Bassetlaw sunk beyond trace?
by Paul Barker, 13th October 2006

I never would have believed that a league of which I have been associated with for 25 years could have come out with as many hair brained and ridiculous ideas at one go. I do not say this lightly in fact it pains me deeply to see the way that the league is progressing. It seems as if they are intent on following the ‘Titanic’s’ example of plunging to the bottom of the ocean and being sunk beyond trace.

Every single League in the country has problems over staffing matches with umpires. It is not just the Bassetlaw’s problem it is nationwide, but the measures they are putting forward will only drive more away, not attract them. As one long respected club member told me ‘I could find another umpire for the panel and let him loose on the league, but what would it achieve. He would be little short of hopeless, he would get more things wrong than right and cause problems in every match he officiated in. Is this what the Management Committee want me to provide, I would damn well hope not?’

The idea of no umpires in matches in Division 2 and matches being fully staffed in Division 10 totally beggars belief. If the appointments secretary thinks people want to travel a further ten miles or so to umpire in the bottom section he is sadly deluded and whoever has suggested such an idea should think about it now. He should also think would he himself like to be umpiring at that level when matches of a much higher standard are totally bereft of umpires. I don’t think he would, do you?

Whilst I admit that some teams supply more umpires than others the system has always been the same whatever sport you are involved with. Talking to someone who is involved in local football he told me something that I was already aware of in saying that the lower you are down the scale the less likely you are to have any linesmen (or assistant referees) as they are called today.

Whilst nobody likes it, it is a fact of life and also whilst the league management committee have over the years introduced some marvellous innovative schemes the idea of £75.00 membership with £50.00 discount if you do as they say is totally ludicrous. This is a Cricket League not a buy one get one free supermarket isn’t it. Also the idea of any team relegated from the Premier League going straight down to Division 2 because they don’t supply umpires is as nonsensical and barmy as anything I have ever heard in my 61 years on this earth.

The Bassetlaw League was one of the strongest and most respected combinations in league cricket. To those who believe impassionately in it what is happening at the minute makes one want to weep not with joy but total frustration. I am deeply sorry that I have had to say this, but a complete shake-up is necessary before it is too late. We knew with the inception of the Premier Leagues, the Bassetlaw like many others would never be as strong again, but what is left of this once great league is now being wrecked beyond repair by some individuals who need to resign and be replaced by some forward thinking go-getters who will re-juvenate the whole structure of the league before it becomes too late.

When Jim Garton announced the leagues proposals for the A.G.M. it was greeted by stony silence and I think it took minutes for it to sink in what he had said. Quite frankly, I think it is crass stupidity what is about to be proposed and the league will lose more umpires than gain them. Sorry to sound so negative, but if something isn’t done it will be too late.  

Someone is needed at the top as Chairman who has played cricket at the top level of the Bassetlaw sphere, someone who knows what Division 1 is all about. It is your flagship league and the reputation of the combination comes from that section. You start from the top and move to the bottom and the clubs that are the wealthy ones and the past champions were once small clubs who have got where they are by their own efforts and that is why they have become successful.

That is the way of life. Don’t be jealous of them, be proud of them, they made the league great and are now watching in despair as all the work their ancestors did to build the league up is being wrecked. If I have made myself unpopular with these statements, tough, I mean every word I say, because I care and want something doing before its too late.