Make your voices heard
Following my report in the Mail, last week, about the ridiculous lack of play until 4.30pm in the recent FPL game with Leicestershire at Edgbaston, a lot of people have come up to me to say they wholeheartedly agree with its main thrust: that spectators at county games are often outrageously denied cricket on grounds of alleged rain and bad light.
Thank you to all who said they enjoyed the piece and endorse the views offered in it. It is a subject I feel quite strongly about.
I will return to the theme at length in Tuesday's Mail and will be returning to it again whenever the opportunity arises. I would not describe it as anything as grand as a "campaign" but the Birmingham Mail is determined to do all it can to cajole, encourage and embarrass the cricket industry into treating its customers with greater respect - and delivering to them greater value.
Please join in. Write to the Mail. Write to Warwickshire CCC. Write to the ECB.
Contact your MP. Lobby any umpire you see around. Organise petitions. Hold rallies. Chain yourself to railings.
Cricket followers, in general are groovy types. Patient, civilised and dignified.
Also, often, horribly taken for granted. Make your voices heard.
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Brian Halfordx
Brian Halford’s look at Edgbaston.
Having just witnessed another pitiful surrender can I suggest we start a campaign to keep the players OFF the field?
Ok we will do all we can to support you.
Totally agree with your article !!!!
Last Bank holiday Monday I spent hours on busses and I waited hours at the ground - then saw the white flag being raised over Edgbaston as we completley surrendered.
Today I didn't go. The sun was shineing - so I would normally have. I have little interest in football, so that didn't stop me. No it was the fiasco of last week and the knowledge that I would spend 2 hours on a bus to see our usual formulaic pattern of one day cricket over the last few years. Three or four players look up for it, but the rest look as if they wouldn't cope in a minor counties game. Last weeks long wait was too fresh in my mind - poor entertainment from the Bears all round.
There appears no hope to end the cycle - as I say, for the first time in years, its a sunny day and I cant bring myself to go and watch the one day tosh we are being served up over 50 overs. Its not about winning and loosing - its about lemmings and trundlers - some who dont have the ability for minor county cricket let alone international cricket.....
The 8pm finishes in the FPT dont help either - 11am to 6.40 would be better
Sorry about the rant :-(
I feel a bit sorry for the umpires. By making the decision about whether play is possible entirely down to the umps, the cricket authorities have completely handed over the hot potato.
I wonder, too, if the players ever say to the umpires "can we go out and play"?
I chained myself to my railings, as you asked, last night, but nobody has noticed. Can't see this achieving anything actually.
I attached myself to my railings with chains, as you demanded, last night but nobody has noticed. Not sure what this is achieving to be honest.
Brian, did you make your point by running in front of one of the races at Warwick on Saturday?
Yes - he came in at 5-2 !
On tonight's six o'clock news on the BBC Hugh Pym did a report about the cost of living while picking stuff out of somebody's fridge.
Can anyone tell me whose fridge it was?
Gentlemen, run in front of the horses at Warwick? With my back?!!
Nah, leave such civil disobedience to the young ones.
I did, however, back one horse which actually finished first. The first time I have done that since 1986.
And the post-racing Abba tribute band was excellent. Something similar at Edgbaston could treble the crowd figures, I reckon.
you was wrong to slag off the mighty Lebowski in your column yesterday
I think it was Huw Edwards fridge.