Well, the season got up and running at the weekend. I hear it was a good-spirited workout for players from all sections of the club. Numbers were slightly hampered by Easter weekend commitments but Odiham were good hosts on a sunny day. Everyone got a game and there were some encouraging signs for all three teams. Special thanks to Third Team skip, Kris Tucknott, for running it.
Off The Pitch and the Week Ahead
Off the pitch but on the ground, the clubhouse is now at the final snagging stage of its redevelopment. Those who have seen it, have been impressed, which is obviously good news. The furniture has now been ordered and will arrive soon. We are also in the process of ordering a new barbecue and other bits for external events. Please don’t end up with a ticking off from the clubhouse manager (Ollie Rabley). Treat your clubhouse well and ensure others do too.
The week ahead is a busy one. We have training tomorrow night where, once again, Ian Simpson will be running the show. Everyone came off the pitch looking knackered last week, commenting on what a positive and constructive work-out it was. Watching from the sidelines, I concluded that it is almost impossible for us not to improve all three teams if we train like that.
Training when it’s raining: Classic early season scenes at Oakley Park last week
Then, of course, there is the Oakley Sports Association day on Saturday morning. This will be followed by a friendly with Ashford Hill. Then the grand opening and quiz night, hosted by Paul Sumner. The Oakley Sports Association day is only for a 2-hour slot in the morning. Kris Tucknott will be there but he does need help. It is literally just being around for a bit whilst kids try out a bit of batting and bowling. Please try and give up an hour or so of your time if you can. You will feel better about doing it.
First XI Friendly, Quiz & Memberships
The Ashford Hill game is aimed at the Second XI, although we are not really sure who that is yet. AB will be in touch over the club phone after Wednesday night’s training session. We also have a home friendly on Sunday (Wherwell) for the First XI, so watch this space for selection details. We aim to get the Ashford Hill fixture done and dusted by 6:30, then we will have the opening ceremony (red carpets, the lot) and quiz. I am glad to hear that the quiz is nearly a sell-out but there may be a few tickets left. If you have put your name down and have not paid your £5.00, please do so. I say this with all the confidence of a man who forgot to pay until I started writing this post.
On the subject of money…at the last count, we had 23 paid-up senior members out of a total of 45 registering to play. It has also been noted that three paid-up members don’t even play, so it’s more or less a donation they have made. That’s not a bad number but memberships have been due for some time now and we need to get money in to fund groundworks and maintenance. Big new equipment means big maintenance bills, sadly. If you are playing this season, please get paid up as soon as you can…or else. There, that’s my nasty chairman bit done.
So, it is now all hands to the pump. We are close to another season and another year. Let’s have everyone pulling together on and off the pitch to make it another one to remember!
Cheers
The Chair!