Thankls to Sloop for this detail. I've done little to it in order to get keep the site happy. I will fiddle with it as the day goes on.
Sloop John B
Announcement of the ground being called the Cooper Asociates County Ground.
Folk I talked too afterwards were rather underwhelmed by the announcement and asking why the members hadn’t been allowed to comment or vote.
Letter read from Roy Kerslake (who is in Australia) referring to his pride in being president etc. And thanking for his farewelling.
Matt Maynard said they would be announcing the overseas players on Wednesday when signatures had been placed on contracts. He thought we would all be pleased when we knew.
Craig Meschede wanted guarantee of first team cricket which we couldn’t give. Maybe we could get him back in 2/3 years a more experienced and better player. Josh Davey impressing and knocking on first team door. Ben Green is Quality. Chris Rogers will bring discipline eg: bowlers expected to hit top of off stump all the time and not too much ‘fancy stuff’.
Guy Lavender referred to the motion received from Greg Bowerman (and seconded by me) and indicated the club’s support for 4 day cricket, opposition to the franchise idea (which Andy Nash thinks is not a starter). There is a desire for change nationally but we hoped it would be via evolution not revolution. The club support maintaining red AND white ball cricket. He indicated that the views of members are gleaned via the area committees and to the executive committee.
Greg Bowerman spoke indicating a view that ordinary members should be heard and that the lack of information from the ECB and their unwillingness to debate on their visit to the SCCC created suspicion of their motives. He spoke of talk in the media about the lack of future for county cricket, the apparent enthusiasm for city based franchises, of players stating that the future would see test players dropping out of test cricket to play white ball cricket and the pressure of finances on counties and the fact that some counties are almost totally reliant on ECB grants.
The CEO said that he and the chairman were already putting the county’s views before the ECB but that other views were being expressed by other counties not in our healthy financial state.
Questions from the floor Someone suggested that the county’s 6 objectives should be enhanced by 2 overarching Aims – to be a top echelon club and to win the county championship. The top table agreed!
Someone talked about the bad visual impact of the floodlights. Answer – they had looked very carefully with the planners and had received approval. The height of the lights being well above the church towers actually reduces the visual impact (sic).
Complaint about batsmen not acknowledging the crowd’s applause when out for, say, 60. MM said for a top order batsman that might feel like a failure whereas a number 9 or 10 might be over the moon with that score! (Seemed to me he missed the point that players should acknowledge the crowd).
Car Parking. CEO had meeting with leader of council and has suggested several ways forward such as provision as part of the long-term Firepool plan, bespoke park & ride, Buying deicated provision in other under-used car-parks, a drop-off point and crossing on Priory Bridge Road.
A vote of thanks to Tres was moved from the floor and was unanimous.
Finances – Increased profit last year despite difficult trading conditions for the catering team - £330,000 per-tax. Annual interest charges for the new Somerset Pavilion £100,000 but well under control. Playing budget at £2.4m was second highest of the counties.
Committee re-elected without need for vote.
Honorary President – this turned out to be the shock of the night. Brian Rose was proposed by Andy Nash and a second candidate was proposed from the floor – Richard Parsons. Both candidates had speeches made by their proposers and the CEO had consulted lawyers and the process was to be show of hands, a count and if too close a paper ballot.
It was too close and the paper ballot returned a vote of 121 to 114 in favour of Richard Parsons. (I was surprised that this could occur without due notice to members in advance and I gained the impression of a significant push by the Richard Parsons supporters to get their support to the AGM. It worked!)
Richard Parson then thanked everyone for their support and asked the CEO to open a tab at the bar and insisted that everyone , whoever they voted for, have a drink on him.
Due to an unfortunate oversight a Resolution duly proposed and seconded in due time by members was omitted from the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting on Monday 25 January.
Following discussions with the Chief Executive the Chairman will refer to this Resolution at the end of his report (during which he will refer to the future of English cricket).
The Resolution is that the members should debate the future of English cricket. The proposer Greg Bowerman will be invited to speak to the item before it is opened to members.
