March 2010 Forum - Minus the Juicy Bits
We Had A Loverly Time
By Beefy Roberts
March 9 2010
Many thanks to Beefy Roberts for this comprehensive account of the forum, apart from the juicy bits we're not allowed to publish. Still, there's plenty in here fro you to enjoy reading. If you weren't there, this will make you feel as though you were there (expcept that you fell asleep for the juicy player gossip).
After a long few months without seeing anyone or any cricket at last i can start my trips back to HQ. It was a slight panic as i was runing late and i may miss the first delivery, but thanks to a good train service myself and Ken got there in time.
At St Johns Wood station we bump into Kimmy and Lower Pavilion, great to see faces again and we take a walk to the North Gate, discussing what we have done in the Winter, what the forum will bring etc.
The media centre looking great floodlit.
In the meeting room, faces new and old start to appear, people grabbing seats in anticipation of news about the team, club etc. Then Shaggy walks in, says hi to a few people then it happened, the eyes met across a nearly crowded room..............Shaggy and Kimmy meet, Shaggy says hi to Kim, who replies and goes a slight shade of red!
The room is called to order, silence falls and the panel take their seats, Ian Lovett, Shaun Udal, Angus Fraser and Richard Scott.
Ian Lovett starts with the opening comment "on the unofficial website, the forum has been described as March - full of optimism, June – things could be better but don’t panic, September - discontent " MTWD was mentioned a few times later, but it was truly great to hear our website mentioned in the opening speech.
Barmy Kev missed this initial opening comment from Ian Lovett and MTWD site, sneaking in just after that point.
He then said its only a month until we will be sunning ourselves or rowing across the wicket at Worcester, to laughter. He then gives a mention on Steven Finn getting his England call up, that was greeted by applause. The other Middlesex international players were also mentioned.
Then Ian gives the floor open to the questions, but for some questions/answers to do with potential playing staff arrivals we are unable to elaborate here.
Question is asked regarding why Compton went. The reply by Gus was the club was very keen to keep him at the club, Nick was offered an extension to his contract with a financial increase but he obviously chose to leave for Somerset and we were disappointed he left us.
There was a comment by Ian that some parts cannot be repeated outside the room, so please bear with me if bits look like they are missing - I was concentrating on the meeting, honest!
Question asked who the fast bowlers would be for the season. The reply was the usual bowlers Finn, Murts, O’Brien.
Kev then asks the Question about Ben Scott being loan to Worcester and playing against us. He was answered with we want to give John Simpson a start, as he finished last season well and Ben’s average with the bat was low and he needs first team cricket, which, at this time he won’t be getting at Middlesex. But Ben can be recalled at anytime to play for us. Kev asked few more bits regarding Ben and was then asked if he was Ben’s agent/manager.
A Question was asked (or was it a lengthy statement) and I must admit it threw me, as Sir Alf Ramsey was mentioned in a long piece and the gent who made the statement said his name was linked to Morgan, but no relation, by this time i must admit i lost my concentration and forgot the reply (“sack the reporter”, I hear you all cry).
I then noticed a gent sitting in front of us, who was so interested in the forum he was reading the latest Middx magazine. It was the first draft but he didn’t take much notice of the meeting for some time. He was doing better than the bloke next to Barmy Kev (no, not Ged, the bloke on the other side of Kev), who was fast asleep. Kev claims that the bloke’s snoring was quite a distraction.
A few more things were discussed that can’t be reported on, as was the clubs wishes. But those things were so exciting and of such great interest that I am almost bursting to share them with you. Oh boy, the thrills and spills.
Kimmy gets her chance, after putting her hand up on numerous occasions, and the Question actually stumps the whole panel. Kimmy asked all four who would be their player to watch in the coming season and there was a silence as the microphone was passed along to Richard who thanked the others for letting him go first, Richard said the player he tips to do well in the coming season is Scott Newman, said he is going to surprise a few and is ready to get going now. Gus said his player is Sam Robson, a good,young prospect. Ian's selection is Owais Shah and Shaggy mentioned his player at being Robbie Williams who, after injury is fit and really ready for the season.
