Compulsory Membership?

[Paul Cooksey]

you'll probably get away with crucifixion.

In passing, does the NCCU do anything substantive, or exist just as a constituent of the ECF?

[William Metcalfe]

There are things that i want to do as president but i am only 1 voice so i might get voted down.

[William Metcalfe]

To answer Pauls question it runs the county championships and club championships and runs the MO scheme

[Mick Norris]

you'll probably get away with crucifixion.

In passing, does the NCCU do anything substantive, or exist just as a constituent of the ECF?

You mean apart from keeping Manchester out?

http://www.nccu.org.uk/

http://www.nccu.org.uk/county-chess/

http://www.nccu.org.uk/nccu-club-championships/

Read some of these, they aren't as funny as Python though
http://www.nccu.org.uk/nccu-mins/

[David Robertson]

Yes, William, the NCCU does these things, kind of. Under its auspices, one serious county match takes place each year - Lancashire v. Yorkshire; or sometimes, Yorkshire v. Lancashire. Apart from that, nothing serious at all. OK, it also runs various other county events: under-this v. under-that nonsense. But these aren't really county matches, are they?

Then there's the club championships: more under-this v. under-that guff, usually involving four or five club teams that would struggle in Div 2 of most leagues.

In truth, the NCCU only does two things very well. And it does them very well indeed. First, it holds lots of meetings - lots and lots of meetings - at which it elects lots of people with fancy titles. Think ECF, and you'll get the idea. At these meetings, lots of well-meaning people, some of whom even play chess, spend hours of daylight cogitating on the question of whether, this year, it should be Lancs v. Yorks on kids' chairs at a school in Heysham; or Yorks v. Lancs on bar stools in the back room of a pub in Hunslet. And second, whatever it resolves, it neither consults with nor informs the playing community. Indeed, its delegates generally observe strict vows of silence. Not entirely misplaced, of course, because we've long stopped listening.

With your ascendancy to the Presidency, William, things can only get better. It only takes one vote.

[William Metcalfe]

Also last year we helped a number of players play in the British champs we helped with entry fees or travel costs.
Only certain areas want to keep Manchester out

[David Robertson]

Hang on a second. The Brits were on your patch last year, not in the Maldives.

"Only certain areas"? What's this all about? I don't for one minute think players from any area want to exclude players from Manchester. It's a useless squabble between f**king useless delegates. Again.

Use your period of office, William, to end this nonsense

[William Metcalfe]

So helping a junior play in the acuall British championship was a bad thing was it David.Not everybody has money to pay for 2 weeks accomodation or transport that was why we helped[were we wrong to do that]
As to Manchester i started the ball rolling[alongside my other Cleveland delegate] only to run into Lancashires so called veto.As soon as i raise the issue again i can guarantee Jim Tennant Smith will come as Lancashire delegate lol.

[Sean Hewitt]

So helping a junior play in the acuall British championship was a bad thing was it David.Not everybody has money to pay for 2 weeks accomodation or transport that was why we helped[were we wrong to do that]
As to Manchester i started the ball rolling[alongside my other Cleveland delegate] only to run into Lancashires so called veto.As soon as i raise the issue again i can guarantee Jim Tennant Smith will come as Lancashire delegate lol.

In which case the solution is for all the other northern counties to leave the NCCU and form a new union, including Greater Manchester. Lancashire should also be free to join.

