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Post by umpire50 on Aug 2, 2007 7:27:36 GMT
I am very much in favour of a ballot on the question of whether the ACU&S and ECB OA should merge into a new organisation, provisionally known as the ECB Association of Cricket Officials.
I hope that the arguments, both for and against, can be put without too much animosity as it is already clear from the various message boards, websites etc that the matter raises passions on both sides.
However, I do feel that to go to ballot is a very high risk strategy. Anything other than an overwhelming majority (coupled with a very high 'turnout'), either in favour or against, has the potential for prolonging the current rift between ECB and ACU&S indefinitely.
If the ballot carries the motion by the required two-thirds majority (of those voting), will those who haven't voted or who have voted against merely walk away from cricket? Or, if the motion is rejected, will the ECB accept that decision and stop trying to undermine the ACU&S (as it appears to me to have been doing for the past three years or so)?
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Post by centurion on Aug 3, 2007 11:57:29 GMT
What else did ECB expect? They are asking turkeys to vote for Christmas.
They must not be so impatient. ACU&S members will require a great deal of persuasion to give up their independence.
Indeed someone calculated that nearly 1,000 members would have no representation at all because they were not in Europe. There were also poor answers about representation from Wales, Scotland and Ireland.
They will not even be able to vote for the Independent Director or Chairman. I hardly see that as democratic - indeed it smack of autocracy (or should that be nepotism or both?).
Furthermore someone called the ideas half-baked. I believe all the questions were answered on the day BUT some of the answers were vague and their dates were hopelessly optimistic. Several County Boards are totally unprepared for such changes and indeed some of them are still maverick.
Most of the working party ideas are good but they need working through and implementing in much more substantial detail jointly and amicably - their latest press release is distinctly unhelpful and seems to be another attempt for someone to steamroller the membership.
Had the ballot been held in the original timetable, it would have been a hopeless disaster for both parties.
It will take more than two months and a simple opinion poll to close down a success story of 50 years! We will not be bullied into submission.
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Post by nompere on Oct 27, 2007 19:58:03 GMT
You will be pleased to hear that, on 27th October 2007, ACU&S General Council has authorised the conduct of a ballot on the formation of ECB ACO and papers will appear in the November edition of Hows That?
Accreditation of the first ECB ACO Tutors should take place in January; indeed much of the material has still to be prepared and validated. The initial courses will be aimed at Premier Level umpires and no date has yet been confirmed for their introduction. Plans have yet to be formulated for Level 1 courses. As regards scoring, initial plans for an overseas involvement had run into difficulties.
Consequently, ACU&S Instructors will continue to run GL4, GL5 and GL6 courses and exams for the foreseeable future and ECB has given assurances that such qualifications will continue to be recognised until the ECB ACO courses are fully established in your area. We were also told that anyone who starts a GL6 course this autumn will be allowed to continue through to GL4 within a reasonable timescale.
Arrangements have been made for the ACU&S AGM to be held on Saturday 16th March 2008 at Lords. The Treasurer is currently forecasting a healthy surplus on the accounts for 2006/7. 1,270 students had sat ACU&S exams in last 12 months with almost 77% success rate, including several overseas scorers in the last few weeks.
If the ballot does achieve 66.7% votes in favour of ECB ACO, then ACU&S will negotiate with ECB for the transfer of subscriptions of members who wish to join the new ECB ACO instead. Nothing has yet been decided about those who do not wish to transfer. Meanwhile, please pay your annual subscriptions to ACU&S in the usual way.
Further information will be published on ACU&S and ECB ACO websites as it becomes available and a link placed here. You are welcome to express your own views on this discussion board.
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Post by Septic on Oct 28, 2007 11:07:10 GMT
The ECB proposals look good for ambitious young English and Welsh domestic umpires WHEN their arrangements come to fruition.
HOWEVER, why is it necessary to dismantle the ACU&S, a well established and competent body catering for a much wider market both home and overseas and at grass roots as well as international?
Surely the two can co-exist and allow umpires to join whichever they wish - or both!
There are never enough umpires to control every match and any body who imposes a regulation that all local umpires must be qualified by ECB will face a shortage or possibly even a case under restraint of trade!
By all means join ECBOA or ECBACO but please vote against the abolition of ACU&S.
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Post by umpire50 on Oct 29, 2007 9:59:55 GMT
The posts on this thread are interesting. Few, if any, seem in favour on the ECB ACO 'takeover' of the ACU&S. Forget any idea of merger, this is nothing more than an aggressive takeover bid - aided and abetted by a weak senior ACU&S management team who have been seduced by the smooth words of the ECB.
'Young English and Welsh umpires' should NOT be swayed by the carrot of a 'career path' into the first-class game. An ambitious young premier league umpire who regularly scores good marks asked Chris Kelly recently what his chances were of making it on to the First Class list. The reply should come as no surprise - 'Absolutely no chance'.