Given talk of City franchises and the worrying state of governance at national and international level you, as a member, may wish to speak!
I would not imagine that any vote would be permitted as members have not been notified of the resolution in advance. It may give an insight as to members' views, but surely would not be legally binding.
Will the proposer seek an extraordinary AGM?
Members should make their opinions known to the committee by all means, but at the end of the day the committee are democratically elected, and they in turn elect the club's Chairman.
- new president
- meschede future?
- t20 position on signing gayle or not (rogers clearly dead against if that matters to Guy and Mr Nash?)
- seat allocation of new stand
- bowling resources, so far alfie+ dibble (if he counts!) gone and no replacements signed, we'll be told Davey i'm sure, but for me totally unproven. Every likelihood Jove and or Cove will be in squads over summer so just numbers mean for me we keep Mesch or have to sign at least one more squad bowler.
- floodlight update
I note ithat, prior to playing for our seconds (and taking plenty of wkts for us) Gamble played for his Uni vs Notts, dismissing both Brendon Taylor and Rikki Wessels.
He's now 21 so unless studying medicine or something then his uni days are probably over.
The voting process for Club President was an unqualified shambles. Congratulations to Mr. Parsons, even though I was unable to support him.
Craig Meschede will not return. What a poor decision to put him out on loan in the first place.
Matthew Maynard came across as being weak and ineffectual. I was very embarrased and disappointed by some of his responses. Can't see him taking us anywhere.
More tomorrow when I have had time to reflect.
A glass half - empty or a glass half - full?
Regardless, both glasses need filling up.
Our beloved County ground will now be called The Cooper Associates County Ground.
I know they did have their sign up on the Old Pavilion (that was) before, so I suppose this the modern way of doing things, I don't have to agree with it though.
I note that the Saffer paceman, Rory Kleinveldt, may be available as a Kolpak. Tried (and failed) to get an NOC to allow him to play in some T20 tournament but as part of the process told the SA selectors that he no longer wishes to be considered for them.
By my reckoning he should have Kolpak eligibility until 2018. We've not replaced the experience of Alf and RK is somebody that could probably do a job. Almost certainly a better bowler than TG, for example.
So a membership of some 7000 and Richard (who I personally have no problems with as president) is voted into the office by 51.5% of a voting population of 235 (Just over 3% of the membership)members in a regionally discriminatory 'election'.
I think Brian has the right to be a little perturbed by the democracy of it all. But I suppose that is the way it has been done before. Usually apathy tends to allow people into these posts unoppossed so I suppose we at least we had two candidates and a vote this time.
It is not a particularly powerful position in the club - though some seem to think it is - Richard is probably a little less abrasive than Rosey at the meet and greet so we probably got the best candidate for a 'front of house' face of the county at lunches etc.
Kleinvrldt is playing for Northants in2016 ag. Leask us a Scot indeed . My mate played with him a Couple of years ago. Slogger was his term not mine. Take that as you will but seems to fit in with maynards requirements !!
Yes I was disappointed that we have not picked up another bowler, I am just hoping a quick bowler is one of the signing hoping to be announced in the next week.
We were told last night (again) that we have THIRD highest players salaries for 2014/2015, in which case it does beg the question is the money being spent correctly.
PS. It was explained last night that direct comparison with other clubs is difficult due to clubs having different year ends in their annual accounts, therefore the various comparisons given were "Best Shots" available.
Yes, Roger, as I have said before (and hope never to have to say again!) if the club is the third highest wage payer in the land then, unless we are over-paying for under-performance, then we should have one of the most talented squads of players in the land.*
If we have one of the most talented squads of players in the land then we should be an effective and competitive squad unless the whole is - for whatever reason - less than the sum of its parts.
After the excellent (from a competitiveness stand-point) run that included the CC1 runners-up spot and the five one-day finals, will we finally return to being a seriously competitive side in 2016, after three years in which we have never seriously looked likely to win anything?
Answers on a post-card to Mr Matthew Maynard.
