Strathmore Cricket Union Handbook 1999

4 The President's Soapbox by Lindsay Ancell Welcome to the new, super-improved Dukes Strathmore Union. We certainly have a radically altered new structure, whether it will prove to be an improvement, only time will tell. My own feeling is that we are stretched to the limit with only 26 teams spread over three divisions and could have problems if we lose any teams. Conversely, if we can attract a few new teams, the new structure will be a great success. Sadly, I have to report that Aberdeenshire Cricket Club stalwart John Muckersie, on whose blueprint our new structure is based, died in January, not long after his proposals came to fruition at the AGM. As a great contributor to both Aberdeenshire and Scottish cricket, he will be greatly missed. Now that we have our new progressive structure in place, I think it is time to address a very serious problemwhich, if ignored, could soon render our new structure obsolete and, in the long term, threaten the viability of any league structure. I am referring to the increasing player shortage now being experienced by virtually every club in the league. Clubs like Forfarshire and Strathmore who could once regularly field three teams on a Saturday are now struggling to put out two teams and Brechin andMeigle now play all their Second Team games on Sundays for the same reason. The cause of the player shortage is simple. Players leaving clubs, for whatever reason, are not being replaced in sufficient numbers from the junior ranks. The reason why juniors are not filling the gaps in senior teams is not so simple though. Under 15 and Under 13 cricket has flourished in this area for years and most clubs have no problem attracting youngsters into junior cricket. Why then is there such a drop-out rate for young cricketers and what can we do to address the problem. In my opinion, the main reasons for this drop-out are:- (i) more andmore young people have tomove in search of employment, or have to work at weekends.