Ycb Association of Cricket Officials Committee s1

YORKSHIRE CRICKET BOARD

YCB ASSOCIATION OF CRICKET OFFICIALS COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF MEETING

HELD AT PUDSEY CONGS CRICKET CLUB ON TUESDAY 19TH AUGUST 2014

PRESENT - Philip Radcliffe (Chair), Steven Wood (Secretary and Membership Services Officer), Rob Smith (County Education Officer and York Branch), Hilary Oliver (County Scorers Officer), Terry Bentham (County Performance Officer), Graham Griffiths (Scarborough Branch), Mike Wellock (East Yorkshire Branch), Ray Taylor (Huddersfield Branch), Peter Burns (Wakefield Branch) Alan Farnell (South Yorkshire Branch), and Barry Canham (North Yorkshire Branch)

1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE - Glyn Pearson (Vice Chair and Bradford) Andrew Watson (County Development Officer), Dave Ward (Regional and County Appointments Officer), Glen English (Wakefield Branch)

No attendance, or apology – Leeds Branch

2 MINUTES - The Minutes of the meeting held on 6th May 2014 were approved.

3 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES

3.1 The ECB ACO insurance cover was continually being reviewed, to ensure it was the best cover available.

3.2 A report from the Secretary on the Regional meeting to discuss the taxation implications for umpires’ fees and expenses, had been distributed. The formal record of the meeting prepared by GP would also be circulated. ECB had instigated a pilot scheme with one of the Premier Leagues, and had appointed a Taskforce to negotiate with HMRC. The most likely outcome was still that HMRC would agree that earnings below a certain level need not be declared.

4 FINANCE

4.1 Lee Abbott () was the Finance Manager for the YCB Board and would replace Ian Chappell, who has retired, as Treasurer. Lee will not normally attend committee meetings.

4.2 The only financial transactions since the last meeting related to payments in respect of Level 1 courses, and the reimbursement of part of the fees paid by two Level 2 candidates (with two more to claim).

4.3 The Chair had prepared a draft Business Plan for each Branch to complete, but his attempt to e-mail this to members of the committee had apparently failed.

5 YCB DEVELOPMENT PLAN

5.1 AW was continuing to update the records with appropriate information

6 MEMBERSHIP SERVICES OFFICER

6.1 A Report had been circulated. It is now appropriate for the Association to look after the interests of the ordinary members, because we now have an effective Membership Services Officer (Martin Gentle).

6.2 Each branch was asked to send a representative to a meeting of the MTF, to discuss the issues raised in the Report.

6.3 A request had been received from Martin Gentle for Branches to identify the status of members (umpire/scorer etc.) Branches were asked to provide that information to SAW who would collate and send on to Edgbaston

6.4 TB would like all Leagues to insist on ACO membership, and reiterated that leagues that had gone down this channel had not lost members.

6.5 Several Leagues and Umpires Associations had negotiated good sponsorship deals

7 EDUCATION, PERFORMANCE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND APPOINTMENTS, INCLUDING SCORERS

7.1 PERFORMANCE

(a) Level 2 observations were almost complete

(b) Bill Holdstock was accredited as a Level 2 observer

(d) Level 1A PDs to be done ‘in house’: GP/PR Bradford, TB Sheffield, RS York

(e) Level 2 PDs to be done in conjunction with Hugh Evans

7.2 EDUCATION

(a) There were likely to be two courses starting soon after the end of the season, in Sheffield and Huddersfield

(b) Costs £30 for L1, £15 for L1A, £150 for L2 and £60 for L2C; introductory is free, but need registering and candidates will now get certificates

(d) 1st year membership of ECB ACO to be £20 for L1 candidates who set up a DD

(e) Need to publicise L2 and L2C and push L2C as opposed to L2 – article to SAW for a newsletter. Level 2C is available to all ACO members who have either passed Level 1A or were ACU&S Full Members

(f) Branches should advise the CEO as soon as possible with details of likely candidates for courses at Levels 1, 1A, and 2

7.3 APPOINTMENTS

(a) BUCS Indoor umpiring has been opened up to more umpires

7.4 SCORERS

(a) L1 has been improved

(b) There is a new assessment vide

7.5 GENERAL

(a) Tutor training arranged for Oct 26th at Cedar Court, all potential and existing tutors to be invited (umpire and scorer); ECB ACO will pay travel expenses.

(b) Candidates for Level 2 needed to have a desire to umpire at Premier League level, and also the ability to do this. Some candidates had been put forward who did not meet these criteria, and candidates would be more strictly vetted in future.

8 BRANCHES

8.1 North Yorkshire (Nidderdale) –.

(a) A pre-season meeting was held at Spofforth C.C. on 29th March 2014, attended by branch officials and most of the umpires that currently officiate in the Nidderdale & District Amateur Cricket League.

(b) A presentation was made by Guy Smalley and Barry Nickels, Branch Education Officers, covering the revisions to the Laws of Cricket, followed by a quiz and revision session covering all the Laws.

(d) The Branch continues to struggle to provide umpires to officiate in the League’s Saturday afternoon matches. This has not been helped by the illness and incapacity of several members,

(e) It is anticipated that a Level 1 training course will be conducted again during the winter and it is hoped that this will result in there being more umpires available for the 2015 season.

(f) many of those passing the Level 1 course examination appear to continue playing cricket and are not regularly available for appointments.

8.2 York – there was little to report.

8.3 East Yorkshire – there was little to report.

8.4 Huddersfield

(a) a Level 1 course would be held at Broad Oak CC, commencing 7th October

8.5 Leeds

(a) monthly meetings were due to resume in October

8.6 Scarborough - there was little to report

8.7 South Yorkshire –

(a) Clubs in South Yorkshire are required to provide umpires for the League, and are fined £100 if they do not do so. The League are considering imposing points penalties on clubs who do not provide umpires..

8.8 Bradford - there was little to report.

8.8 Wakefield

(a) The Branch was intending to target club umpires and umpires in the Pontefract League, to increase membership.

9 COMMUNICATIONS

9.1. The MSO needed contributions for future Newsletters

9.2 The new YCB website would be launched at the beginning of September. Graham Purdy would manage the site.

10 AGM’s

10.1 Invitations had gone out for the ECB ACO AGM to be held at on Saturday 8th November 2014 at Lords

10.2 The North Regional AGM would be held at Barrow on Sunday 16th November.

10.3 The Regional Officers Conference would be held at the Cedar Court, Wakefield on Sunday 2nd November 2014

10.4 The YCB ACO AGM would be held on Sunday 7th December 2014 at Harrogate Cricket Club. Tea and coffee would be available on arrival, with a buffet lunch, and tea and coffee mid afternoon. GP will organise the Seminar

11 ECB ACO

11.1 Subscriptions for 2015 would remain the same

11.2 Various initiatives were being launched by ECB e.g. Wider and Deeper, to ascertain how far down the pyramid ACO members are officiating

11.3 there is a closed Facebook account for female umpires and scorers (FUMS).

12 NEXT MEETING - will be on Wednesday 12th November 2014 at Headingley at 7.00pm

13 ANY OTHER BUSINESS

13.1 The winners of the OSCAs were:-

(a) Officiating Award - David Ratcliffe, Bradford, (Steve Ward of Doncaster Town and Regional Scorers Officer was Highly Commended)

(b) Services to Umpiring - Alan Carter of Bradford (Maurice Woodcock of Barnsley, was highly commended)

13.2 Financial Reports for Branches would be distributed