Pennine pioneers

Alternative set up to GM league structure.

NOT only have the Central Lancashire League and Saddleworth and District Cricket League made moves to amalgamate, they are trying to attract more clubs to join them under the Pennine League banner.

In a move which will be seen by the new Greater Manchester League as a defiant stand against its own recruitment campaign, the CLL and Saddleworth League have written to other local cricket clubs.

The two leagues are having a meeting at Milnrow CC on Thursday, and the letter is clearly designed to drum up more business in advance.

The letter states:

“As you will be fully aware there is a great deal of change on the horizon about the way in which cricket will be organised within our area from 2016.

The Greater Manchester Cricket League has been newly-formed following a winter of much discussion and input from clubs and league officials.

So far, two leagues will go out of existence if things go as planned, as some clubs gather under the new GMCL banner. The work put in to try to set up a new pyramid structure has been tremendous, and we in the CLL and the SDCL salute their efforts.

“Unfortunately, the new format does not appeal to everyone, and this is not the result many have worked hard to achieve.”

Speaking of general fragmentation and the possible set up of an expanded Bolton league, the letter goes on to mention the plans of the Central and Saddlewoorth leagues.

“The CLL and the SDCL recognised this reality a number of weeks ago and began working together to create a new alliance that effectively unites the Eastern side centred around the Tameside, Oldham, and Rochdale areas. This Pennine region is renowned for its intense local rivalries and produces some of the most competitive cricket in the North-West.

The letter went on to discuss widely-accepted elements of the future plans: to modernise the game, to help players better balance their cricket and family life, promotion and relegation battles and other factors.

“Much has been said by others about ‘heads in the sand’, ‘dinosaurs’ preserving history and tradition’, and ‘elitists’, which we will not even attempt to defend, as each allegation is laughable in its own right.

The SDCL and CLL have both been open to accepting new clubs and the SDCL in particular, played a major part in helping clubs left out on a limb by the break-up of the Manchester and District League.

The current discussions around the development of a Greater Manchester pyramid, far from being a disaster, have created an environment for the logical amalgamation of the two leagues.

With both looking to expand, and the geographical adjacency of the clubs, it is a bigger surprise that it had not been discussed before.

“We expect to be able to release more concrete proposals during Thursday’s meeting of clubs from both leagues.”