Pyramid rumpus looks set to continue
by Alan Rowley, 16th November 2001

The debate regarding the new pyramid structure for Derbyshire League cricket looks like it's going to rumble on for many weeks yet. The proposal, which was accepted at last Monday's Rules Revision meeting, was approved by just one vote.

On this site's message board, views appear to be split. League fixture secretary Chris Higginbottom said: "I have made no secret that I support the pyramid proposal. It looks at the big picture of cricket in Derbyshire, and not just the corner that the DCCL occupies."

Trundler, always one of the first to voice his opinion on this site, called the structure : "a great idea". He went on to say: "One of the principal reasons for the pyramid structure was to allow the Premier League to keep their premier accreditation from the ECB (and the annual payments of around £1,000 per club that goes with it)". BushTuckerMan agreed with Trundler by saying: "it seemed like common sense to me".

Bungalow, however, thought Monday night's meeting was "a joke". He said: "The Pyramid system was overruled by 2 votes based on 1 vote per team in the County Leagues. It was also overruled by 3 votes based upon 1 vote per club in the County league. The Executive Community however voted with the majority being for this system so yet again this shows how much say the Clubs that play week in week out actually have."

Even the Derby Evening Telegraph got into the act. Speaking to Mark Eklid , committee member Michael Dickinson said that he is "not against the system itself" but he objected to it being "forced on us by the ECB and the Cricket Board when it is not necessary". Dickinson went on to say that he believed "the debate should not yet be laid to rest". He added: "I think it should be down to the clubs to decide and it was such a close call in the end after the original vote was overturned by the executive committee that I would have thought it needed further discussion."

Eklid suggests that: "the issue could be put to the test again at an extraordinary general meeting, with many clubs unhappy at the way the voting went."

For those of you who have missed all the fuss, the pyramid structure will see the Premier League at the top with the County League Divisions one and two filtering through into it. Below division two, the County League will be divided between north and south with five divisions in each section. One promotion place will be offered to the champions of divisions three north and south, and the winners of the Cheshire and Derbyshire League, the Yorkshire and Derbyshire League and the Burton and District League.