* I note what was said about different accounting periods. However, most cricket sides do not sign many players in any given season, let alone in a period of a few months, so I think this will have only a very small effect and probably means that there is little reason to doubt the (approximate) accuracy of the club's "best guess."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016:01:26:16:29:56 by AGod.
Matthew Maynard, after breaking the news that Craig Meschede had signed a contract with Glamorgan, tried to appease the meeting by saying that he might be back with Somerset after 3 years. So, according to him we now have 2 prodigal sons in Buttler and now Meschede. What a joke.
Also, to hoots of derision from some quarters he shrugged his shoulders and said "it's up to them" when asked why some of our players don't acknowledge the crowd's applause when they return to the pavilion upon dismissal / end of innings etc. What happened to displays of simple good manners from the players?
"It's not up to them, it's your job to instruct them to do it" shouted one irate lady. "That's a matter of opinion" said the DoC.
Yes, well many people's opinions including mine do not agree with those of Matthew Maynard.
A glass half - empty or a glass half - full?
Regardless, both glasses need filling up.
I don't think it's Maynard's job to 'instruct' the players to acknowledge the crowd's applause - that's silly. He's not a schoolmaster teaching a bunch of ten-year-olds on the morals of life.
I would hope all players, once they've reached about 18 or so, would behave well towards the paying public, and that the senior players might encourage the younger, more temperamental maybe, ones to do so, but Maynard's responsibilities lie elsewhere.
Sloop John B
Due to an unfortunate oversight a Resolution duly proposed and seconded in due time by members was omitted from the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting on Monday 25 January.
Following discussions with the Chief Executive the Chairman will refer to this Resolution at the end of his report (during which he will refer to the future of English cricket).
The Resolution is that the members should debate the future of English cricket. The proposer Greg Bowerman will be invited to speak to the item before it is opened to members.
Did this happen Sloop John B, and if so what was the response of the members present?
One other thing about last night's AGM, not mentioned so far, was MM's admission that it was his fault regarding Craig's outburst at Hove last season. He wanted more passion from the players but it was slightly mis-interpreted by Craig who went a bit too far. I was at said game, in fact at the end Craig was bowling from and I was also trying to enthuse a little more aggression from Craig. I will be writing to the ECB to see if both Matt & myself can sit out the Hants game (no offence Hants Sabre, it's one of the more difficult aways to get to from sleepy Clevedon) as a suitable penalty so Craig can feature up at Durham.
Tom, and who was the biggest culprit in "trudging Off", and has been for some time, I think we all know.
Best way of dealing with it from a spectators angle is not to clap, if they feel they are being ignored by the outgoing batsman.
Call it what you like Roger, but ignorance springs to mind, and I am not convinced that 2 wrongs make a right. If it weren't for members and spectators who pay their money to attend, there would be no county cricket in this country, and they would be out of a job as would DOC's and coaches etc.
Even if they did not "trudge off" during their benefit or testimonial season, I would still be inclined to pass on the collecting bucket without dipping into my meagre resources.
A glass half - empty or a glass half - full?
Regardless, both glasses need filling up.
Thanks for the notes on the AGM that Grockle re - produced above, Sloop.
Much appreciated, but there did not appear to be a great deal of discussion on the resolution put forward by the member regarding the future of English cricket.
The discussion on the future of English Cricket, was unfortunately rather overtaken by the extended process of selecting a new Club President, as was questions from the floor I felt.
I imagine that those people that were most unhappy at the AGM were supporters of Brian Rose,
who disappeared via the kitchen back door once the final result was announced.
Guy Lavender explained how a result would be arrived at, prior to the first vote, the show of hands,he also said that the process had been check with the Clubs Lawyers.
Hopefully there was no confusion amongst the voters as the voting slips showed A and B with no names, but Guy did confirm several times who was A (B.R) and B (R.P).
Really if people had a problem with the process then should be objected well prior to the AGM rather than after the Vote, but I imagine the club will look into the process for future years.
Like Clarence said I cannot remember having two options.
Agree with your posting Mike,
Rob, Richard said he was 71, but agree with the rest of your post.
