Players Changing Rooms

 

Trade Carpets Contracts Ltd
Tyersal Crescent
Bradford
Telephone 01274 660331

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Richard Robinson – New Groundsman  

Our new groundsman Richard Robinson has started work on the square and it is looking well. Richard is a top class league cricketer spending 10 years at Baildon as well as service with his home club Keighley where he is a hard working member. He has extensive groundsmanship experience of league grounds in addition to duties at both Headingley and Park Avenue and comes to us with extremely high recommendations.

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Pudsey Congs have now registered with 

www.easyfundraising.org.uk

Easyfundraising has links to over 500 internet retailer websites including many of the best know high street names. By registering with www.easyfundraising.org.uk and then linking to their required internet retailer through the site, club members and their family and friends can purchase goods in the usual manner. They will still be dealing directly with the retailer with all the rights and protection associated with internet transactions.

The retailer, through easyfundraising will make a donation to the club of between 1% and 3% of the purchase price AT NO EXTRA COST TO THE MEMBER.

The easyfundraising website is simple to follow. After clicking on "Register As A User" on the Home Page, customers are asked to create their own Password and register the cause they wish to support, recording - Pudsey Congs Cricket Club - will bring donations to the club every time they purchase goods linked through this website.

Large purchases such as insurance bring up to 15% profit for the club.

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Replacement and Renewal Appeal  

Members will have no doubt enjoyed our magnificent ground and surrounds which are kept in good condition in every respect. Over the years our maintenance equipment has become unreliable and we therefore relied on our groundsman’s machinery. This is now not available (he has returned home to Australia ) and the Committee are embarking on a programme of replacement and renewal. This process has started and the Trustees have supported the plan but the Committee feel that members would relish the opportunity to make a financial contribution to enable a much wider view of our equipment needs. For example it is envisaged that a new tractor will improve the quality of the grounds and make the task much easier for our hard working volunteers. A tractor will cost in the region of £3000. If you would like to help or require further information please contact either Derrick Reason 0113 257 5813 or Ralph Middlebrook 0113 256 4017. Cash or cheques (payable to Pudsey Congs CC) can be given to either person for any amount small or large.  

We hope you can help us maintain our high standards.

 Thank you.

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Ralph rewarded for coaching prowess

Ralph Middlebrook receives his award from Jimmy Adams

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) staff coach Ralph Middlebrook has been honoured.

The Pudsey Congs stalwart and former Cricket Development Officer for Leeds City Council is one of 80 coaches throughout the country to be named in the Sky Sports Rewards and Recognition Scheme.

Part of Sky Sports' Developing the Coaches sponsorship is the first ever Sky Sports Coach Recognition Scheme.

Their aim is not only to create more cricket coaches throughout the country, but also to reward long-serving and distinguished coaches throughout the counties. Middlebrook's reward was a day at a Test match (the Riverside Test against the West Indies last month), plus a presentation during the lunch interval by one of the Sky Sports commentators - in this case West Indian Jimmy Adams. Ralph was nominated by Yorkshire because he has been a major player in the coaching of junior cricket in the county for many years now. He has been involved in the ACC (Association of Cricket Coaches) and Yorkshire Cricket Board Coaches Association (YCBCA), as well as the YCB Pathways programme. Middlebrook is also a leading force in the YCB Junior Forum, which aims to further the efforts of the board in promoting junior cricket and, in particular, Ralph's idea that we should move down the age groups in terms of organised cricket for under-nines and under-sevens. That has already happened in the Upper Airedale Junior League and is set to happen in the JCT600 Bradford League.

Middlebrook, who is the father of former Yorkshire and Essex off-spinner James, said: "I'm very honoured to be honoured in this manner and welcome the input of Sky Sports, especially in the productions of the dvds, which are excellent, especially for the coach but also for inspiring young players in the greatest of games. "Many thanks for the hospitality and honour." Middlebrook, who has always acknowledged the massive contribution that the Asian community have made to cricket in the Bradford area, was a wise choice as guest speaker at Saltaire Cricket Club's annual prize-presentation at Ambala Chowdreys on Great Horton Road. For example, he watched overseas player Rana Naveed's progress over four years at Pudsey Congs, and is adamant that he should have been picked up by Yorkshire rather than going to Sussex. Middlebrook, who covered the Bradford League for many years for Radio Leeds, said: "Some 35 to 40 per cent of players in the Bradford League are of Asian descent and we should have one Bradford League dinner every three years where no alcohol is served."

As for players going out of the Bradford League to wealthy clubs such as Wrenthorpe in the Central Yorkshire League for what amounts to half of some club's annual budget, Middlebrook said: "I don't blame the players for going but I do blame the clubs for paying them. "We want enough left for a new mower, for example!"

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Congs receive the prestigious Clubmark Certificate

From left to right - Barry Wilson Hon Treasurer, Steve Raistrick Hon Secretary, Tony Bowry YCB, MB Knight President, Derrick Reason, Ralph Middlebrook

 

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Congs receive the ECB’s prestigious Clubmark accreditation

On Thursday 30^th March Pudsey Congs Cricket Club were awarded the ECB’s prestigious Clubmark accreditation.  

Club Mark has been developed with Sport England to set down a set of criteria and a support process for clubs to work through that will enable them to establish a professional management and coaching structure expected in the 21^st century.

Clubs are expected to fullfil specific criteria based around the following areas:  

Duty of care and child welfare
Coaching and competition
Sports equity and ethics
Club Management  

Having 5 junior teams and a junior ladies team alongside our 4 senior teams we have always been a child friendly club.

 Ralph Middlebrook, our Child Welfare Officer, oversees the care of junior members of the club and all junior management and coaches have CRB certification. The Friday evening junior practice nights are supervised by our junior team managers and qualified coaching staff. The team organise and structure coaching sessions relevant to all age groups and abilities. The club already fulfilled the major requirements for this accreditation but proof needed to be committed to paper and various systems were required to be put in place.  

The Management Committee would like to thank Steve Raistrick, the Club Secretary, and Barry Wilson, the Juniors Secretary, for their hard work and commitment over the past year which ensured the club received this well deserved award.

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