite Grade cricket competition, so that the best play against the best and develop accordingly. Fast forward those 8-10yrs and who can argue that the current Grade cricket format has served the Redbacks well??

In conclusion, to single C&CCA out as you have is not only extremely harsh, but extremely selective and narrow-minded.

[auto]

I dont subscribe to the fact the competition will inevitably die. There are a number of things the executive can do to increase the patronage of the comp.

1. Get on the front foot in terms of recruiting clubs into the competition. Churches sits between the Adelaide Suburban competition and Para Districts competition. There are alot of turf clubs in this area. But there are alot of fringe clubs from both other competitions that may consider churches is good for them. Looking at Suburban their comp is heading further south with new clubs coming in. Para Districts will have its centre further north with over 200,000 people moving into the Playford, Gawler and Barossa areas in the next 20 years, according to the Messenger this week. That leaves fringe clubs that may not want to travel further more often. Certain clubs that fit within our geographical area should be targeted.

2. Change the name of the comp because to an outsider they think we are all church going players and church based clubs.That gives the perception you need to be affiliated with a church to play here when thats simply not true.

3. Promote the fact we have an Australian championship every 2 years and travel around oz playing cricket.

4. Help the clubs set up junior programs, i know my club would love to have juniors. Even if its four sides to start with and work from there.

Just some ideas. Hopefully the current executive can take a strategic long term approach as well as their day to day running of the competition.

Personally I love playing in this comp, it has a nice blend off competitiveness and social cricket.

[bloodybouncer]

Prob the best thing to come out of your mouth auto. Well said. You may need to be Rudds right hand man on the super tax issue.
For me, the name is a major issue. Its not a discredit to the league or the people who have tirelessly volunteered their services, but maybe its time for a change. I know this would be a very touchy issue for founding members, but I think to ensure the longevity of the great foundation that had been layed, the comp should consider this seriously. The balancing act would be how not to lose the identity (and associated history) of the people who are “churches” cricket. As much as I express my indifferences with the way this comp is run, I would hate to see the exec rail-roaded on this. It truly must be a majority interest to do this, and it needs to be done systematically, and with the proper information at hand to make such an important decision.
Its no secret Fitzroy are seriously concerned for the long term prospects of church cricket. We have lots of juniors/potential juniors, and our member base is stable for 3-4 teams. We have first class facilities that should be exploited to their fullest possible extent, which is not happening at the moment. We go to the effort of providing tea for home games, with other teams not able to do the same whether it be for lack of effort, or perhaps mainly because there are no facilities to do so! As PG said, school grounds don’t offer too much. We would like to be involved in a competition that is fiercely competitive on field (as it is now in churches I believe), but socially welcoming off field. Drinks after a game, mutual attendance for shows (I know the NEK guys have a pretty good night that I will get to at some stage!), 20/20 play off comps etc etc.
I believe the following information would be required to make any major decision, and I would welcome any feedback. I guess my scientific nerdiness is about to come out, so forgive me!

1) Nationally, are the “churches” leagues having the same issues we are?
2) Have any of the states deviated from the “churches” name? How did this affect them?
3) What has been the growth/decline of Suburban and PDCA teams? Is our comp trending in the same pattern? Is this a state or national issue
4) If a recruiting program was initiated, what CENTRAL teams could be approached? How many teams are playing centrally, and assuming a 5% minimum success rate of securing a team for the churches, how many extra teams could we potentially have?

A dedicated effort is need to answer these questions. I think some of the guys that have been around for a long time and have ties nationally will be best suited to answer these questions – Goat/Scooter/Glenys/Tige/Andrew/Mctiers etc.

[Goat Herder]

Hey BB!

Haven't got time right now to fully research all your questions properly, but I can confirm that the ACCA member Associations from other states have not deviated from the 'Churches' moniker. My main concern would be our possible exclusion from the very Championships that defines us from other SA metro cricket Associations if we were to completely exclude the 'Churches' component of our Association name. This is what makes us so unique, by giving players who want to compete at a higher level, a vehicle to realise those ambitions. I know in the past that the ability to compete at this level has retained players within our Association, as opposed to losing them to Adelaide Turf, for example. There may (??) have been players who've been drawn over to C&CCA because of these opportunities. I'm not sure.

I'm certainly not precious about the name of our Association, and you're 100% right that the church-going contingent within our competition is minimal at best, compared to 30-40yrs ago. My sole concern is detailed above and I'd hate to see us excluded from the Nationals purely over the sake of a name change. On the other hand, I'm not even sure there is a necessity to retain the "Churches" component of our name to ensure ACCA membership. Maybe something that can be addressed at the next AGM, as I'm sure Tige would know the answer. Indeed, Q4 about attracting teams & clubs from other assocs would need to weigh very heavily in our favour to warrant a name change, but off the top of my head I'm not sure who we'd target.

As for other Churches assocs having the same problems, I know for a fact that retention of players and attracting players to the game of cricket itself is a problem across the country, not just any particular assoc. Sporting participation of youth as a whole in the electronic age is a problem, so I certainly don't believe it is isolated to any particular assoc or state. Also throw in the fact that more people are having to work longer hours to make end meet in this current economic environment, and as such, time for recreational activities suffers. I'm sure you could add other factors with more research..

I also know for a fact that if the teams representing each metro assoc is anything to go by, the talent pool is definitely dwlindling - and it's not a case of "back in my day...".. That's not to say that there are quality players in each assoc who can't be stuffed playing rep cricket, but this issue would be the same for every assoc. So I think the snapshot of today vs 10yrs ago when we first started playing PDCA is a fair indication - for example. The only reason we have improved in rep metro cricket is the fact that we have been able to get guys like yourself interested in the program, as opposed to 10yrs ago when most players either didn't have the drive to compete at that level, or wanted to only play on Saturdays.

All that said, I applaud your Club for actively thinking about the now and the future of our Association and how we can ensure it continues for many years to come. It certainly warrants discussion and a lot more investigation into the ramifications of a change - positive vs negative.