Members Forum

[vim]

Too late for the Forum. But Essex played a 2nd XI game with only 10 players. Visiting Glamorgan or Durham, would be understandable. But Middlesex.

[kingstonj1]

I do not have an URL. However, I doubt that signing a new contract for the same duties and less money. Would have been agreed to.

It happens all the time in other worlds, including football. It's a question of supply and demand; if you are offered less money you are free to seek better terms elsewhere. 
I couldn't find a reference to a rule preventing a lower contract offer on the PCA website.

Yes not quite sure where vim pulled that one from!

[kingstonj1]

Again, appreciate the notes and update.

The fifth highest wage bill surprised me as well. Having looked at the squad list, there's little we can do about it this off-season (probably why we're trying to bank as much money as possible). Cox and Elgar off the books will help and Harmer if he doesn't sign on. We've got a lot of players out of contract next year though, so we can have proper clear out then. Hard decisions will need to be made but the survival of the club comes first.

But this ultimately is why, the club cannot afford to have an academy not producing enough adequate first team players. Those in charge need to undertake a deep dive of the youth system/pathway and establish why/how on earth the only first class county in the entire East of England has produced just one player of high-level Championship quality this decade.

Don't worry Barry hyam speaks to some spectators at 2nd xi games sometimes so his qualifications, ability and body of work should be disregarded, at least thats what a usually sensible poster alluded to when his record was questioned a few years back. Oh and pettini is not averse to apres cricket socialising despite being a bit 'eccentric' in some ways.

Oh and easy of england but don't forget east london and the huge cricket mad populace thereof.

It's a disgraceful record really

[Mog]

Daren M, thanks very much for the update

"Hard discussions will take place after the season and that would include the captaincy." That sounds like a euphemism. And I hope it is.
Best thing would be for Westley to fall on his sword and retire a year before his contract is up.
And it Harmer's been offered a 2 year contract, I hope it's on much-reduced money to reflect the fact he's not the player he was.

As a now distanced and ambivalent ECCC supporter, this is the kind of empty platitudinous statement that I have seen too many times before from No Change Essex.
The Club have no track record of ever removing a captain, which is of course, one of their fundamental weaknesses. It's this reference to 'hard decisions', which has historically been a euphemism for entrenching the same faces that fit, whilst making scapegoats of others.
I do applaud your openness and willingness to engage Daren, however you are working amidst a group of board members who have been pulling off this old trick for rather a long-time now, usually without too much of a challenge from the docile and highly diminished membership.

[vim]

The membership is diminished. At the rate of around 10% every season.

[Valentines Park]

The trouble with the Essex captaincy is that it's a grace & favour appointment.

Sometimes we get lucky.

More often than not we don't.

[vim]

Regarding Essex only turning up with 10 men. This was described in the Art of Coarse Cricket, as one of a Captain's duties. In arriving, asking to borrow one or two players or persuade a spectator to play.

[Oldhasbeen]

The trouble with the Essex captaincy is that it's a grace & favour appointment.
Sometimes we get lucky.
More often than not we don't.

In my six decades of supporting Essex, the only time I can recall a captaincy/VC appointment that wasn't Buggin's Turn was when Fletch was appointed VC when Gordon Barker retired in the early 70s, ahead of Robin Hobbs, who was senior to Fletch and badly wanted the job.
We've made a few uninspired captaincy appointments since, when there were better alternatives; Stevo & Law were both unfairly passed over, IMHO.
Big problem now is that apart from Sam, I've seen no evidence that anyone else actually wants the job after  Westley. The commentators were talking about Critchley's good cricket brain, but also about what a nice guy he was - does he have the  inner steel?
I'd prefer that we recruit  an "old sweat", a batsman who is worth his place in the team, who can captain for a couple of years while a younger VC learns on the job. But I haven't got any names. Suggestions?
Regarding freeing up some money to recruit players, I've no idea WTF a "High Performance Lead" does, maybe we could do without?

[JasonP]

The trouble with the Essex captaincy is that it's a grace & favour appointment.
Sometimes we get lucky.
More often than not we don't.

In my six decades of supporting Essex, the only time I can recall a captaincy/VC appointment that wasn't Buggin's Turn was when Fletch was appointed VC when Gordon Barker retired in the early 70s, ahead of Robin Hobbs, who was senior to Fletch and badly wanted the job.
We've made a few uninspired captaincy appointments since, when there were better alternatives; Stevo & Law were both unfairly passed over, IMHO.
Big problem now is that apart from Sam, I've seen no evidence that anyone else actually wants the job after  Westley. The commentators were talking about Critchley's good cricket brain, but also about what a nice guy he was - does he have the  inner steel?
I'd prefer that we recruit  an "old sweat", a batsman who is worth his place in the team, who can captain for a couple of years while a younger VC learns on the job. But I haven't got any names. Suggestions?
Regarding freeing up some money to recruit players, I've no idea WTF a "High Performance Lead" does, maybe we could do without?

If Harmer does sign up for another couple of years then he'd be a logical choice for captain and then we could have someone like Critchley or Cook to do the white ball stuff.

[gooner jeff]

barry hyam &academy.the oustanding bat in the essex premier league for a few years isjoe McGregor of colchester &east essex.in 2021 he was involved with essexccc set up and then for some reason he joined the 2ndx1 trialist merry go round albeit with  good &average results.i accept that 2s standard is not the highest but in my view he deserved a chance with essex!

[vim]

In all this. Grumblestiltskin has been rather quiet.

When, you show indignation. Make it look like you believe it.

[The_Grumbler]

In all this. Grumblestiltskin has been rather quiet.

When, you show indignation. Make it look like you believe it.

Ahoy there, my favourite keyboard warrior. Nice to see I am living rent-free in your head.

Wanna meet to chat? We can share indignation if you like.

Please reply with your latest witty excuse

[vim]

How about a witty excuse.

There are no more home fixtures, this season. Scheduling a meeting in Cardiff is not an option.

As for being in my own head. It shows that the statement. It takes one to know one. Can be wrong.

[The_Grumbler]

Ah, there it is. Another excuse.

Next members' meeting? You come to all those and voice all your opinions, don't you?

Or somewhere in the Chelmsford vicinity in the next month?

You asked for my opinion so best not hide behind the keyboard, right?

[SirChef26]

If Harmer doesn't come back, I'd consider finding a new overseas from somewhere and making them captain depending on available funds of course. An entirely new face with a new voice, not stained by this current set-up. Make Charlie Allison vice captain and promote him in a couple of years.

Mulder has stood in for South Africa before but he wouldn't stick around due to franchise commitments.

Plenty of Aussies will be in the country next year with the Ashes happening, maybe we strike lucky like Hampshire did with Jake Lehmann.

But again, finances must be managed and we can't overstretch ourselves.