Chairman’s Letter 2010
Welcome to a new season at a new ground.
There have been a few games at the Leaze and the reports on the pitch are very encouraging which lays to rest all the fears that ran through my mind on wet December nights. However without the efforts of the Dorset Groundsman of the year for 2009 I do wonder what might have happened.
There has been no formal opening ceremony at the Leaze for the very important reason that we were only granted a club licence last week and it would have seemed odd toasting the club in squash, although judging by the number of objections received to our application that could easily have happened. However the bar is being fitted out and details of a proper celebration will be posted on our website in due course (www.wimbornecricketclub.co.uk)
I look forward to welcoming new and old members to our ground and for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, it is a fantastic facility. However it is also a money pit and the committee are investigating ways to increase our income. However sponsorship at the (hopefully) backend of a recession is difficult to come by so if you have any ideas please do share them with me.
When you visit the Leaze you will enter by a gravel track from Kings Street. Please take care when entering the ground as our neighbours are concerned about the volume and speed of traffic entering the Leaze. I do not want to fall out with the neighbours as they represent potential supporters.
The club has continued to sponsor members through ECB coaching courses and we now have another level 2 coach and five new level 1 coaches. They are certainly kept busy on training nights and it is a delight to see so many young players joining the club. Mind you with the number of early season injuries the club would welcome a few senior players to strengthen up the 1st and 2nd XI’s.
You will note from the fixture card that the club is running a T20 competition on 30th May and that we are playing Dorset in a T20 match on July 9th. These should be competitive events and I hope that as many people as possible can attend.
It has been a long and, at times, difficult journey from Hanhams to the Leaze both physically and mentally but we are at the beginning of a long journey not at the end of an era. Please join with us in taking the club forward and help it grow in strength.
John Ridout
Chairman
May 2010
Category: Club News
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Well done on the move to a new ground, but it will not be the same when I come to see you all the way from Guatemala. I remember sitting at the old ground outside the changing rooms at the little table keeping score during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Then of course all of the good times with the old oil jugs of beer and a lot of great stories from the old team, especially when Ruiters from South Africa was there for the first time.
My best regards to everyone who remembers the score keeper who left to Guatemala at the end of the 1999 season.
I still think of the club and try to keep up with what is going on with you all through the Internet and information from my mother who still lives at Leigh Park overlooking the rugby club.
Good luck to you all throughout the 2010 season.