WHEN I read the recent article I wrote for The Bolton News I saw a sentence had been taken out.
It read: “All clubs from the Manchester and District Cricket Association found and played in a league in 2014.”
It is very significant that, despite this fact, the Lancashire Cricket Board still called the meetings that led to the formation of the Greater Manchester Cricket League when it was obvious there was no need to do so, because a well-run league system was in being.
The LCB proudly announced clubs would now always, with the formation of the Greater Manchester pyramid system, have a league to play in again even though it was unnecessary.
Could it be that the real hidden agenda was to form a premier league system in Greater Manchester at any cost?
I listed the disruption caused in Greater Manchester which could have been anticipated when four senior leagues chose to remain independent. The process should have been terminated at this point.
No one could have foreseen the knock-on effect to other leagues in Lancashire, but the LCB, as governing body, surely should have listened to mumblings in these leagues. They are now desperately trying to rectify the situation.
Readers might like to know I have been informed that the MDCA met both the LCB and ECB to ask for their help, but received none.
The BDCA, in 2014 and 2015, met numerous times with the LCB and ECB, and again received no help.
This is a quite different approach to that being adopted with the other Lancashire leagues. Definitely a case of dual standards.
Even letters from Lord Hoyle of Warrington (Doug Hoyle, president of Adlington Crricket Club) of the House of Lords direct to the ECB chairman, asking the ECB to look into the situation, have been met with a reply that did not answer the questions. His latest letter sent May 11, 2016, has not even received the courtesy of a reply from the offices detailed by the ECB chairman to deal with the matter.
What conclusion can be drawn from this abdication of responsibility?
Frank Jackson
Ex-chairman
Bolton and District Cricket Association
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