Reading some of the negative comments recently appearing on the web site and in missives coming from the Club, if I had not actually attended the Club a number of times I would be assuming the place was going rapidly downhill.  How anyone can be surprised that the bar is sparsely attended at 7pm I find difficult to understand.  Even with 3pm kick offs, that allows 2 hours drinking time.  Most people by then will have had enough to drink or fancy a change of scene.  Surely there is nothing strange or disloyal (as the inference was) about this.  

Most of the criticism has naturally been directed at the state of the pitches. "Disgraceful" was one description I seem to remember was used.  It is understandable that when we arrived optimistically at the Club on the first Saturday of the season, which is what we always tend to do, that there should have been considerable disappointment at the parched scene that greeted us. Sportsturf, our contractors, have said that there were steps they could have taken and certainly, had they known how long the drought was going to last, would have taken, in order to mitigate the situation.  Bearing in mind the watering facilities we have, any improvement would have been marginal. The watering system that we have only enables very limited area of the ground to be watered at any one time.  In view of the extreme conditions, no rain for 4 months and the driest summer for 40 years, water had of necessity to be concentrated on the 2 cricket squares.  Consequently none of the seed which was spread over our pitches at the end of our season was able to take.  We could install a watering system that would be appropriate for a ground our size at a cost of about £12,000.  Is that justifiable for what hopefully are almost one off conditions?  Also bear in mind the groundstaff are only at the ground for limited periods during the week, and with an open park, water cannot be left unattended.  The amount that we pay Sportsturf about £125 per week for 7 months tenancy does not cover sizeable amounts of labour time.  Turfing of the goalmouths during September which was suggested was never an option due to the bone hard and totally arid conditions. 

Two comments made to me over recent weekends by senior and not unintelligent members probably triggered off this article.  One was why don't we allow the grass to grow longer during the summer.  We could have done had we known in May the drought was going to last 4 months and had the cricket club approved of having longer grass on their outfields.  The other "helpful" comment was that when we visited Nottsborough in September their pitches were far superior to ours.  Nottsborough use the Kingston University Sports ground at New Malden and have an area that is slightly larger than ours.  I remember speaking to one of their members whilst we were over there.  They have 2 full time groundsmen and a watering system that can cover large areas of the ground at any one time. Whilst the drought was on, they were watering most days and on a typical watering day, because their situation necessitated a metering system, the cost was in the region of £200.  Is the comparison a reasonable one? 

Sorry to prattle on a bit but the membership should know that their interests are being protected as far as possible.  Having said that, this may be a one sided view and whilst not wishing to court controversy, these comments may give rise to a response