Present: Greg Smith Jim Netherwood
Richard EllisMarcus Longbottom
Bill CrosslandWill Ward
Marc DavisTony Hirst
Rupert WilsonPaul Wood
Alan PriestleyKen Jagger
1. Apologies were received from David Pedley, Tim Beaumont, and Sam Stier.
2. Minutes of the Last Meeting were circulated. Since no one remembered the last meeting, they were accepted as read.
3. Matters Arising
Reference was made to the President’s double lip replacement and it was hoped that this would not affect his famously polite sledging when he took the field again.
New members assiduously selected using the pin and telephone directory method were to be spammed/junk mailed by the secretary.
Moving into the modern world of telecommunications, email addresses would be collected and circulated. A debate ensured on whether team selection should be communicated electronically. This was voted down on the basis that the lack of the personal interface would give more time to invent even more obscure excuses for not playing.
The treasurer reported no further wins with Ernie but a further £500 was to be invested there. Arthur Anderson were appointed to audit the books once they had finished with Enron.
4. Members List and New Members
The playing list was to be revised to reduce match captains telephone bills – the secretary agreed to a cull of the members to reflect this, which led to a jolly 5 minutes compiling a top ten wish list.
(Post meeting note – the secretary, a paid up member of DNA, the National Dyslexic Association, would like to apologise in advance for errors in the subsequently published telephone numbers in the book. The only defence offered is that they all look the same to me).
5. Fixtures
Will reported that all was going ever so well with fixtures but as such was unable to produce any supporting evidence. Wealdstone wanted to visit in July but couldn’t be accommodated, and the Stainborough game (April 27th) may have to time warped to a Saturday to accommodate league fixtures. Chatsworth had made themselves available again and Darton were another team apparently unfamiliar with the Casuals reputation as cricketers.
Rupert repeated the potential availability of Silcoates early in the season, coinciding with the non-availability of many Casuals until temperatures rose high enough to overcome the hibernating tendency.
The finalised list would be communicated within 14 days or else!
6. Match Captains and Allocation of Fixtures
Mark Windale’s resignation on the grounds of a terminally unavailable knee was reluctantly accepted if he would show the committee some his holiday snaps from Thailand. Sam Wilkinson was elected a worthy successor if only the basis of shape.
Since there were no fixtures to allocate, this acrimonious part of the meeting was mercifully short. Chairman and Fixtures secretary agreed to meet in the Systine Chapel and allocate according to age, infirmity, sex and religion, in the full and certain knowledge that any information published in April would have changed by May, if not sooner.
7. Equipment and Nets
Nets were considered and dismissed. The oldest member expressed the view that those that did not train should not be picked. Several match captains supported this view in that it would make their jobs relatively easy, however three-a-side cricket is not popular in Yorkshire.
Most Casuals now have a personal trainer to ensure they arrive at the first game in peak condition. Ken Jagger’s had obviously peaked him too soon, but he hoped to make a full recovery for the season to come.
Balls, as ever, were an issue. The baggage master was empowered to spend, spend, spend. Rupert commented that the YMCA had more expensive ones than the Casuals, and we should consider ball sponsors, at which point many present looked furtive or snook off to the toilet/bar/to meet a long lost friend from Piddletrenthide miraculously appearing in the Royal Oak.
Almondbury Casuals Cricket Club 