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April 2003
Dear Member,
Welcome to the New Season!
 A warm welcome to you all, be you a senior player, a colt, or a social member.
And a particular welcome to our new members for the coming season.
Spring has come early and we have had no rain to speak of since 7 March,
I understand. That should guarantee monsoon conditions in June and July I
suppose. But in the meantime, outdoor nets start on Thursday, 10 April for
the 1st Xl squad, and Tuesday, 15 April for the rest of the senior membership.
Colts nets will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the various age
groups.
The usual pre-season gathering will take place on Sunday, 13 April from 12.30
onwards. Bring your cheque book because you will be expected to pay your
subs at that time in order to receive a fixture card and car park sticker.
There will also be registration forms that every individual must complete
before he can be classed as a member. This is not us being pedantic - it
is already a requirement of the local licensing authorities, and is shortly
to be a legal requirement of the Government and applicable to all sports
clubs. And there will be a selection of Club shirts, caps and sweaters for
sale at attractive prices (and the rule introduced last year that only Brentwood
caps and sweaters could be worn on the field in the senior sides will be
maintained).
Aims and Expectations
Last year we introduced quite a lot of changes to the way the Club operated,
both on and off the field, and by and large they were successful. We are
far more organised and focused now and run along the lines of an efficient
semi-professional club, as befits our status, location and facilities. And
the improvements spread to the playing side. The 1st Xl could count themselves
unlucky not to win promotion to Division 1 (only a lack of self-belief in
the early part of the season stopped them); the 2nds cruised back into Division
1; the 3rds consolidated their position in the Premier; the 4ths were runners
up in the Premier, and the 5ths and 6ths both made remarkable strides in
the 4th Xl league's East and West Divisions. We must build on those performances
this year. The aim must be for the 1st team to win promotion and the 2nds
to get into the Premier. The 3rds and 4ths must both maintain their positions
and also act as the feeder sides for the higher elevens, and the 5ths and
6ths will continue to be the introduction to senior cricket for our colts.
We must also recognise Sunday league cricket as an avenue for introducing
some of the more precocious players to a higher level of cricket and also
for senior players to play themselves back into form if need be. We have
new 1st team captains for both Saturday and Sunday, and I am confident that
both Dickie Whitehall and Ben Cocklin will succeed in bringing the best out
of their charges with their respective methods of encouragement. The Victorians,
as I know from personal experience, play the game in the most relaxed and
enjoyable way and give the Club and some of the players a much needed diversion
from the increasingly competitive League cricket. Long may it continue. The
Colts as ever are the Clubs' shining light, it is now time for the products
of our excellent set up to step up to the plate, and by virtue of performances
bang hard on the door of the 1st and 2nd XI's. For it is they that will push
our Club forward.
Facilities
Overshadowing everything else this winter has been the great news that we
have managed to persuade Essex County Council to sell us the freehold of
the Old County Ground. This will safeguard cricket here in perpetuity and
remove any fears that the ground could be sold for redevelopment. The only
sting in the tail is that we have to find £45,000 to pay our quota of
the purchase. We are endeavouring to raise as much as possible from donations
or loans from members and friends - apart from anything else, the more we
can be seen to raise internally, the better chance we have of receiving grant
aid from such organisations as Sport England. We have introduced a new class
of membership: "Life Members", for individuals who donate large sums of money
to the cause, and there are also a couple of extremely imaginative deals
for existing playing members which will both save you money in the long run
and also help us when we need it - now. Some of you are already aware of
these deals and have taken advantage of them. If you don't know about them
yet, please speak either to me or Malcolm Webb as soon as possible.
We have improved the facilities on the back pitch. We managed to put sightscreens
at each end in time for last season and we have now sited a converted container
at the boundary's edge as a pavilion. In the near future it will also contain
a scoreboard and will add to the ambience of the ground.
Although our 5th and 6th Xls will still be playing a few games at The Drive,
I am delighted to report that we have agreed an arrangement with Brentwood
School whereby those sides will play most of their home games on the School
pitch in Middleton Hall Lane. This finally brings the whole Club together.
The 5ths and 6ths will be able to change and shower at the O.C.G. as well
as being able to bring the oppositions back across the road to our own bar.
It is another instance of the close connections that we have fostered with
Brentwood School and we are most grateful for the support and help we have
received from their Bursar and from Brian Hardie, Master in Charge of cricket.
Social Events
I've already mentioned the pre-season get-together, and as usual we have
a series of social events at roughly monthly intervals throughout the season.
Exact details and dates are shown in the fixture card. Paul Webb is running
this side of things this season. Please support both him and the events so
that we can earn enough money to be able to maintain the quality of the Club
and its facilities, bearing in mind that we have to find such a lot of money
from within our own ranks in order to buy the ground. Your sub includes a
£10 social event levy which allows you free entry to two of the "do's",
so you might as well come along to those at least, if only to get your monies'
worth.
We have new bar and catering staff - Vicky and Alan Brooks. They have a lot
of experience in the catering fields and have been members of the Hockey
Club for many years, so they know their way about. They will be preparing
our teas and also providing food on Saturday evenings, including regular
barbeques when the weather permits.
Last year was a good year, mostly. We have the ability to make this season
even better. Let us aim to be the envy of all the other local clubs by the
quality of our cricket on the field, our administrative excellence off it,
and our collective ability to support the bar until it closes and drink anybody
else under the table!
Good luck for a happy and successful season.
Ken Lingwood
Chairman
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