The South Yorkshire Cricket League and the Yorkshire South Premier League plan to merge for 2021.
Cricket Yorkshire understands that the two South Yorkshire cricket leagues have been in dialogue and there is agreement in principal, subject to approval by the respective clubs towards the end of the year.
Why would two cricket leagues in South Yorkshire merge?
As Roger Pugh, Chairman of Yorkshire South Premier League, put it: ‘We believe that bringing the two leagues together will put cricket in our area in the strongest possible position to face the challenges that the future is bound to bring.’
If anything, coronavirus has emphasised that consolidation could be a helpful path all round.
With a bombardment of missives from the ECB and further communication from the YCB on Covid-19, both South Yorkshire Cricket League and the Yorkshire South Premier League were sharing the same messages twice; sometimes to the same clubs.
A single source of information, under one league umbrella, makes sense. There are also duplicate roles from a financial perspective (clubs interacting with two separate South Yorkshire committee treasurers for affiliation fees and other league business).
Here’s Roger’s take on this move: ‘The biggest advantages of us joining together are improved efficiency and consistency in administration. We will have one overall decision-making body. ‘
He added: ‘We will be able to centralise functions like finance, safeguarding and communication. In future, we can remove duplication in interactions between club and league.’
I’ve long since predicted that the trend in Yorkshire would be for less cricket leagues; each of which is considerably bigger and covers swathes of the county.
It has to be for the benefit of the cricket club these leagues represent but the grassroots game is administered by a very small number of people; relative to those who play and it has to work for these volunteers.
From a playing perspective, the key balancing act is geography. Hyper-local cricket leagues equate to local rivalries over a few miles whereas more divisions might make it trickier to manage that.
In the case of South Yorkshire cricket, there’s been a consultation which has closed and it the result was strongly in favour of the merger.
There are 59 cricket clubs in South Yorkshire between these two leagues that provide cricket for thousands of players.
Joining them together also makes commercial sense and might persuade other sponsors to come on board and support South Yorkshire cricket with this greater player pool.
There is now a move towards drafting a fresh constitution and planned Extraordinary General Meetings to tie this in a bow by the end of 2020.
What’s in a name?
Well, as a writer who quietly curses the Yorkshire South Premier League & Yorkshire Premier League North for choosing different naming routes, it can be all or nothing.
Add in the fact that the Bradford Premier League didn’t drop its historic name when it was granted Premier League status and you can see how these things can be sensitive.
Subject to approval, the new league will be called the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League and the aim is to have it all in place for 2021.
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Hello John
Following on from my own article back in 2019 I wonder if this also spells the end of the Yorkshire and Derbyshire League around 2022, I appreciate its at the totally opposite end of the spectrum cricket ability wise. As a non Yorkshire Native now living in South Yorkshire I (and many other people from elsewhere in the UK) are confused by the league make up around Sheffield and South Yorkshire. Everywhere else I’ve played all Saturday cricket is played in an all encompassing Saturday league covering the entire county (many Sheffielders play in the Derbyshire set up which this replicates) this goes from ECB Prem right down to divisions in the teens. One key point is everyone (who in the geography) gets to play in the league, rules are increasingly relaxed, length of game reduced and travel distance is reduced as you go down the divisions, at the moment it still seems like some teams in YDSCL are facing closure or merger, if it ended, because of the requirements of SYCL when realistically they are not challenging anything higher that div 4. I for one welcome the all encompassing South Yorkshire Wide league idea (also including the Potefract League teams in Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster) but I know traditionalists here may disagree on the basis of travel and start times specifically I would point towards the examples of Kent and Derbyshire where both the lowest and highest standards are accommodated in equal measure. Will be interesting to see if things go that way in the future.
Hi Aden I do think the SY league covers all aspects. Be good if you asked some of the clubs from the SY Alliance who merged, assimilated or whatever you want to call it a few years ago.. Committee members from that league are well represented on the SY committee.. treasurer. CWO, .Website boss all from alliance and we gell together perfectly. Ring me any time if you want a chat..
terry bentham.
I think as far as the Bradford League went part of them taking part in the new set up would have been not losing their name.
Knowing the league I understand they are quite right protecting their very strong past as the best league in the county.. Premier league West, or Central would have been totally unacceptable to them
Hi Terry, good to hear from you. Yes, a name is an important part of a cricket league’s DNA with the history behind it.
As a name, wouldn’t South Yorkshire Premier League do the job more succinctly?
Whilst watching Thornaby and Middlesbrough on Bank Holiday Monday, I couldn’t help wondering whether Teesside (or Tees) Premier League would be easier to market and understand than North Yorkshire & South Durham Premier League.
I understand the desire for protecting tradition but, surely, the Bradford Premier League is essentially the West Yorkshire Premier League.
Hi Andrew, naming cricket leagues is fraught with complications but I’m inclined to agree with you.
Bradford Premier League was never going to lose its name and it’s tricky to adequately reflect such a considerable geographic area.
I just hope that what ever direction the league goes , that the hierarchy don’t forget that at the end of the day it is essentially park / club cricket. We are not playing test match seriousness with laptops and technology/ Duckworth Lewis.
It wasn’t present in the 80s and 90s when in my opinion the standard of the south riding league as it was then was far stronger.
Let lads play and enjoy it , bring the fun back don’t penalise clubs that can’t get a scorer for the day.
Hi Chris I was involved in the SRL at that time as team manager and sec of Darfield.
B4 we merged with YL we were stronger than back in 80,s I believe. We then lost 5 of strongest clubs and that made it much weaker.. When the YL Ridings collapsed we in the SYSCL took on the Riding teams. We had to, Imagine going from collegiate with a bunch of youngsters to scarboro to play 2nd team cricket.
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John,
Hello.
Too late for this publication but just to let you know that Carlton Towers CC (near Snaith) of the York & District Senior Cricket League are playing in the semi final of The National Village Trophy on Sunday, at home to Colway CC, in the Malvern Hills and of The Worcester County League.
A great achievement for Carlton Towers who will be hoping to emulate previous Y&DSCL National Village Trophy winners Sessay and Woodhouse Grange CC’s.
Maybe look out for the result and a write up next issue?
Regards,
Steve Aldous – going to watch Sheriff Hutton Bridge II’s play Knaresborough in the Y&DSCL North Division 1 tomorrow. Knaresborough have ex Leeds United goalkeeper, Nigel Martin, behind the stumps and batting at No. 4.
Hi Steve, thanks for the comment. I’ve actually interviewed the captain of Carlton Towers Rob Holah a few rounds back in this year’s National Village Cup: https://cricketyorkshire.com/national-village-cup-2020-yorkshire/
Massive home tie for them with a game at Lord’s at stake.