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Getting Croquet Ready for 2017

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Planning for the 2017 Season is Already Underway

Invitations for clubs to register for the 2017 season have now been distributed to all club Secretaries and draft League Rules for 2017, incorporating the changes agreed at the recent AGM, have been produced and are available below.

The deadline for return of the league registration forms is the 31st December to enable draft fixtures to be circulated by the end of January.

Any initial comments on the amended League Rules should be sent to the League Manager, Ivan Wheatley, (leaguemanager@www.croquetnw.co.uk).  The final draft will be circulated for discussion and, hopefully, agreement at the Spring meeting on the 4th March.

The timetable for compiling the fixture list is:
· Registration forms returned to me no later than 31st December 2016,
· Draft fixture list circulated to club secretaries and nominated team captains no later than 31st January 2017,
· Amendments to draft fixture list to be agreed and advised no later than 24th February 2017,
· Final fixture list circulated to club secretaries and nominated team captains no later than 28th February 2017.

 

 

 

 

Croquet AGM Keeps Food but Abandons Base

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Executive Summary of Federation AGM held on Saturday 19 November 2016 at Culcheth.

Federation members attending the 2016 AGM at Culcheth
Federation members attending the 2016 AGM at Culcheth

Chairman Garry Wilson welcomed 31 members, representing 13 of the 18 clubs, to the AGM at Culcheth.  CA representatives Peter Wilson and John Dawson, updated members on the national organisational changes and whilst the much vaunted members database will not go live as quickly as initially projected, a usable version will still ensure all club members are moved into CA membership and start to receive the Gazette, early next season.  There is a Working Party examining how the Federations can be incorporated into the new management structure.  Three clubs have received CA Development Grants – Penrith (Trailer), Pendle (Mower), Craig y Don (Clubhouse Insulation).

League Manager, Tony Thomas, reported another generally successful season, sadly the A League is now defunct due to lack of teams but other leagues remain competitive and Level Play Golf continues to expand.  The league efficiency continues to improve with a significant reduction in the number of postponed matches.    At a later stage in the meeting there were two debates on changing the League Rules – Don Williamson proposed abandonment of the Bisque Base in Short Croquet (ie all games played to full bisque of 10) and games increased by 15 minutes, whilst Jean Hargreaves proposed the maximum Golf Croquet Handicap to be 12 in Golf League matches.  Both motions were carried after wide ranging discussions.

There was a club motion to cease the practice of the home side providing a luncheon in league matches such that all players should provide their own food.  This motion was withdrawn by the proposing club but then re-enacted by a member from the floor of the meeting.  A long and wide ranging discussion ensued culminating in rejection of the proposal by a small majority.  Consequently, there are no changes to catering arrangements for next season.

A continuing theme of the meeting was the problem of individual handicaps, the need for players to present their cards at matches, but more importantly the need for a more consistent approach by Club Handicappers.  It was decided to organise a meeting next March especially for Club Handicappers and any other interested members, especially team captains, to discuss strategies and standards.  It was also agreed that Federation/CA Handicappers could claim travel expenses from the Federation if they thought it necessary to visit events to assess/discuss handicap procedures.

Chairman Garry Wilson moved the Meeting should adopt a New Constitution as the current edition was no longer fit for purpose in the modern era.  This was carried by a large majority.

There were five changes at Officer level – David Walters (Bowdon) to take over the Secretary role from Liz Wilson; John Dawson (Chester) taking over CA Representative from Peter Wilson; Ivan Wheatley (Westmorland) taking over League Manager from Tony Thomas; Paul Rigge (Bury) taking over Coaching Officer from David Crawford; Liz Wilson (Fylde) taking over Pennine Cup Manager from Garry Wilson.  All other positions were re-elected. 

The meeting concluded with presentation of League trophies to representatives of winning clubs.

The next Federation meeting for clubs will be the Spring Meeting on 4th March 2017.

League winning captains with trophies - l to r - Bowdon's Graham Good (Level Play Golf League); Southport's Don Williamson (Golf League); Bowdon's John Haworth (Short League); Chester's David Boyd (Handicap League); Bowdon's Steve Reynolds (B League); Bowdon's David Walters (A League); Westmorland's Ivan Wheatley (Midweek League).
League winning captains with trophies – l to r – Bowdon’s Graham Good (Level Play Golf League); Southport’s Don Williamson (Golf League); Bowdon’s John Haworth (Short League); Chester’s David Boyd (Handicap League); Bowdon’s Steve Reynolds (B League); Bowdon’s David Walters (A League); Westmorland’s Ivan Wheatley (Midweek League).

The above account is a personal view by Tony Thomas, produced before Minutes of the Meeting were distributed.

You can view an unratified version of the 2016 AGM Minutes HERE

Chester Croquet Helps Raise Green Flag

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David Guyton (left) helps to raise the green flag.
David Guyton (left) helps to raise the green flag.

Visitors to Westminster Park, home of Chester croquet club, will have no problem finding the park in 2017. Just look for the Green Flag flying over the entrance. The park has just won a prestigious national award as an outstanding park. David Guyton – better known as a mean AC player and former chairman of Chester croquet club has another life as Chairman of the Friends of Westminster Park. As well as ensuring the croquet lawns are in tip top condition he contributes to the wider management and development of the park. Pictured here in the local Chester paper David naturally mentioned to the readers the two international and the national GC croquet matches which took place in 2016. They may not have actually been responsible for the award but they certainly help the local council to make the case.

Westminster Park is one of eight Cheshire West and Chester parks that have received the prestigious national Green Flag award for 2016/2017.  The award is presented to public parks and green spaces throughout the country which meet demanding criteria for providing safe, welcoming and well maintained facilities for a wide range of recreational and leisure activities.

The park achieved its first award in 2010 and, following biennial inspections by independent judges, the award has now been conferred for the fourth time.  The park has been leased by the council from the Duke of Westminster since 1946 and the range of facilities has developed considerably over the years.

The park now offers a nine hole, par three, golf course, public and club tennis courts, football and cricket pitches, bowling and croquet lawns, a BMX track, a multi-game hard surface sports area, an open air gymnasium, 400m and 1,000m jogging tracks as well as play facilities for children and young people, and a café.

The park is managed by the council’s greenspaces and streetscene teams with active support from the Friends of Westminster Park who represent the dozen sports and recreation groups that are based in the park.  Chairman of Friends of Westminster Park, David Guyton, said: “We are all very grateful to the council for maintaining Westminster Park as one of the premier sporting and recreation facilities in the borough and it is immensely pleasing that we now have such a wide range of flourishing activities based in the park.

“It is also worth noting that the park hosted for the first time two international Croquet matches and a second national tournament in addition to all the other regular games and league matches undertaken by the various clubs in the park.”

[With grateful acknowledgement to the Chester Chronicle (4 Nov 2016)]

 

 

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