Committee Meeting, Monday, 21st January, 2008

• • Present: Dan Webb (chairman), Mudho Ahmed, David Banner, Martin Crossley, Shahid Din, Mandeep Gill, Tony Hewston, Razaq Ishaq, Zamir Khan, Ben Kunicki, Jonathan Lindsay, Dave Nolder, Gareth Noot, Phil Noot, Andy Parsons, Matthew Stevenson
  • Apologies: Saqib Ahmed, Tom Day, Murray Scott
  • Guests: Fareed Ahmed, Shabir Ahmed, Tazib Chaudhry

  Matters Arising

  • 3rd XI ground at Richings Park: Matthew Stevenson reported that there were now major long-term doubts over the availability of the Richings Park ground and that we are therefore considering using the Beaconsfield 3rd XI ground for Sunday as well as Saturday fixtures.
  • CPSA board report: Andy Parsons reported that the club was presently in severe financial difficulty; this is documented fully elsewhere but, in brief, CPSA is c.£8000 overdrawn and is losing £1000 per month. As a result, CPSA has let it be known that it is unable to pay the groundsman’s salary in full; it has been agreed that CPSA will pay half his salary if the cricket section privately raises the other half. CPSA will also be unable to pay an external contractor to cut the outfield. CPSA has, however, committed to continue paying the maintenance costs of the ground (fuel, topsoil, seed, urgent machinery repairs, etc.). Several key positions on the CPSA board also remain vacant.
  • Match fees: There was a long discussion on match fees; the committee eventually agreed that a significant increase was necessary in order to cover the costs of half of the groundsman’s salary (see above). The rates for 2008 will therefore be as follows:
  • Saturday 1st XI: £15
  • Saturday 2nd XI: £12
  • Saturday 3rd XI: £12
  • Sunday 1st XI: £12
  • Sunday 2nd XI: £10
  • Sunday 3rd XI: £10.
  • TVCL AGM: Matthew Stevenson reported that no major changes were passed; there is, however, a new umpires form, which he showed to Zamir Khan.
  • TCSL AGM: Mudho Ahmed reported that there will be three divisions in 2008, with promotion and relegation, and these will replace the separate competitions for 1st and 2nd XIs; our 1st XI will we start in the top division.

  Cricket Report

  • Sunday selection policy: it was agreed that, wherever possible, we should try to field at least three junior players in the Sunday 1st XI, and that on no account must non-club members play for any but the lowest club XI on a particular day.
  • ECB coaching courses: Mudho Ahmed reported that he and Keith Neave are both booked onto courses in the spring.
  • ECB umpiring courses: Matthew Stevenson reported that he had begun his GL5 umpiring course.
  • Web site updates: Dane Webb and Ben Kunicki reported that there had been no further progress report on this subject.
  • Indoor nets: Mandeep Gill will try to book some pre-season indoor nets at Herschel Sports Centre, Slough, hopefully on Thursday evenings, 8pm to 10pm, two lanes per session, and running for four weeks beginning in March.
  • Junior indoor nets: Jonathan Lindsay reported that attendances of these sessions, at Holtspur Sports Centre, Beaconsfield, on Saturday evenings, had improved recently.
  • Ramadan, 2008: Matthew Stevenson asked whether Ramadan, which starts in early September this year, would be a problem re catering and availability; Zamir Khan said that it would not.
  • Match day management packs: Dan Webb said that he would try to modify the aforementioned to cater for a) the new TVCL umpires form (see above) and b) home matches being played at the Beaconsfield 3rd XI ground.
  • Club kit: Mandeep Gill reported that he had negotiated two club kit deals with the same supplier who provided club shirts last season: £51 for tracksuit top and bottoms, cricket trousers, cricket shirt, half sleeve jumper and cap; or £25 for just the tracksuit top and bottoms, cricket trousers and cricket shirt. It would be possible to order by size and the price would include sponsorship logos if required. It was agreed that this was a very good deal and that we should proceed. Mandeep Gill will organize a club kit evening to coincide with the next committee meeting on Monday, 11th February. 

  Fixtures Report

  • 2008 fixtures: Dave Nolder reported that he was making good progress on the fixtures and distributed a provisional fixture list to all the captains.
  • County junior fixture: Dave Nolder reported that there will be another county junior match at the club during the 2008 season, on Sunday, 22nd June, an under 14 match between Buckinghamshire and Worcestershire.

  Ground Report

  • Storage container: David Banner reported that the December work party had removed all the contents from the storage container, which is due to be removed soon. The latter will save the club a considerable amount of money, due to the electricity which was being used to heat the containers to prevent the machinery inside from rusting, but on the down side we now no longer have a storage facility for our machinery. The latter is presently crammed into the single garage in the main clubhouse and the ladies’ changing rooms. Mandeep Gill suggested funding a new shed, which may cost up to £2000, by asking for donations from club members.
  • Chalfont Park square: David Banner reported that the square has been spiked regularly during the winter.
  • Chalfont Park outfield: David Banner reported that the remaining mole is still causing problems on the outfield; Dan Webb said that he would get the mole catcher to come down again. David Banner said that we would need a rota to take turns in cutting the outfield during the 2008 season.
  • Machinery: David Banner reported that the machinery is generally in good working order, as far as he is aware, and minor repairs and servicing will have to wait until we can afford to pay for them.
  • Work party: David Banner said that another work party was needed to a) do some maintenance work inside the clubhouse and b) cut down some dead trees and overhanging branches. Ben Kunicki said that we would need a work party to be active at the club on the Cricket Force weekend in April.

  Treasurer’s Report

  • Current balance: Murray Scott was unable to attend the meeting but reported that the current balance is £573 with all outstanding bills paid. 

  Fund Raising Report

  • Annual Dinner: Andy Parsons proposed that we should take advantage of the marquee which will be put up for the hockey dinner in April by staging our event on the Friday, the day before the hockey event; the committee agreed and Andy Parsons took the action to make the arrangements.
  • Other events: Andy Parsons suggested that we should run five other events during the year; these are likely to include Indian barbecues and a Casino Night. 

  Development Report

  • CRB checks: Ben Kunicki asked all the captains and vice captains to attend a meeting with Damien Dunlop, the ECB Development Officer for Buckinghamshire, on Monday, 29th January, in order to get themselves CRB checked, which is necessary for juniors to be able to play in their XIs.
  • Child Welfare course: Dan Webb reported that he had attended a meeting on Monday, 14th January.