I can recall MT, when still in his teens, being reprimanded by a very angry member for not acknowledging the applause as he returned to the pavilion - and being reminded that it was the crowd who paid his wages. It seems the lesson did not stick.
As an old-fashioned soul, I think players should show respect to the crowd and that it should be normal practice for batsmen to remove their helmets when returning to the pavilion at the end of their innings.
Roger I
Re the vote for Him President. How can you object to a process well before the day when there was zero notice given of the candidates available.
The club really do need to sort out the rules, give due notice of properly worded resolutions and be more up front about what is to be debated and voted on.
In this instance the lack of prior knowledge of Richard Parsons nomination may have led to the management having a President elected that they did not want! (Although they would no doubt deny it!)
Sloop JB, I agree it was a difficult situation, the club must have been aware that there was to be opposition to their proposed preferred candidate, as they had checked the current rules with their Lawyers and also had printed ballot slip (without names)
I agree the rules do need sorting and be more open to the members, Guy Lavender will not want to put the Top Table in the rather embarrassing situation they found themselves on the night.
First time for everything, Live and Learn I suppose.
Why has there been no press release about the other professional they claim to have signed? I assume it is the other T20 person and they don't want to dilute the Gayle brew.
MM - obviously the pre prepared press release on the annointing of President Rose has had to be scrapped. Mr Media guy is frantically scrabbling around for detail of Sir Richard of Taunton.
Mama mia, the club issued a statement on their official site on Tuesday informing all that Richard Parsons had been elected as club President.
He was already an area rep. on the club committee, so they must have known that he was going to stand against Brian Rose.
When the result of the ballot was announced one irate member stood up to say that the procedure for the election was seriously flawed, and intimated (he may even had said) that a group of members from the Bristol area had been rounded up to attend and vote for their preferred candidate.
The comment, Roger, that they had checked the current rules with their lawyers may simply have meant that they asked the club’s Vice Chairman for his opinion, as he is / was a lawyer I believe.
Ballot slips should have been printed in anticipation of a ballot because the Chairman asked whether there were any other nominations from the floor. There weren’t any but there could have been, which frankly is a mockery of the manner in which to elect a President.
Richard Parsons is not from Taunton. He represents the North Somerset and Bristol Area, and I believe lives across the border in Wales.
A glass half - empty or a glass half - full?
Regardless, both glasses need filling up.
Got your Wells and Wales mixed up Roger.The last I knew Richard was living in Monmouthshire which for years was disputed wether it was ion England or Wales.
Does it really matter where he actually lives?
He attends a lot of cricket home and away. I can only think of one away game that I've been to that Richard and his wife have not been at.
RegardlesS of the merits of either the victorious candidate or Mr B C Rose it sounds as though the process - from a democratic stand-point, was the sort of shambles that would shame a Banana Republic.
Maybe things could have been done a little differently, at the end of the day the way it was done was still done fairly and openly.
The floor was asked for any other nominations for president and Richard Parsons name was put forward.
It was than explained how the vote will be done. A show of hands for each person, if it looked close than the office staff would count the hands, if still close voting papers will be handed out.
It was explained several time who 'A' and 'B' was on the paper, and it was said again just before the voting papers was handed back to make use everybody was happy with the way they voted.
A shambles it was not.
The only improvement I could see was for it to be announced before the meeting, and the names to be on the paper.
At the end of the day we are told it is a members club and the members voted for who they wanted, not only that the AGM was well advertised for members to attend.
And it was 'hundreds' as there were more than 200 there.
I suppose as you say Mike. It was the members AGM, it is advertised well in advance (though I'm not sure the possibility of a President's ballot was part of that) and there must have been a quorate number or the vote wouldn't have happened.
Whether it could have been done some other way or not, as someone says, it's done. It isn't a position with huge power anyway and has little to do with the control or management or even strategy of the club's cricketing resources as far as I am aware.
So are you saying no one knew this Richard Parsons character was going to stand until they said 'Any other nominations?'
That is exactly how coups happen.
With someone mobilising his supporters, and making sure they all turn up, with the club not even aware another candidate was going to put his name forward.
