Aberdeenshire Cricket Association :: Forum

Gman

Firstly let me say that I am happy with the responses made so far by Robin to the City Council.

I have personally had dealings with 1 or more of the people on the Councils correspondence since the end of last season trying to obtain a potential new ground for our 3rd and 4th team.

The experience was abysmal after putting in a 4 page proposal to reinstate Stewart park at the councils request they never got back to us unless chased,very rarely responded to calls. Then after eventually getting a meeting they told us Stewart park would have no pavilion facilities available, no car access and that they would only cut the grass twice all summer!

On inspection by Ken McCurdie there was no trace of any square left at the park making the reinstatement of Cricket almost solely available via a synthetic surface instalation 5-6k.

The council did suggest Seaton park but this looked very boggy and wet when I visited and looked around it looked far less likely a venue than Stewart Park for Cricket.

Is Sunday Grades Cricket now inevitable?

All of us, the whole 1274 listed on the letter, all evening league players all SNCL, Strathmore and Cricket lovers must stand together and hold the Aberdeen City Council to account for the detrimental damage they are proposing to cause to our game.

I would repeat again that we ALL need to stand against any potential loss of these pitches( whether the loss be temporary or permanent as I dont believe the council have the will or the know how to reinstate the pitches if damaged by plant machinery during the heritage works). because if its just a few voices speaking up we wont be heard .

This is our Grades, our past time our escape every summer saturday from the wife or girlfriend or both, This is our Game gents lets not loose it.

Rant over..... Smile

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3RD Team Grade 1.

Faheem · Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2012 5:41 pm Post subject:

'G' spot on. Aberdeenshire cricketers cannot lose playing venues. Already we are short of them.
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Big Bad · Reverse sweep Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 574

G its not often we agree totally if at all haha Laughing

But I am with you on this one 100%

As someone who grew up playing his formative cricket in places such as Stewart Park I would love to see that site reused all be it via an artificial.

The current situation is not acceptable at all...

Woodside was lost... Duthie Park going in 2012 who knows may be for longer?!

Seaton Park?! Yes its better than nothing but its basically a boghole! And i'd say unless an artificial was laid there too its not suitable either!

Surely theres other options around town??

What about other sports grounds?

Time to make a stand!! Exclamation

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"Captaincy is 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill. But don't try it without that 10 per cent."

Not-Out · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:06 pm Post subject:

"Cricket in Duthie Park Hit For Six"

Generally the eagerly anticipated start to the Aberdeenshire Grades cricket season is surrounded by elements of speculation, rumours, allegations and is the subject of much of the north east's media attention in the run up to the first weekend of games. It looks like 2012 is set to be no different, and attentions have turned to, a big park, human rights issues and uniting together to become one force, sounds a bit like a [deleted] Pride concert really...

The rumour mill is bustling with speculation of what is actually happening with regards to the redevelopment of Duthie Park and the future of Grades cricket there. Ideas flying around include: relocation of Allan Park Stadium in order to increase capacity for the Legends evening league support, the Park is in actual fact going to host a summer long trans-gender, [deleted], [deleted] and bi super festival, and, Big Bad Blair, Gordonians Club Captain, has been granted planning permission to build a new cricket super facility in order to accommodate for the Gordonians 5th to 13th XIs.

Local cricketer's rights champion, Graeme 'G-Man' Johnston is at the forefront of an action plan to capture the Park from the council, ensuring that no such redevelopments are made. When asked about the action plan Johnston commented: "Last time I was at the festival... Sorry I mean, yeah I've been susceptible to a wrong'n for a while now, I'd be devastated if cricket was taken out of the park."

To rile further speculation "Big Bad" Blair was unavailable for comment. A source close to Blair commented that "Since the crushing news about Aberdeens hottest nightspot Liquid closing down, Blair just hasn't been himself, every year he looked forward to freshers week."

With over 500,000 runs to date having been scored at the park it would be undoubtably a massive loss to the cricketing community should it be taken away from their use.

A source at a local bookmakers said markets in relation to the future of the park have been very vibrant. Current specials include:

Blair Thomson to drive digger into park to celebrate start of new club facility 6/1

Harvey Morrison and Geoff Morrison as joint after dinner entertainment at opening of new facility 8/1

Grades select to be announced as new park owners and create a new SNCL superclub 3/1

Graeme Johnston to toss the commemorative handbag at [deleted] Pride 2012 in Duthie Park 1/3

Cricket to be played 13/1

No cricket at park 11/4

Aberdeen Citizen
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Art · Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 5:53 pm Post subject:

Very good Not-Out and almost believable until this bit............

