Thursday 1 January 2009

Welcome to 2009 to all our members and visitors to this site.

Can anybody believe the season is already half over ?

Here are a few news pieces for the information of all members

Umpires Appointments January - Mid February 2009

Appointments for Shires Rounds 8, 9 and 10 (Jan 10 thru to Feb 7) will be mailed out on January 2. The appointments for the first Saturday Round of cricket in January (Round 8) and Sunday Frank Gray Round of cricket (Round 5) are now posted on this website. If you don't receive the January - Mid February appointments in the mail by January 8 please let me know ASAP

Some Dates For Your Diary

The next members meeting of this Association will be held on Wednesday 18 March 2009 at Redfern RSL's Meeting Room. This meeting is held on the Wednesday leading into the First weekend of the end of season finals series. It is considered MANDATORY to attend this meeting if you are to receive an appointment to a finals series match. Please ensure you lock this date away in your diary now as you have been given plenty of notice to re-arrange any potential clashes

On Friday 15 May 2009 the end of season Shires premiers dinner will be held at the waters edge restaurant at the Rocks. As per the last few seasons, this Association has one or two tables at this event. For our new members, this is an event where the premiership teams receive their trophies and where various award winners that we have a part in choosing are announced (eg player of the year, captain of the year, spirit of cricket award, etc). The umpire of the year trophy is also awarded at this function. I encourage all members to consider participating in this event. Please consider coming along. Expressions of interest to book a seat at our table will be called for in February or early March.

Stephen Blomfield
Honorary Secretary

Monday 8 December 2008

Can you all believe that we are nearly half way through the season with Christmas just around the corner.

Here is some of the latest news from around the Association -

1. Welcome Aboard

We welcome to this Association new member Cameron Smith from Croydon Park who joined as a new member on 5 December. Cameron will stand in his first match next Saturday. Make him feel welcome when you meet him.

2. Player Behaviour & Spirit of Cricket Marks

I've received a number of pieces of feedback this season from officiating umpires as well as comments in captains reports that suggest some matches have been played in a confrontational manner. Some members have been quite happy to raise with me concerns and/or problems they have had about issues of player behaviour. Whilst I appreciate this type of feedback I have regularly found that the umpires in question while on the one hand have said there were "issues" in their game have on the other hand failed to reflect those problems when supplying the teams their respective spirit of cricket mark. As a guide, If you feel there were some unacceptable issues in your match you really need to be looking at applying a mark of zero or one for this award. You should consider a mark of two to be acceptable with some minor issues and a mark of three to be a match were no issues at all occurred in the match. Please let us not reward teams with inflated spirit of cricket marks when they are not deserved, and lets all try to adopt a consistent approach to this issue.

3. Calling In of Results - Weekend of December 20 / 21

For members who normally telephone match results and statistics to me after the completion of a game I wish to advise that on the weekend of December 20 & 21 that I will only be available for phone calls up to 9pm on the Saturday night, after that time you will need to email or fax me. On Sunday December 21 following the completion of Frank Gray Round 4 all persons advising results and statistics will need to email or fax me. As I will be travelling out of town that day and evening I will not be available to take calls on my mobile.

4. Milestone Matches - Congratulations

Congratulations are extended to the following members who have, or will shortly pass individual milestones for matches completed –

Jim Shellens will umpire his 150th Shires match on Saturday 13/12/08

Peter Mooney will umpire his 50th Shires match on Saturday 13/12/08

Bruce Whitehouse will umpire his 50th Shires match on Saturday 13/12/08

All three members will be presented with their respective polo shirts (Jim – navy blue, Peter & Bruce sky blue) at the next meeting of this Association on Wednesday night 10 December

5. Match Payments

Match payments were recently made at $105 per day for Rounds 3,4 and 5 as well as Frank Gray Round 1. Thanks are extended to those members who responded to an email to get round 5 in quickly so that this could be paid in the December run. Unfortunately a number of members let everyone else down and failed to get in their Frank Gray Round 2 forms in by the Friday after that round. As a consequence payments for this round have been held over to January. I ask all members to please give special attention to ensuring that you post your result sheets in the 48 hours after the completion of your match. This will ensure that match payments are not held up for everyone in the future

6. Umpires Needed – 4 to 9 January 2008

I have received a request for umpires to participate in a 6 day cricket carnival to be conducted from Sunday 4 January to Friday 9 January 2008. The Australian Lawyers Cricket Council are conducting this tournament amoung the respective Law Societies and Bar Associations of the various states and territories as a selection trial for a team to represent Australia at the 2nd Lawyers Cricket World Cup to be held in England in July 2009

At this stage the venues for this carnival will be the three grounds at Sydney University. Members will receive $100 for each day umpired. You will be required to umpire one 35 over a side match per day. Lunch is also provided. More details will be provided as they come to hand. If you wish to express an interest in umpiring on any of the 6 days in question please REPLY to this email advising which days you would like to participate. Please note - Members who have already received an appointment to AW Green Shield matches on any of the dates this carnival is being held will be expected to honour that appointment

7. Umpire Name Tags

It appears that a significant number of first and even second year members have not purchased the NSWCU&SA name tag/ tie bar. SSCUA considers this a required item that forms part of your on field uniform. If you do not have one of these items could you please REPLY to this email. I would like to organise a bulk order for those of you that don’t have a name tag ASAP.

