The Twelfth Man 2019

Register A ll change; all change here. Secretary Mick Pope stood down from his roles after more than 30 years on the Committee; former Vice-Chairman Ron Firth is to leave the table as Events Organ- iser...and where do we go with the question of evening versus after- noon meetings? Yet the connect- ing trains are in, and the guard is waving his green flag. Never did I suppose two years ago that the green shoots that were coming up as Mick’s successors would bloom as they have. Step up to the Secretary Desk – Chris Barron and his Assistant, Andrew Jones. Where they hit the spot for me is not just the work they have done – and they have taken on a load – but the questions they ask. Chris is determined to get to the bottom of everything...and he will. I keep asking where we will be in five years time: Chris is using his professional expertise to root out the answers. Part of what the new Secretary has done is to take over this magazine – and usher in far-reaching change, making greater use of colour. Have a look for yourselves! But here I pay tribute to Neil Whitaker, who stood down after a second innings as Twelfth Man Editor, having made a comeback to get us out of a hole. What about Ron’s job? Andy is sitting at his side, and will be poised to take over after Christ- mas. And if 2019 is to be Ron’s last event, what a swansong! Paul Farbrace, England Assistant Coach who has moved to Warwickshire, is to be our special guest. Paul is impressed by the Wombwell – not least for our youth-coaching scheme that started in 1955 and is still going strong. His words to me after his last visit were: “If you need anything, just shout!” I hope our coaches will be at the Holiday Inn on December 8 to take their own bow - Darren Crossland, John Ambler, Oliver Cunningham, Dean Gunn, Mick Lindley, Brian Marsh and Richard Skipworth. What about the meetings? The Wombwell has had a number of venues in its 68-year history but the Ardsley Oaks Working Men’s Club has been its headquarters for 40 years. They always give us prior- ity for evening bookings, but they cannot take us in the afternoons. We dipped our toes deeper into the afternoons’ water last winter, meeting six times at the Holiday Inn, including the Christmas Sun- day Lunch with Yorkshire and Eng- land all-rounder Tim Bresnan. We met nine times at Ardsley Oaks, in- cluding the Annual General Meet- ing. Let’s have a look at what hap- pened. Our highest attendance in the evenings was 27 – and for E H Umbers Award winner Bryan Stott this was a disappointment – and the lowest 21. The highest at the Holiday Inn was 51 for David Graveney OBE – “the man from headquarters” – and the lowest 34. The lesson is clear: members who Chairman’s Report All change James M Greenfield