Mick,Mick Norris wrote:Manchester's Open team needs a captain before it can play anywhere at allDavid Pardoe wrote:As for Manchester in this North/ Midlands equation, it might well be that Manchester's Open squad joins the Northern titans and the U160 squad remains with the Midlands, where we have had years of good chess competition.
The U160 played this season at Newcastle-under-Lyme v Notts & Warks; Lancaster v Cumbria; Halifax v Yorks - those of us living on the north side of Manchester (i.e the last 3 team captains) prefer the latter - the NCCU would give us 3 teams to play against, rather than the (very pleasant) 2 in the MCCU
Can you explain how this squares witb your previous statements that you have been keen to invite Staffordshire to play an Open team match v Gman? In fact, despite not having a county captain, you have issued specific invitations to play Staffs, so you said previously?
Given that you`ve said that North Man clubs would prefer to play NCCU counties... should the MCF not be being more even handed and considering the wishes of all MCF clubs, including South Man clubs, who do provide good support for our county events?
You say that our County U160 team would prefer to travel to places like Lancaster to play Cumbria rather than travel to Newcastle-U-Lyme to play teams like Notts & Warks ? Are you sure about that. Notts are regarded as one of the top U160 counties, and really have provided us with some great match opposition for many years.
Maybe some of this needs some detailed discussion at the next MCF AGM, to try to establish what the membership really do want.
Bearing in mind that the NCCU has a block on Gman membership currently, as I understand it, how are we going to get acceptance to play these counties? And who are the three counties that you think the U160 team might play..?
Unless you mean we should downgrade our interest to purely `friendly matches`, and give in to those who want us out of the counties events altogether?
I really think this needs some comprehensive open discussion at the AGM, rather than in the rather confined secretive gatherings of a select few MCF Council Reps, whose views might not quite reflect the majority view of clubs across Manchester, in many instances.? But I know the politics are very tricky in that region.
Finally to Neil Graham... you`re right that many counties should pull there fingers out and get stuck into these county events. But, for various reasons, I think you might find it a good deal more challenging to run several Manchester county teams than to run your Notts County teams?
That said, I applaud your efforts in county chess... they have been outstanding.