So there is little, if anything, in the ECB ACO for English and Welsh umpires; there is absolutely nothing in it for Overseas members of ACU&S. At Saturday's ACU&S General Council meeting I asked who was going to look after the interests of Overseas members. The answer was 'The 6th region - the European Cricket Council (ECC) region. Obviously someone is in dire need of a geography lesson if he thinks that Malaysia, Canada, India or Sri Lanka - to name but four countries outside Europe where the ACU&S has members - are part of the area of governance of the ECC.
The Association Chairman, Geoff Lowden, stated in the most recent edition of How's That? that there were two alternatives for the future of ACU&S. Why did he not vote for them both to be put to a ballot at the same time. Are the ECB pulling his strings?
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Post by umpire50 on Oct 29, 2007 10:07:07 GMT
In his posting of yesterday, Septic stated "Surely the two can co-exist and allow umpires to join whichever they wish - or both!".
This would not be acceptable to the ECB who also having to witness the growth of ICUS as they are desperately in need of additional membership subscriptions to bail out the ailing ECB OA which, with less than 1000 members, is not financially viable.
ECB desperately need all umpires and scorers in 'their' organisation so they can use the subscription income to fund their grandiose development programmes for ex-First Class cricketers like Saggers of Kent (Who was allowed to take a copy of Tom Smith's into his GL6 exam to ensure that he passed!) to move into officiating in the First Class game. Why else do you think that they have been attempting to impose unrealistic deadlines on the ACU&S?
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Post by nompere on Nov 1, 2007 6:31:45 GMT
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Post by gooders on Nov 1, 2007 22:26:29 GMT
This may or may not surprise people, but at our branch A.G.M. on Tuesday night, we had a presentation given by one of the regional councillors, who it would appear either could not or would not give an answer to the question "What will happen if the motion on the ballot paper receives an overwhelming No? What is the fall-back position?" All we have heard so far is that General Council seem to be recommending a Yes vote, with not enough thought going into the possibility of not getting the 66% majority needed to progress towards ACO becoming a reality. Just my Two pennyworth for what it's worth.
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Post by nompere on Nov 1, 2007 22:47:17 GMT
General Council has NOT made any recommendation as to which way members should vote. It merely agreed that the ballot should be held. The three Senior Officers are in favour of the motion but several Councillors have serious reservations.
If the ballot fails to achieve 66.7%, then GC has agreed to look at the final details of Next Steps in January and is then likely to put the proposal to form a limited company to the membership with a strong recommendation in favour of that principle, but only if ECBACO is rejected.
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Post by reborlam on Nov 1, 2007 23:09:13 GMT
Many members will be concerned and disappointed by restriction on information being made available to them. GC should have been totally 'open' and also made available the alternative 'Next Steps' document for examination prior to any voting taking place on possible merger. I understand last GC meeting voted 15-12 not to notify members of 'ACU&S Ltd' proposals, in case it confused them!
Having studied transcript of ACU&S/ECB Working Party presentation to Special GC meeting of 25 July, there appears little change, apart from wording 'ECB ACO', from ECB OA's original intended plans and management structure, so why should we now go that route?
This has become another 'messy' situation and I would have thought that giving the membership the full facts was the proper and honourable way forward.
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Post by nompere on Nov 7, 2007 8:14:03 GMT
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Post by umpire50 on Nov 7, 2007 22:06:27 GMT
Presumably the reason that ECB OA have cancelled their regional meetings is that ECB OA have run out of cash. With only 911 members @ £20 a year , that's less than £20,000 subscription revenue per annum. No wonder the ECB are desperate that ACU&S members vote to be taken over by ECB OA!
Whatever the outcome of the vote, I shall NOT be joining any organisation under the umbrella of the ECB. If I am required to umpire, then it will be because of my abilities (or not!) as an umpire and not because of the organisation I belong to.
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Post by nompere on Nov 15, 2007 21:35:23 GMT
Apparently some copies of November How's That? have been despatched without ballot papers. It is believed that these were the ones addressed to Affiliated Associations, who are not entitled to vote. Those addressed to individual members should be OK.
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Post by youngumpire on Nov 16, 2007 10:13:03 GMT
umpire 50 where do you get this propaganda about the ECB OA from? I am a member of both associations and having spoken to the ECB OA they have over 1500 members!!!!!!!!!!! I think you seem anti the ECB OA as you dont like change I feel as a young umpire the ECB will offer a better future for umpiring/scoring and help us become a professional outfit and not taken as a joke whihc we all are now!!!!
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Post by cavebubonem on Nov 17, 2007 14:56:56 GMT
The ACU&S has boxed itself into a corner. It never really had the kind of "clout" that the ECB carries, and, as a result of total mismanagement, has lost much credibility. The latest editions of "How's That?" are amateurish, and the "new" Tom's Smith's" is a pretentious joke, unproofread and pitted with dubious opinions rather than facts (see "Movement of Sightscreens" and "Position of Striker's End Umpire when Runner present"). That is why the ECB has recommended instructors to use the MCC Open Learning Manual for preference. With access to real LBW video analysis and expert training methods, the merged Association will have so much more power. As a member of ACU (as was) since 1962, I urge all umpires to have courage, bring their expertise and commitment, and vote for the change. The alternative is conflict. Who wants that?
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