YG'S 2024 AGM
Member AGM Notice Chairman's report ACCOUNTS
Member AGM Notice
161th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Dear Member,
We are accordingly, inviting you to the AGM to be held at Queen Margaret’s School,
at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday 2rd April 2025 for the following purposes:
To confirm the Minutes of the previous AGM
To receive the report and adopt the Accounts for 2024
To elect the Officers and Committee for the year
Any Other Business
If you intend to be present at the AGM and would also like to stay for dinner, as has been customary for many years, please email angus.shaw@brigantia.com BEFORE 28th March.
We look forward to you joining us for the AGM.
Yours Sincerely,
A Shaw
Secretary
Chairmans Report
THE YORKSHIRE GENTLEMEN’S CRICKET CLUB
(Founded 1863)
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Dear Members,
As we look forward to the 2025 season, we see a county and a game which has probably changed forever. The recent sale of the Hundred franchises has brought an estimated £967 million into the game, of this £100 million was paid for the Northern Superchargers. Colin Graves, Chair of YCCC, is quoted as saying "That is great for cricket because 20% of that money is going into the recreational game, so that is going to help the grassroots." We wait to see how this transpires over the coming years.
I never imagined that I would be starting my annual report writing about the Hundred, and not withstanding your view as to its merits, it has undoubtedly changed the shape of the game. Personally, I am not a fan, but as someone who is heavily involved in the junior game, I can see how interested the young people of today are in it. It might not be the game we all love, but if it engages youngsters and gives them a lifelong love of the game, it cannot be dismissed. I see more youngsters turn up for training in a Northern Superchargers shirt than I do in a Yorkshire, or other county, shirt; and they all love going to the games.
Like every other club, we have limited resources with many demands on these. Whether that is the funding required for ground improvements, the pavilion development, improvements and upkeep; or the need for volunteers or 101 other things. In this regard, I am pleased to report that Phil Holland, along with a number of others including Paul White and Nigel Bartram, have spent many hours over the winter making what we believe will be improvements to the ground. We invested a significant amount in the end of season renovations between October and December, and subsequently Phil has continued spiking the square and undertaking general tidying and maintenance of it over the winter in collaboration with QM staff during their lacrosse season. With favourable weather conditions in early March he has started the pre-season work early, and is looking at additional equipment to aid his work, whilst also investigating a grant to assist in the purchase of a tractor. One of the committee’s priorities is to improve the playing surface and we hope that this work and investment will start to bear fruit over the summer.
Hopefully this will enable us to encourage high calibre players to join the club over this and forthcoming seasons. Please reach out to friends and teammates encouraging them to join.
As always, we also need more volunteers.
We are very grateful to Mel Neary who has so kindly stepped into the role of Fixtures Secretary recently but now must step back. As a result, we urgently need a replacement, and I would ask you to consider giving up some time to do this vitally important role. I would like to thank Mel for stepping into this role and the hard work he has put into it.
As you will see he has produced a fabulous fixture list for 2025 including visits by touring teams from the Netherlands and India; a return of the Royal Household fixture at Windsor; and we are delighted to have been invited to be part of Sedbergh School’s 500th year celebrations, resurrecting an historic fixture thanks also to the endeavours of our Treasurer (amongst his many roles), Richard Fletcher. The Langdale Lovelies fixture has to be put on hold this year, but it will return to the fixture list in 2026 at the picturesque Chatsworth House.
On the field 2024 was reasonably successful with 10 games won, 10 lost, 4 drawn, 2 cancelled due to the weather, with a further 2 abandoned similarly, 3 cancelled by the opposition and 1 disappointingly cancelled by ourselves. As a result I would again encourage you to make your availability known to the match managers as soon as possible, and remember that should you need to withdraw then the onus is on you to find a suitable replacement. The match managers’ job is hard enough without late withdrawals.