Even if he is a thoroughly good bloke surely the democratic way is to say 'Nominations close on December 31st (or whenever) and the vote will take place at x venue on y date.
I do not know either of the candidates personally, so cannot comment on whether the best man won.
I totally agree with Chunky's post, and believe the rules should be changed.
Yep, from a democratic stand-point the process looks to have been risible.
I also have no idea of the respective merits of the candidate and fully accept Grockle's point that the post itself is not hugely influential or important.
But you can't suddenly "produce," a candidate moments before an election - it does beggar the question as to whether only a relatively small portion of the electorate was aware that Mr Parsons was going to stand and, if so, were they mobilised to turn up and vote for him. If both candidates are widely known in advance, then I see no problem with competing camps turning up to try and get their candidate pushed through. But if supporters of Brian's believed he was the only candidate whereas supporters of Mr Parsons knew that he was going to stand, then that is patently unfair and anti-democratic.
The committee knew prior to the the meeting that Richard Parsons was to be nominated from the floor, I for one had no knowledge who the club intended to propose, or how many names would be proposed, although I and many others suspected that Brian Rose would be nominated by the Chair.
I would take a bet that if you asked the regular members at home and away grounds, who is more approachable and more proactive amongst the two names, RP would win by a far greater margin than he did at the AGM.
I was at the AGM sitting near the back, perhaps the fact that members of the WSM Area Committee voted for Richard Parsons says a lot about the man. Are not members who live in Bristol not allowed to come to the AGM? Didn't see Brian shake his hand says a lot about him.....
Sorry AG, it was not bizarre, it was unusual because we had a CHOICE for the first time, others times it is has been a matter of a single name being read out, the floor is then asked in favour or object.
The management have said the current rules on the procedure needs to be updated and I am sure they will do so.
Anomaly, "something that deviates from what is standard, or expected", it happens in all walks of life.
Members wishing to put their opinion how those rules should read, put it in writing to Guy Lavender at the County Ground.
I would say it is bizarre, given most (if not all) cricket clubs that I am aware of ask for any nominations, with proposer and seconder, at least 24 hours in advance of the AGM. To prevent exactly this kind of thing happening.
I couldn't come on the night. The various agrros about the election of President saeems alot of fuss about nothing. All I would say is how many times has BR been around the Club since he left for Glamorgan a few years ago?
Old Boy!
Richard Parsons was a good Chairman of the club for many years. I know that he attended many matches both home and away and he will probably continue to do likewise as President.
I have always assumed that the position of club Chairman was an honorary position and the person did it for the love of the club and not for financial gain.
When the club introduced businessmen to be chairman, in the first instance with Giles Clarke who succeeded Richard Parsons, did the position then become a paid one? I am asking because I was told by a member at the AGM that our present Chairman was receiving a large salary from the club. I will not disclose the figure that I was told but it was most certainly not the kind of sum that one would expect to be paid as an honorarium.
I doubt that I will know for sure until I possibly raise it at an area AGM later this year.
The club President and Treasurer are both honorary positions. Why not the Chairman?
A glass half - empty or a glass half - full?
Regardless, both glasses need filling up.
I certainly was under the impression that Giles was paid nothing officially for his role in the club. I also was under the impression that Andy's position was on the same basis.
He may get paid as an ECB representative as he now has cricket responsibilities outside of the club.
Can anyone tell me where the rules are? No one I have spoken to seems to have any idea where one can access them. Surely they should be available so that people can read them if they have trouble getting to sleep.Shouldn't they be on the web site?
Perhaps there should be a section within the club's website which can only be accessed by members, by them entering their membership number, password or something similar.
In that way the club could impart certain information only to the membership should they so wish.
Mike Ta1 is this what you are looking for Club Site
They are under the heading Match Days and Ground Regulations.
Additional rules apply to Membership of the Long Room, and the Somerset Pavilion.
Members invited to re-join the Long Room Membership this year were supplied with an updated copy of the rules for 2016 (Long Room only)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016:02:10:17:45:37 by Roger ivanhoe.
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