Central Lancashire Cricket League pull out of pyramid talks

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Central Lancashire Cricket League

The Central Lancashire Cricket League (CLL) has withdrawn from talks on proposals for a Greater Manchester 'pyramid' cricket league.

CLL clubs could still apply individually to join the GM League, if it comes about, however a majority of club delegates backed the CLL stance when the issue was raised during the latest monthly meeting.

Delegates who didn’t back the immediate pull-out wanted to delay a vote on the issue until the proposed GM League had produced a prospectus at the Emirates Old Trafford on 30 April.

The CLL will now go ahead with a counter plan to invite new clubs to join the CLL in the 2016 season.

Documents issued by the steering committee looking into plans for a GM League were released last week and indicated the criteria which would be used for placement of clubs who applied to join the possible new set-up.

A suggestion was that each league would grade its own clubs, but CLL officials were not in favour of doing this and felt such a system could be open to abuse.

Copies of these documents had been circulated to CLL clubs, some of whom felt the issue should be put to the whole of their membership before a final decision was made. Others felt it was now time for a vote.

CLL chairman Neville Fletcher, addressing delegates on what had happened in GM meetings to date, claimed there had been a “well oiled propaganda machine in full flow, hell bent on achieving its aims.”

He added: “To the CLL this is a deadly serious business. It appears to be an intention of the GM League steering group to extinguish leagues which have existed for more than 120 years, and I don’t see any benefits for CLL clubs in a new set up.

“My view is that there would be no improvement on what we already have.”

Mr Fletcher pointed out that two other leagues had previously withdrawn from talks – the Bolton Association and the Greater Manchester Amateur League. The Bolton Association clubs had appointed a representative to attend steering meetings, but he was not acting in a league capacity.

CLL vice chairman Colin Jackson said sponsorship of the proposed league had been talked about, but no one had said who potential sponsors could be. If it was a brewery it could impact on clubs who had contracts with a different brewery.

Rounding off the debate CLL secretary Tom Williams said: “I great deal of time has been spent on the GM proposals, and it is now time for us to decide if we carry on with intent or drop it. It is a very big decision.

“If the GM League came into being clubs, including ours, could still apply for entry even if the CLL has pulled out as a league. It is down to the clubs, and people in those clubs to have a say on what the future holds.”

The proposal on the night was two-fold. Should the CLL pull out of talks immediately? Or should the vote be delayed until 1 or 15 May, after the prospectus had been released?

Delegates (one vote per club) voted, with a clear majority, to pull out immediately. League officials were not included in the voting.