Minutes of 1999 annual general meeting
held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 15th December 1999
at Portishead C.C.

Present:
D Grewcock (Chairman)
R Humphreys (Secretary and Treasurer)
J Waters (U13/U11 Secretary)
Wrington
Nailsea
Congresbury
Blagdon
Claverham
Clevedon
Portishead
Cheddar
Uphill Castle
Worle
Winscombe
Optimists (David Lee)
Failand & Portbury
Peter Sanderson (SCB)

Absent:
Cleeve
Weston-super-Mare

Apologies:
Tony Willoughby
Simon Hopkinson

1. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.

2. Matters arising: discussion of the new U11s league format. It had been a well balanced league with a good standard.

3. The Secretary then delivered his report (see later).

4. The U13/U11 Secretary then delivered his report (see later).

5. Discussion of the reports then ensued. In particular the issue of clubs fielding over-age players was addressed. The Chairman summed up the position: The rule as to age qualification is the rule. An opposing manager may object to an over-age player being fielded. It is open to managers, having regard to the issue of safety, to agree to allow an over-age player to participate but it is not fair to put this point to the opposing manager on the day. Prior consultation in all respects is encouraged.

6. John Waters observed that in his view the non-fulfilment by the U11 clubs of all fixtures was not because of the change to the league format.

7. The Treasurer presented the accounts which were accepted. He raised the point that he had been unable, despite enquiries, to identify an account which paid a reasonable rate of interest on deposits at the level required which was available to an unincorporated association (of which the League is an example).

8. There was discussion of trophies and the extent to which the costs of supplying these is justifiable. After discussion it was determined that, whilst cups would continue to be presented as at present, individual player trophies would be purchased by the League and presented only to:

(a) the U11s league winners;
(b) the U13 cup winners;
(c) the U13 cup runners up.

9. The level of subscriptions and fines was discussed and no change was made to these.

10. The representative team managers reported an extensive programme of games played:

(1) Sue Edwards had taken a U14s team on a tour to Northampton. They had played a 2 day game and a time game. The U14s had also played and won games against the Bristol & District League and the Bath & District League.

(2) Derek Blower reported two games by an U15s representative XI the first at Long Ashton against Bristol & District League was won (best performances from League players Simon Green (W-S-M), Hugo Hanchet (F&P) and Warren Stafford (W-S-M); also a win against Pembrokeshire in which Hanchet, Butler (Cheddar) and Booth had performed well.

(3) John Waters reported two U11s games. First a win against Pembrokeshire with good performances from Edmunds (Wrington), Lyons (Blagdon), Gilmour (F&P) and Miles (W-S-M). Second a win against the Bath & District League at Temple Cloud.

(4) Keith Berridge delivered a written report of a U13s game narrowly lost against the Bristol & District League (see later for further details).

11. A change was made to rule 5 by the deletion of the second sentence: "the initial stages of the competition for players under the age of 11 shall be run on a friendly basis with the later stages run competitively."

12. The following officers were elected:
Brian Rose (President)
Doug Grewcock (Chairman)
Robert Humphreys (Secretary and Treasurer)
John Waters (U13/U11 Secretary).

13. The following representative managers volunteered and were elected:

U11s: Nigel Cook (Uphill)
U13s: John Waters (Nailsea)
U15s: Sue Edwards (Wrington)
U17s: (it was determined to wait to see which teams entered before selecting a manager).

14. The Secretary was asked how many fixtures the U17 teams would have and he advised those present that, irrespective of the number of entries, there would be at least 9 or 10 games scheduled for each club.

15. Optimists applied to enter a team at U15 level and their application to join theLeague was accepted.

16. Details of a new U13 Sunday League had been circulated to members. Some concerns were expressed about this and it was noted that Somerset Cricket Board had started the League without any reference at all to the NSYCL. The Secretary was concerned that the resources of volunteer managers, already in short supply, might be stretched to the detriment of NSYCL teams. Peter Sanderson (SCB) said that the League was intended only to generate 3 or 4 matches between participating clubs. John Waters explained that Nailsea would be entering but purely in place of existing friendlies. The Secretary reported that his understanding, from the organiser of the new League Mark Naylor, was that its aim was mainly to fill the gap in 11-a-side cricket in the North East Somerset area which arose because the Bath & District League only ran 8-a-side games at U13 level.

17. There was discussion of the School of Excellence which Nailsea C.C. are hoping to build. John Waters explained that it was hoped to raise £500,000 but there was no guarantee that this could be done. The Chairman indicated that the League would be willing to make a small contribution but nearer the time.

18. The contents of the police notice warning clubs to be careful of people they allow to be in charge of youngsters was noted.

19. Peter Sanderson (SCB) explained some changes in the SCB's junior organisation. Julian Wyatt had been moved to taking charge of the County 2nd XI and he Peter Sanderson had been given the job of getting the corner competition running better. He accepted that the competition lacked credibility and that it had lacked attendance by county youth coaches. Part of the difficulty, he explained, is that he (like others) is a self-employed coach and is only available to put in the hours which SCB are prepared to engage him to spend on their behalf.

20. He said that he had circulated all clubs and schools asking for nominations for county trials and had had over 700 nominations at 5 levels. The county squads for year 2000 had already been chosen and boys would have to do exceptionally well in the corner games to get into those squads this year. Corner coaching was being arranged for corner squads, to be selected from those nominated, each of which was to be supplied with a qualified coach. Year 2000 corner matches would be trials for county squads in year 2000.

21. Peter Sanderson provided details of various coaching courses run by the SCB as well as a scheme called "active sports" intended to be partly lottery funded and established to give opportunities for players at district level. In response to questions from the Secretary, he accepted that the aim of the SCB youth organisation was solely to identify excellent players as possible entrants into a professional career structure.

22. John Waters observed, with support from the meeting, that North Somerset youngsters were generally not in Somerset squads when they were established at the U11 age and that, once established, the Somerset squads were difficult forNorth Somerset youngsters to get into.

23. Derek Blower appreciated what had been said but expressed the concern that concentration on excellence alone would not motivate people to watch county games; too few youngsters at primary school age were receiving coaching or indeed any kind of introduction to cricket at schools. Peter Sanderson explainedthat the SCB did not have enough coaches in the North West area to provide comprehensive coverage. Coaching is a relatively poorly paid job and so there are not as many coaches available as were needed. Conversely, the SCB did not have enough funds to put more coaches into the North West area.

24. The meeting concluded with the hope for a long, hot, dry summer.

Chairman.........................Dated.....................2000