Big Bad · Reverse sweep Joined: 18 Aug 2007 Posts: 574

No comment Wink

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"Captaincy is 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent skill. But don't try it without that 10 per cent."

pheonix · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:41 pm Post subject:

no square at the stewart park? having played there for years it couldnt be any worse than when it had a square - balls round your ankles and up your nose were just part of the stewart park experience and that was with a groundsman so it will probably be better couldnt be any worse! Any other gossip its all been very quiet has anybody amalgamated or folded and before anybody asks im still at Artos

The Lard · Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2012 7:29 pm Post subject:

Duthie Park is apparently unusable for the forthcoming season. Four Grades sides and a large chunk of the AECL are struggling for pitches. Bearing in mind we are three pitches light, am I right that Aberdeen District Council have only offered one extra (Seaton Park).
I appreciate that Gman on behalf of Mannofield got nowhere with Stewart Park. That was one club applying not one or two Leagues. I walk my neighbours dog at Stewart Park 2-3 times a week and have often remarked why it is not used for cricket prior to the Duthie Park news. I reckon they could produce TWO pitches there. I appreciate that in previous years when it was used it was unpredictable in bounce (according to those that have played previously- I am not one of those sadly).
Aberdeen Grades and AECL do not have the luxury this season of being spoilt for choice with regards to quality of pitches. We all hope that Duthie Park will be available to play cricket in 2013. City centre pitch availability is vital to all forms of cricket in Aberdeenshire and is vital to the future of Aberdeen Cricket. I suggest that both the Grades and the AECL join forces in requesting the availability of Stewart Park (and possibility of Woodside) for the forthcoming cricket season.
Okay, the Council have no obligation to provide us with pitches (or do they?). Surely if we join together to show the need for these facilities we can get them. We are only asking for use of 1-2 parks whilst they upgrade Duthie Park. Please god do not say that is too much to ask?

Coverdriveto3rdman · Outside edge Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 3

Hazelhead Academys playing fields used to have a square in the 1980s...we got it back up and into a reasonable shape in 1992ish and as far as im aware the basis for the square is still intact?? - possibly that might be a route for someone to go down....just an ideal..
i will miss being dispatched into the pond....

pheonix · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:39 am Post subject:

Is the artificial wicket at westhill still there?

Pubcat · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:59 am Post subject:

Used to be an artificial pitch at Newtonhill too!! Is that still there?? Albiet on the edge of a cliff!!

Chris · Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2012 12:51 pm Post subject:

Could someone groundshare with Dunecht? Since they only have 1 team these days surely its sitting idle every other week. I suppose the same could be said for Inverurie?

Fine Legs · On drive Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 29 Cricket Club: AGSFP

Guys, I've just got word of some potentially very good news.

My mate Cumser who works in the Mailroom at the Marshall College says he overheard a meeting on Friday and from what he could make out, the city council are willing to concede on the Duthie Park issue with the proviso that the association agrees to ban the draw.

This seems like a small price to pay for a move that would for all intensive purposes save cricket this summer.
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Art · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:01 pm Post subject:

Just reading the latest letter on the front page there.

3 New Artificials going in and ready for start of the season at "Harlaw Road Playing Field, Harlaw Academy Playing field and Hazlehead
Academy Playing fields on Groats Road"

Good news I think and well done to Robin and the Management Committee for following this through to what looks to me like an amicable solution.

What's the thoughts of other people? Particularly those clubs who'll be displaced from DP?

The Scorer · Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:02 pm Post subject:

It is good news to a point for us DP teams in that we will have somewhere to play but the correspondence neglects to detail the eventual fate of DP for cricket. Has it been agreed that the new pitches will be in return for permanent exile from DP? The last published letter from ACC suggests we will be back next season but somehow we can't see them paying X tens of thousands for facilities that may not be used if we returned to the park..

We have been in touch with the council ourselves in the past and that is the one question they will not answer directly. I imagine my team and most others would prefer to play on grass and as such DP remains the best venue thus far.

We had a small training session there on Sunday and there is no real reason it cannot be used, at least partly this year. We will still be having our training sessions there if only in the hope that we can usually pick up a member or two from passers by.