A question from Fingers regarding the Sky deal, Ian mentions that cricket at a whole could lose huge amounts of money if cricket was to go free to air, and lots of community cricket could be axed by the money being stopped. One slight error in a quote by Fingers, he said Sky only costs £37 a month, and is the same as 2 pints of beer in the pub a week! Wouldn’t like to find that pub – it’s bad enough in the Tavern for a pint!
Later it was mentioned a team building exercise to Ypres is planned, also a boot camp in the West Country for fitness before the season starts, Shaggy holds his face in his hands when he hears it said.
Gilchrist’s role in the Twenty20 was discussed; the question – would having him for 5 matches disrupt the team. Shaggy replied that any team would want Gilchrist for any number of matches. Barmy Kev shouted out “will Gilly keep wicket?” which caused a laugh.
The last question was can Strauss come in and bat at number 3 this season. From back of the room, Kev asks can Strauss keep wicket???! The reply was quick and to the point, you can’t really have the England captain who opens for his country play at number 3 for his county can you? The press would have a field day with that if it happened.
At the end of the forum, a few of us decided to pop into the Tavern and discuss the evening. In the absence of many people angles on the questions, Kimmy decided to interrogate Ged for this feature. She asked why he’s known as Ged. Ged tried playing with a straight bat, replying “why not”? Eventually he broke down under interrogation, saying that the nickname goes back a long time, around the early 1990's, soon after he and Daisy met.
A couple more beers and a chat with a few people, it was time to depart and look forward to another season of highs and more highs we hope.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:04:02:19:34:14 by Ged.
What you didn't report on was the look on your face when they said about no reporting..... Just watching you trying to slide your note book away without anyone seeing was just the funniest ever!!
Kimmy
Relating Middlesex to Sir Alf Ramsey was a bit tricky.
No football agents around in Alf's day.
While there is now more player movement than in the past, top table for me, gave sensible explanations, as to why.
As they suggest, times they are a changing, you have to adjust, and as one poster on the Forum thread said, instead of moaning about it, make it work for us.
Good report Beefy.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:03:10:10:38:48 by Seaxe_Man.
Great report.The only thing was, you appeared to miss my two pronged question,which was answered by The Chairman and Angus.
Perhaps by then, the excitement of the evening had got too much, for all of us.
Apologies.
Hopefully, my patience and everyone's agreement to keep the 'juicy bits' confidential will eventually pay off.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Roll on April!
(7/10)
Perhaps we need a mini poll on how many out of 10 the potential signings are worth.
(I'll leave it to those less time challenged than I to put up such a poll.)
Don't think that bit was confidential.
Personally I am a supporter of 16 games and 2 divs. By accident, rather than design, I think the ECB stumbled on the right formula as a grounding for test cricket.
To tinker with that now, is a no-brainer. Plus once you start reducing matches you are on the slippery slope ending in no matches.
If you reduce to twelve, some media hack will say it should be ten and so on until you reach zero.
To get to the PCA/media agenda of twelve, the McTesco blueprint of the mid nineties would have to be employed.
ie 3 conferences of 6, playing each of the other two conferences once, but not teams in your own.
From that,and the results, your position is ascertained in your own conference.
After a couple of years of that, I can see the remaining few hundred diehards, heading for the exit door, and they won't be replaced.
This would strengthen the PCA/media agenda of 6 counties only, playing 10 games.
That I suspect is the hidden agenda.
The PCA, appear to have similarities with the Unite union busily organising BA strikes.
Not too much future in either agenda, for their members or anyone else.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Quote:Seaxe_Man
To get to the PCA/media agenda of twelve, the McTesco blueprint of the mid nineties would have to be employed.
Or three divisions of 7, bringing in 3 minor counties or perhaps an 'England Lions'-type development squad to make up the numbers.