8. Meeting – This Wednesday Night

The next members meeting of this Association will be held this Wednesday 10 December at Redfern RSL's Meeting Room. Executive Committee members should arrive for a 5.45pm committee meeting. For all other members the general meeting starts at 7pm. I hope you can all make it along to our pre Christmas meeting to discuss the first half of your season and have a few drinks at the end of the meeting

Stephen Blomfield
Hon Secretary , SSCUA

Click here for a blank copy of the captains assessment form on umpire's match performances

Umpire's Assessment Form

Sunday 26 October 2008

Dear Members,

Three rounds down and ten to go, the season is certainly flying along. I hope you are all enjoying your cricket. Here is the latest news for all members.

For the first time ever our Association has the services this season of two match observers in Michael Roberts and George Richards. Both members are highly experienced umpires who have chosen to assist this season in an observing role. They will be going around the grounds watching you on the field and will be reporting back to the Executive Committee regarding your progress. Initially the observers will be spending more time with our new umpires however that does not exclude more experienced members who will also be monitored during the season. If Michael or George are at your game and you get the chance to speak make them feel welcome and openly encourage them to provide you any feedback that they may have for you. One small piece of advice taken on board could dramatically improve your game

Those supplied a raffle book to sell in the last 6 weeks are reminded that these needs to be finalised 21 November. Some members in previous seasons have sent ticket stubs and cheques to the SCA. Please do not do this as recovery of raffle mail from the SCA office in recent seasons has proven to be difficult. ALL raffle payments and sold stubs need to be sent to this Associations mailing address (i.e. PO Box 3333, Redfern, 2016). You can also transmit your raffle proceeds to our bank account electronically as per the instruction letter supplied to you when you received your book. If you need these details again please send me an email.

The next members meeting of this Association will be held on Wednesday 10 December at Redfern RSL's Meeting Room. Executive Committee members should arrive for a 5.45pm committee meeting. For all other members the general meeting starts at 7pm. I hope you can all make it along to our pre Christmas meeting to discuss the first half of your season and have a few drinks at the end of the meeting.

Stephen Blomfield
Honorary Secretary

To – ALL SYDNEY SHIRE UMPIRES

RE – IMPORTANT MEETINGS IN SEPTEMBER

All members should be aware of the two very important meetings that will be held during the month of September.

All members who intend on officiating in Shires matches during the season should make every effort to attend both of these meetings as the content of both meetings impacts on the way the forthcoming season is to be conducted.

Details are as follows –

LOCAL RULES NIGHT – Wednesday September 17, 2008 - Sydney Cricket Association Office Auditorium , Driver Avenue , Moore Park – 7.00pm Start

This meeting will be conducted by the training committee of the NSWCU&SA and will review all local playing conditions in Grade and Shires matches for the 2008/09 season. Match appointments and the playing conditions book for the season will also be available at this meeting as well as a number of important handouts. New umpires will also receive their on field umpires shirts for the season. Your attendance at this meeting should be considered compulsory.

SHIRE UMPIRES PRE SEASON MEETING – Wednesday September 24 , 2008 – Meeting Room , Redfern RSL , 157 Redfern Street , Redfern – 7.00pm Start

This is an important meeting to attend as all members will get to meet their peers (including new members for the season). Important discussion will also take place in regards to rule changes etc. The committee will meet with all first year umpires at the conclusion of the meeting to discuss any questions you may have

I look forward to your attendance at both of these meetings.

Stephen Blomfield
Honorary Secretary

4 August 2008

The 2008/09 cricket seasoning is fast approaching with play in the Sydney Shires Competition to kick off on Saturday September 27.

All members should have by now completed their availability forms and returned them to Secretary Stephen Blomfield as well as completing similar paperwork for NSWCU&SA. Any member who has not yet done so is urged to complete this task ASAP.

Members who have not yet paid their annual subscription fees to this Association as well as NSWCU&SA need to complete this task by the end of August. After this date your membership subs will DOUBLE !

A very successful off season recruitment campaign for new umpires has been conducted by your management committee during the winter.

It is anticipated that we will have a large number of new umpires in our competition this coming summer which augers well for the Shires Competition. All experienced members will be called upon at various times of the season to partner, coach and mentor our new members and help them through their debut season.

The first full members meeting for the upcoming season will be on the Wednesday night before the season starts. That meeting will be on Wednesday September 24 at Redfern RSL (7pm Start).

An exciting new season is just around the corner !!!!!!!!!

OFFICE BEARERS 2008/09

Following the recent calling for nominations for positions on the Committee of Management, the office bearers for the upcoming season are as follows:

Association President – Peter Friend
Association Vice President – Jim Shellens
Association Honorary Secretary – Stephen Blomfield
Association Honorary Treasurer – Gordon Smith

Management Committee –

George Richards
Trevor Schokman
David Goodman

These positions were ratified at the Annual General Meeting on July 30, 2008.

The 8th season of the Sydney Shires Cricket Umpires Association commenced at a very well attended Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 30 July, 2008

A total of 27 members (from a total membership of 57) attended the meeting along with a number of guests including Laurie Borg (Treasurer NSWCU&SA), Roy Formica (Assistant Secretary, SCA) , and Steven Poole (Liasion Officer, NSWCU&SA)

After a three year reign Chairman George Richards stood down to make way for Peter Friend with Jim Shellens maintaining the Vice President's role. Both Secretary Stephen Blomfield and Treasurer Gordon Smith were both re-elected for the 8th season in row. The management committee positions were filled by George Richards, Trevor Schokman and David Goodman.

The 2008/09 season begins on Saturday 27 September.

This news story is to be continued.