There were some fabulous matches and individual performances although it was sad to see the demise of some long-standing opponents, such as the West Riding, who celebrated their final fixture, in their 75th year, at Escrick last summer. We were very lucky to have the prodigious talent of Angus Webb turn out for us on many occasions before returning home to Australia. He scored 3 centuries - 152 retired v The Borderers; 120no in a high scoring defeat at Pocklington School and 103no v Harrow Wanderers. In addition Michael Blakiston- Houston scored 111 against Radley Rangers and Stuart Clark 104no in that final West Riding fixture. Charlie Elliot, James Van Der Merwe and David O’Kelly all made some big scores too, whilst David also represented Yorkshire Ridings over 60s scoring a mammoth 949 runs.
The pick of the bowling was Angus Shaw’s 7-33 against the Halifax Nomads whilst Prabhas Mallick and James Van Der Merwe had 4 wicket hauls against The Hawks and Leeds University respectively.
The 13 year old Seth Barrett had figures of 7-2-31-4 against what Paul White described as the usual strong Durham Pilgrims side. The confidence and patience which he showed batting was also an impressive performance in the context of the match. Hopefully we will see more of him and Harry Rowntree, another youngster, who in the same game scored a fabulous 57, in 93 mins, in the coming season.
We remain exceptionally grateful to so many people, not least to the amazing, evergreen Paul White for everything he does to keep the club functioning; Phil Holland for taking on the work on the ground and for his work with the juniors; Mel mentioned earlier; Richard Head, our President, for continuing to organise the annual dinner; Alexandra Skinner for running the website and communications: Dewi Winkle for his fund raising endeavours; all our umpires kindly organised by our exceptional secretary, Angus Shaw. His huge contribution is massively understated. How he keeps everyone in check I will never know. Thank you to all the committee members for their ongoing support and hard work. In addition, we are extremely grateful to Heather and the caterers who feed and water us so well. Richard Fletcher is undertaking numerous roles for which we are both lucky and extremely grateful, and is looking to step down as Treasurer, so again a volunteer is needed. He will continue as membership secretary and with his other roles. As you will have gathered – your club desperately needs YOU.
A reminder of the Masuri club shop for all your kit and clothing requirements. https://teamwear.nxt-sports.com/shop/the-yorkshire-gentlemen's-online-store
A few reminders and dates for your diary:
AGM at Queen Margaret’s School on Wednesday 2nd April at 7.45 p.m. Please RSVP forthwith if you have not already (angus.shaw@brigantia.com).
Curry & quiz night on 5th April 2025 at 7.30p.m. Tickets available from Richard Fletcher.
Get set weekend 6th April 2025: 09.00-17.00
Can as many as possible attend to help please?
Junior All Stars/Dynamos to start Friday, 30th May or 6th June 2025 for 8 weeks. Phil needs a volunteer to run this for us it until he is fit to return following his surgery.
First game: Eastrington 20th April 2025
Please express your availability early; visit Escrick even if you aren’t playing; and offer your services even if in some small way to help. We all look forward to seeing what the summer of 2025 holds – hopefully sunshine, runs, wickets and above all fabulous camaraderie.
Best wishes,
John M E Skinner
Chairman
Seasons Results 2015 - onwards
2015: Played 31, Won 9, Drawn 7, Lost 6, Tied 0, Abandoned/Cancelled 9
2016: Played 33, Won 10, Drawn 2, Lost 12, Tied 0, Abandoned/Cancelled 9
2017: Played 36, Won 12, Drawn 3, Lost 11, Tied 0, Abandoned/Cancelled 10 (7 by appo)
2018: Played 31, Won 9, Drawn 7, Lost 9, Tied 0, Abandoned/Cancelled 6 (2 by appo)
2019: Played 28, Won 8, Drawn 5, Lost 11, Tied 0, Abandoned/Cancelled 4
2020: Played 11, Won 9, Drawn 0, Lost 2, Tied 0, Abandoned/Cancelled - COVID
2020: Played 23, Won 12, Drawn 1, Lost 10, Tied 0, Abandoned/Cancelled - 9
YG's Accounts YR ENDING 31ST DEC 2020
To view the year end accounts please download a pdf copy here -
PREVIOUS YEARS CHAIRMAN’S REPORTS AND ACCOUNTS
Chairman Reports - click on the links to open
Accounts - click on the links to open