The 2014 Season is now well underway and we are settling down into what constitutes our new 2014 groove. The start of the season has been a bit mixed and the odd rocky road is presenting itself. In the next few weeks a few serious decisions have to be made, and 18 months on from the absolute peak of winning the National Village Cup at Lords, and our 1st Xl gaining promotion to SHCL Division 1 in the same weekend, where are we really heading as a Club? Some might ask “What type of Club” are we? Where do we want to be, and are the members prepared to back their hopes and wishes with the required inputs, or just pay for them? In my mind there (at least) 3 types of Cricket Club. The Corporate where a “Turn Up, Play and Pay” (or not as the case may be!) syndrome exists. Here generous Commercial and Private Sponsors, or 24/7 big club commercial entity money, underwrite the presence of key players (sometimes regardless of “League Rules”!). This finance spearheads the 1st Xl’s position and the Clubs operations as a whole. In these clubs Top Team players tend to turnover more quickly. The Overseas Players are rarely there for more than one season and the “Premier League Badge Kissing” of one year is rarely repeated by the same persons more than once or twice in succession! Non-playing membership is often a specific type of association – seemingly a pride more akin to what your money can buy you, and/or success by association, rather than true local long held connection. A bit like the “Prawn Sandwich Brigade” at Man U. Die-hard Manchester supporters (until success trips up) [...]