SCWHL NOTICE FOR CLUBS WITH TEAMS
PLAYING IN DIVISIONS 1 AND 2
This notice does not affect any teams playing in Division3A and 3B
Teams in Division 1 and 2 have umpires allocated for all the league matches from SCHUA. The fees collected from the Clubs with teams in Division 1 and 2 at the start of the season consist of £45 being the SCWHL administration fee and a sum representing the cost of the SCHUA umpires.
SCHUA is not able to confirm an exact figure for their costs at the start of the season. The fees they receive from SCWHL are used to pay the umpires travel expenses. Umpires do not get paid a fee for umpiring; they just get reimbursed travel costs at a set rate per mile. Sometimes the two umpires can travel together, but often that is not possible for a range of reasons e.g. the umpires are going on to do second matches either for SCHUA or their Clubs; they don’t live near each other; one is going on somewhere else after the match etc.
Last year the expectation was that on average, the cost of providing two umpires to a match would be £24.00. SCHUA make 360 league appointments to the 20 teams in Division 1 and 2, an anticipated total cost of £8,640.00.
If at the end of the season there is a surplus because SCHUA over estimated the cost, the surplus is credited against the following year’s fees. In other words SCHUA doesn’t make a profit from the surplus. If there is a shortfall because SCHUA underestimated the costs, they have to add that shortfall to the following year’s fees.
Unfortunately the true cost of the umpires for last season has worked out at £30 per match, making a total cost of £10,800. That works out at £540 per team. This is largely due to the decision of SCHUA to increase the mileage rate because of the rise in petrol costs and the distances umpires were being asked to travel. As an aside, this is another good reason as to why it is so important that Clubs contribute to the efforts to increase the pool of level 2 umpires available to SCHUA.
The figures were not available to us when the Starter Pack went to the Clubs in June and consequently you were asked to pay the same combined fee as last year namely £490.00 (less £100 discount for early payment) which represented £445 in umpires fees and £45 admin fee for SCWHL. This has resulted in the shortfall from last season not being passed on and the fee for this season (11/12) being too low.
Representatives from SCHUA and SCWHL have met to resolve the problem and ensure there is better communication going forward so that we can give you more relevant figures and reduce the possibility of a significant shortfall occurring.
SCWHL has agreed to pay SCHUA £2,600 to cover some of the combined shortfall from its reserves. We have reserves precisely to enable us to deal with unexpected expenditure and we will still have a small pot for emergencies after this payment. Our reserves are effectively the fines SCWHL Clubs have paid over the years and any surplus of the administration fees over expenditure.
We will look at the figures with SCHUA again in December 2011, by which time SCHUA will have a clearer idea as to whether the expected cost for season 11/12 will be £10,800 or a bit lower. SCWHL will also have a better idea as to whether it has any additional money available.
After that meeting we will know what extra sum we will have to collect from you in respect of the umpires’ fees for the season and we will let you know. SCHUA will in January 2012 invoice direct the Clubs with teams in Div 1 and 2 for the extra amount.
From season 12/13 onwards, the system will change slightly in that SCWHL will liaise direct with SCHUA in May to ascertain the umpires’ costs for the coming season. We will put the figures into the Starter Pack as usual, so you will know the fees in June. You will pay SCWHL its administration fee (currently £45) and SCHUA will invoice the Clubs direct for the umpires’ fees. Both sets of fees will have to have been paid by the deadline date set by SCWHL – [for this season set at 10 September 2011]
Frankie Tierney
SCWHL chair
18.8.11