DEBATE ahead of a new cricket season normally centres around which club has the best professional or who has assembled the most competitive squad.

But those concerns played second fiddle to umpiring in the run-up to the new Greater Manchester Cricket League (GMCL) campaign, which started at the weekend.

The fledgling league has been running a recruitment drive behind the scenes in preparation for its second season after adopting a new policy on how umpires are provided for games.

While the GMCL remains committed to allocating two neutral umpires for every match in the top four divisions, the majority of clubs below that level – in Divisions Four and Five – have been asked to supply their own officials.

The club umpires will follow their teams home and away and officiate alongside an umpire from the opposition.

Any volunteers to the role without previous experience have been put through an accredited introductory course with an LCB ACO tutor.

There are five clubs from the Bolton area currently competing in the league – Egerton, Edgworth, Astley and Tyldesley, Deane and Derby and Bolton Indians.

Both the first and second teams at Edgworth and Astley and Tyldesley compete in the top four divisions so will be unaffected.

But Egerton, Deane and Derby and Bolton Indians will have to supply officials for games for their second teams.

Will Halton, first-team captain at Egerton and also the players' representative on the GMCL board, admits the concept of club umpires will take a bit of getting used to.

"We are lucky because our umpire for the second team was a former Bolton Association umpire, so has a lot of experience," he said.

"It's not like we have dragged him out of the bar.

"It will be interesting to see how it works.

"Captains have a big role as player behaviour is ultimately their responsibility. It is up to them to make sure the proper respect is shown to the officials.

"I can't deny though that the situation behind this is worrying.

"Former players are just not moving into umpiring like they used to, so there is a dwindling number of umpires across the board.

"This innovation is just a sign of the times, but club umpires have worked in other leagues so let's hope they do here.

"I just can't imagine what is going to happen a generation down the line."

Other than concerns over potentially difficult situations due to umpires’ perceived loyalties, there were also fears not enough umpires would come forward to ensure two at every game.

But the league has confirmed that will not be the case, for the first two months of the season at least.

A statement read: “The GMCL Umpires and Scorers Association have advised the GMCL board that, following the great work by clubs to register club umpires and the association’s own recruitment efforts, all GMCL Saturday matches in the first round of allocations for the whole of April and May should have two umpires from the appointed panel or the club umpires. 

“This is a huge achievement and our clubs and the association have done brilliantly to bring us back from a very difficult situation.

“Everyone at the clubs involved should be proud of their contribution.

“The decision to go down the route of club umpires was a tough call to make but it was made early and the GMCL board would like to thank everyone for their response."

As is the modern way, the debate raged on social media all summer, but Prestwich captain Andy Bradley, who is on the GMCL board, believes it will prove to be a storm in a teacup.

“All we have done is looked at the way other multi-tier leagues have managed umpire provisions and followed suit,” he said.

“It works well in other leagues and I am sure it will be a success in the GMCL.

“The perceived shortage of umpires is nowhere near as drastic as some people fear.

“We have enough umpires to cover every game, but that can change during the course of a season, when holidays kick in.

“This way, every semi-professional match will be covered by two panel umpires and club umpires will come into their own at a lower level when needed.”