NCCU and the MCF

[Mick Norris]

Martin

G Man are playing Staffs as I type this

You can see the fixtures here:
http://www.mccu.org.uk/cm13-14/minor/minor.htm
and see that Staffs have at least 2 more matches

It wasn't an easy or satisfactory solution, but it will work for this season

[David Pardoe]

Yes, and Manchester, who had decended to one of the lower places in the Minor Counties, triumphed 9 - 7 in there match yesterday, against the current MCCU Open Champions, Staffordshire...!

No, it certainly wasnt easy...but it really was satisfactory. It just shows what is possible when folk, turn up, roll up there sleeves, and get stuck in...and stop whingeing.
The only real glitch was caused by those digital contraptions not doing as expected and having to interupt play twice at critical stages to fix matters.
For me, the old technology has much to commend it...
We in this country are too good at talking ourselves down, and failing to celebrate the good things we have.
The arrangements are brilliant..
I`m slightly curious though as to why the U160 matches are all scheduled to finish by early Feb.... 6 weeks ahead of the final date for completion....

[MartinCarpenter]

A good result and a solider Manchester team than at times. Weren't Staffordshire rather handicapped by playing under minor county rules, or are they allowed to play their full team anyway? Rather reduced motivation to do so of course.

The thing that worries me slightly about all of the that is the obvious one of them not getting full strength/U180 matches (even if friendlies) and then pulling out. Those competitions might not be dead but they're certainly not thriving in terms of the number of counties who can really sustain teams.

I was reasonably serious about some Manchester/Yorkshire friendlies though. Seems a very obvious idea.

[Mick Norris]

A good result and a solider Manchester team than at times. Weren't Staffordshire rather handicapped by playing under minor county rules, or are they allowed to play their full team anyway? Rather reduced motivation to do so of course.

Staffs average was just over 180, so fair to say they are playing the best team they could get out

[Carl Hibbard]

A good result and a solider Manchester team than at times. Weren't Staffordshire rather handicapped by playing under minor county rules, or are they allowed to play their full team anyway? Rather reduced motivation to do so of course.

Staffs average was just over 180, so fair to say they are playing the best team they could get out

Lawrence Cooper and Paul Wallace missing I see

[Mick Norris]

I have been invited to attend this Saturday's NCCU meeting in Bradford

Should be fun

[Neil Graham]

I have been invited to attend this Saturday's NCCU meeting in Bradford

Should be fun

Mick

I hope you stay with the MCCU - you will get some proper county chess then.

[Matt Mackenzie]

I have been invited to attend this Saturday's NCCU meeting in Bradford

Should be fun

So is this chessic equivalent of Jarndyce v Jarndyce any closer to a resolution, then?

[MartinCarpenter]

Maybe The proportion of people fed up with it the nonsense does seem to be increasing and a very sympathetic NCCU president. But still....

Slightly surprised that the NCCU have a meeting timed to clash with a round of Yorkshire league matches. Wonder who'll be going from Yorkshire.

[Andrew Bak]

Slightly surprised that the NCCU have a meeting timed to clash with a round of Yorkshire league matches. Wonder who'll be going from Yorkshire.

Yes this is very odd - there are surely plenty of other Saturdays/Sundays this could have been arranged for.

[Mick Norris]

I gather the meetings are usually the first Saturday of December and June, so presumably whoever does the Yorkshire fixtures was aware

In any case, you are only talking about sending 1 person, and Bradford isn't exactly a long journey for a Yorkshire rep

I assume Ihor is your rep, and his support would be welcome tomorrow

[Ihor Lewyk]

I am hoping to be there tomorrow. I do need to arrange a bit of juggling for the Yorkshire league match to do so though.

[Andrew Zigmond]

I gather the meetings are usually the first Saturday of December and June, so presumably whoever does the Yorkshire fixtures was aware

Actually I wasn't although the main priority is dodging congresses and the 4NCL. There were Yorkshire League fixtures on the day of the ECF AGM as well.

It will be interesting to see if this nonsense regarding the MCF will finally be put to bed, although having been copied into some emails I am cautiously pessimistic. Even if it doesn't the NCCU has some other areas it needs to address - their website does not seem to have been updated for some time and they need to decide who is covering some key roles this season.

[MartinCarpenter]

Fair enough. It is a very busy calendar indeed so a hard job. Not sure why the NCCU don't use Sundays for these. Maybe the travel is tricky.

The only reason that it is an issue is that the two people who came to mind - Ihor and Jeremy - are helpful enough types to have also got roped into captaining their respective Woodhouse teams. Very much involved in the earnest 3 way fight for the title this year. (Although I'm not sure if Jeremy does these meetings.).

Don't suppose I'm really in a position to complain! Anyway I hope the meeting goes well and Bradford manage to get a strong team out.
(But then contrive to lose anyway ).

[Andrew Zigmond]

Fair enough. It is a very busy calendar indeed so a hard job. Not sure why the NCCU don't use Sundays for these. Maybe the travel is tricky.

The only reason that it is an issue is that the two people who came to mind - Ihor and Jeremy - are helpful enough types to have also got roped into captaining their respective Woodhouse teams. Very much involved in the earnest 3 way fight for the title this year. (Although I'm not sure if Jeremy does these meetings.).

Don't suppose I'm really in a position to complain! Anyway I hope the meeting goes well and Bradford manage to get a strong team out.
(But then contrive to lose anyway ).

The only people who have historically `done` these meetings for the YCA are the usual suspects, Ihor, Rupert, Jon, Richard White and Stuart Johnson - nobody else would dream of volunteering.