[David Pardoe]

If they can also get some better understanding on the Lancs - Manchester boundaries/issues, from an administrative point, that would be good. I think some friendly informal arrangements could be made which all sides could agree to.
Yes, they definately need to revive the counties events so that all members of the NCCU participate (feel able to participate). I`ve said before that splitting Yorks into 2 or possibly 3 county units might be beneficial.
Manchester joining the NCCU would probably not really serve much purpose under presnt circumstances, but striving for greater co-operation between respective parties could be highly desirable. Manchester getting battered by Yorks & Lancs every year could just add to the bordom....conflict. Who knows...
Encouraging more participation from various areas in the NCCU into the 4NCL Northern league might be no bad thing. They might even consider taking over (assisting with), the running of this, and possibly incorporating a new hotel group...perhaps a major hotel group like Marriott might provide a better selection of Northern venues. However, if 4NCL divs 2 &3 were to include one or two additional northern based venues, that might solve the problem, and negate the need for a separate Northern league.
On national matters, to set up stronger links with the ECF would be helpful.
No doubt you have your list of priorities already taking shape....best of luck.

[Mick Norris]

So helping a junior play in the acuall British championship was a bad thing was it David.Not everybody has money to pay for 2 weeks accomodation or transport that was why we helped[were we wrong to do that]
As to Manchester i started the ball rolling[alongside my other Cleveland delegate] only to run into Lancashires so called veto.As soon as i raise the issue again i can guarantee Jim Tennant Smith will come as Lancashire delegate lol.

In which case the solution is for all the other northern counties to leave the NCCU and form a new union, including Greater Manchester. Lancashire should also be free to join.

Which is what Martin Regan suggested a few years back

It isn't a boundary dispute of course, as Greater Manchester are happy to play under the same terms as Cleveland, Merseyside and any other post 1974 county

[Alex Holowczak]

So helping a junior play in the acuall British championship was a bad thing was it David.Not everybody has money to pay for 2 weeks accomodation or transport that was why we helped[were we wrong to do that]
As to Manchester i started the ball rolling[alongside my other Cleveland delegate] only to run into Lancashires so called veto.As soon as i raise the issue again i can guarantee Jim Tennant Smith will come as Lancashire delegate lol.

I've just looked at the NCCU constitution - I have nothing better to do on a Friday night - and I see no constitutional mention of a veto for Lancashire. So their veto can be overturned by a simple majority. This is the same simple majority that you'd need to incorporate Greater Manchester within the NCCU. So the concept of a Lancashire veto is a complete fallacy.

If the fear is that Lancashire disaffiliate from the NCCU, what does the NCCU lose from this, exactly?

[William Metcalfe]

They claim it was from some legal action and previous court actions.The other reps did agree with them so there is obv something in there claims.
My view is this is a whole new generation of players and officials and we need to lance this stupid boil.

As to the points made about our county champs without captains you have no teams for 3 years i ran the Durham under 125 team [kept Lancashire out of the national stages 1 year] but i got fed up of being let down by players.Cleveland put teams in but as soon as there captain stood down the teams folded.

[David Pardoe]

Lancashire currently play all there `home`matches in what is officially `Gtr Manchester` (at least from an administrative perspective).
In practice this may not be a problem, but I dont know of any other `county` (and I stress....Administratively speaking), where this happens in chess....
In county cricket of course Lancs still have a home base at Old Trafford and at Liverpool, which is fine, since there is no other competing `county` in the region.
A move to Central Lancs, ie, Preston perhaps, at some point, might help to create some clear blue water....
Taking on board the suggestion that Lancs should be reformed and return to the NCCU under a new (possibly) `Central Lancs` banner, might be a consideration...
However, I`m sure there are a number of options that might amicably progress things in due course......
The notion apparently held in some quarters I believe, is that Manchester should be confined to just those areas that lay within the M60 circuit. I`m sure that some clear understanding can be reached..from an Administrative perspective on these matters.

I`m absolutely certain that with some good will and good sence, all of these matters can be resolved, and that long standing good neighbours and friends can stand united in friendly rivalry....

[IM Jack Rudd]

Lancashire currently play all there `home`matches in what is officially `Gtr Manchester` (at least from an administrative perspective).
In practice this may not be a problem, but I dont know of any other `county` (and I stress....Administratively speaking), where this happens in chess....

Cornwall. Many is the season where they've played every single one of their matches in Devon.