Interesting chat about the growth of cricket

There was a thread on here and the usuals start to attack and whatever. I like to stick to truths and so on so countered them with facts really.

and this again shows the growth of the sports. Numbers are on the up and this county along with Yorkshire are needing really to improve the ground.

http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/cricket/10964157/oval-redevelopment

 

Numbers of spectators might be up - this will probably represent those bought up with cricket on terrestrial TV and radio becoming more affluent and able to afford to attend test matches. However, if the number of players and casual viewers are down then the long-term future (10+ years) will have problems of its own making.

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/490227/cricket-participation-uk/

Plain and simple fact. The number of players playing cricket is declining.

Turn off sky sports now and again.

 

What on earth? Cricket is dying a slow painful death all over the country. Which planet do these people come from?

 

Planet Sky where the Money Tree Forests thrive

 

Yorkshire have had a record attendance for non roses clash.
Surrey got 35k for a london clash with more wanting tickets. Yes, it's dieing whilst those that actually know are having to think up ways of building stadiums quite quick to keep up with a massive demand which will rise massively in 3/4 years.

 

But the numbers of people playing are falling. Participation is more important to the long term future of the game than profit.

Increased profits and viewing figures are not a reliable indicator of the health of the sport in the country. Look at football - the profits generated by the Premier League have skyrocketed since the mid 90s but our national team has been in constant decline.

 

You are failing to differentiate between spectators and participants. Participation is massively down. This is the important thing eventually there will be no one to watch. TV viewing figures are massively down since removal from terrestrial TV so the overall impact on spectator numbers is again negative. Clubs are in such trouble I haven't played in a couple of years due to a dodgy back but I get a couple of ex clubs badgering me regularly out of desperation it used to be them turning players down.

 

Like Jason Gillespie always says there are more clubs in Yorkshire than Australia. There are far too many. That's the facts of that.

The Women have just sold out Lords for the first time ever and sponsorships the best it's ever been. You playing cricket makes no difference to the country and professional game. Watched the doc about the 2017 bunbary festival and they reckon it's going from strength to strength to when the game was on terrestrial TV and no one would even fund the u15 national tournament. If you aren't in that Tournament and come all way through the English system you aren't playing cricket for England.

 

You're entirely missing the point.

 

Your lack of understanding is pretty breathtaking on this. You are being so dense I
can't decide if you are doing it deliberately or not.

Let me ask you some simple question what happens to a sport if participation stops or decreases?

Why do you think sporting bodies support and fund schemes to increase participation?

Why do you think an Australian sportsman could be happy about a decrease in participation and encourage it as a good thing.

The straightforward facts whether you choose to accept them or not is that less people watch cricket either on TV or in the flesh than they did pre sky.

 

We're talking about club and village cricket, not professional cricket. As others have mentioned on here, those of us who used to play but have retired from the game are under severe pressure to make a comeback because nobody is interested. I played 2 weeks ago, to make the numbers up. I'm scoring all afternoon tomorrow because even an offer of £30 a game for a scorer will not persuade a young person to do it. They've no interest, zilch.

Have you ever played cricket, at any level? Have you ever been associated with a cricket club? I've played at Hemsworth many many times (it's a dodgy wicket) and enjoyed some great games. It's totally different today.

Unless you've played club cricket or have been involved with running a cricket club, I suggest you confine your comments to subjects which you know something about. If you fancy an all expenses paid day out at my club for a Saturday afternoon, I'll arrange it for you, so you can see how grass roots cricket operates. You could learn to score and earn £30 if you want.

 

I'm on holiday for a few weeks after if you need a scorer after that let me know. Would be happy to help.

 

That's a great offer which typifies what I call "The Spirit of Cricket", a concept which will be unknown to those who only watch it on Sky. Thank you.

Have a look at our home page http://www.stainboroughcc.co.uk/index.php and scroll down to the news item entitled "The Spirit of Cricket". I think it describes exactly what I'm trying to get across to Hemsy.

 

Agree with all of that. I play for a club who run 3 Saturday teams - our third team being an academy/junior side. We've had to make up numbers a fair bit this year with parents just to get the young lads a game.

Three years ago we comfortably fielded 4 Saturday teams.

If the trend continues (which it is doing with clubs folding and merging) then Headingley might sell out, but there'll be nobody there to play on it.

 

Surley tha can get Ray Cooper to scire

 

"Participation and growth go hand in hand. We know that someone who buys a ticket to a match has probably played the game at some stage. So if we can get more people on the field playing then we will attract more spectators and people with a genuine interest in the game".

- ECB Annual Report 2016/17

Case closed m'lud.

 

I have my lad involved at Monk Bretton CC, they have a thriving U9, U11 & U13 side, all the kids love it.

However we did used to have great U15, U16 & U17 sides, but these have now stopped due to lack of players/interest.

It's a shame, real shame, I know there are teams around but not as many as what there should be.

Who knows what the U11 & U13 sides will feel like in 5 to 6 years, there needs to be a conveyor belt of junior to adult cricket & local village teams rely on volunteers to survive, fundraising, wicket cutting, teas, scoring, clubhouse upkeep, it goes on & on.....

I was brought up on it & love to watch still, the recent success of the Women might get a few more playing, but the ECB, with the massive revenues they get from the grounds to host International Cricket, have to put money back into grass roots as much as possible, to keep the game attractive for many generations to come....

 

Brilliant but sad little piece. The offer is there for a scorer. I will bring my girls along to 'help' as I'm trying to teach them about earning money and what money means.

 

When i was a kid after a bike ride we could sit down and watch cricket all over town in the summer.

Dodworth. Woolley. Haigh. Darton. Silkstone. Kex. Higham. Penistone. Hoylandswaine. Cawthorne. Stainforth. Shelley. Cleckheaton and im sure theres places ive forgotten all had second third and some times a fourth Xi.

I think some of them now struggle to fill the 1st team nevermind reserves.
Youth cricket isnt what it once was either.

Numbers have dropped through out the game when it comes to playing.

Hemsworth ironcially had a decent cricket set up a few years ago. Quite decent. Are they still going?