Cricket: Plans fail to get the go-ahead at AGM

Jan 10 2008 by Paul Edwards, Liverpool Daily Post

THE Business Assistance Liverpool Competition was left in what its secretary Chris Weston described as “complete limbo” after all three proposals regarding the future structure of the league failed to achieve the required two-thirds majority at the AGM.

The least unpopular plan was to increase the size of the Competition to 36 clubs, divided into three divisions of 12, but only 14 of the 27 full members attending the Wadham Road meeting were in favour of that scheme, five short of the 19 votes required.

Nonetheless, the proposal will be resubmitted for further consideration at an EGM to be held at Sefton Park CC on January 31.

Ten clubs wanted the Competition to remain as two divisions of 14 while the suggestion that the league should be divided into four divisions of 10 clubs each garnered only two votes.

Any changes in the structure of the organisation would not take effect until 2009, and perhaps officials should take a little comfort from the fact that 12 months ago – with the 2007 season less than three months away – it was unclear precisely which clubs had Premier League status.

Despite the failure to settle the major issue facing the Competition Chris Weston described the meeting as “friendly and positive” with agreement being reached swiftly on a host of other issues.

Most significant perhaps was the decision that any member not having been awarded the Clubmark accreditation confirming its good practice by the end of 2008 would no longer be allowed to remain in the league. This is a stricter position than that taken by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The standardisation of knockout rules was approved by a large majority while proposals restricting the employment of professionals were heavily defeated although no player can now be granted registration after July 31.