NEPL Special General Meeting

Background

Durham Cricket Academy has indicated that it wishes to suspend its membership of the NEPL. It has stated that following a review of its programme and reacting to the changing cricketing climate, it felt that the talented young cricketers of the area would be better served by continuing to play responsible roles with their home clubs, and therefore, with regret, the Academy is withdrawing its team from Saturday league cricket at the end of this season.

At its meeting on 15 August the NEPL Management Committee (LMC) agreed that Brandon Cricket Club's membership of the NEPL would cease on 30 September 2018 as the Club has not met the Constitutional requirement of the NEPL to have Clubmark accreditation.

The NEPL has operated with only 23 Clubs this season following the late withdrawal of Seaham Harbour Cricket Club, shortly before the season began.

Proposals for Promotion to the NEPL

The LMC has agreed how it considers this unfortunate situation should be addressed. The LMC has agreed that it would be desirable that the NEPL operate with 24 Clubs in season 2019. This would provide a full fixture list of matches at 1st, 2nd and 3rd XI levels throughout the season. It was considered that there were no advantages of operating with 22 or 23 Clubs, as this would leave blanks in the fixture list with Clubs having fewer matches.

The LMC discussed in detail how the 3 vacancies might be filled. You will recall that it has already been agreed that one Club will be promoted to the NEPL from the DCL/NTCL, following a play-off if necessary.

As there is now a fully integrated league pyramid with the DCL and NTCL feeding into the NEPL, it was considered right that Clubs from the two feeder leagues should fill the other 2 vacancies based on performance during the 2018 season.

The LMC agreed the proposal below for filling the vacancies. The Pyramid Management Board at a meeting this afternoon agreed this proposal in principle.

a) The top placed qualifying Club (i.e. a Club that wishes to be promoted and meets the NEPL Facilities, Ground Conditions and Club Structure Criteria) from each of the DCL and NTCL in season 2018 will be promoted to the NEPL, without the need for a play-off and without the need to be winners or runners-up of the respective league.

(Example: Top place qualifying Club in DCL is 2nd and top placed qualifying Club in NTCL is 3rd – both Clubs are promoted)

b) The third Club to be promoted to the NEPL will be the top placed qualifying Club (i.e. a Club that wishes to be promoted and meets the NEPL Facilities, Ground Conditions and Club Structure Criteria), from either the DCL or the NTCL, based on the league position of Clubs, below the two Clubs promoted through a) above, in the respective leagues.

(Example: Top place qualifying Club in DCL is 4th and top placed qualifying Club in NTCL is 3rd – NTCL Club is promoted)

c) If the top placed qualifying Clubs identified through b) above are in equal positions in the DCL and NTCL, the Clubs will play-off with the winner being promoted.

(Example: Top place qualifying Club in DCL is 3rd and top placed qualifying Club in NTCL is 3rd –play-off takes place with winner promoted)

The LMC motions for these changes to the General Rules are set out below.

Proposals for Promotion/Relegation between Divisions of the NEPL

The LMC has also discussed how consequential promotion and relegation issues between divisions of the NEPL should be addressed. It has agreed that the overriding principle should be that where there is the option of either promoting a Club or relegating a Club, then the decision should be not to relegate. This is in accordance with the decision that Member Clubs made following the withdrawal of Seaham Harbour, i.e. that there is no relegation from the First Division in season 2018. This principle has been applied in the relevant motions below.

Changes to the Constitution

There will be changes to the Constitution required but it is considered that these should be dealt with at the Annual General Meeting in November.

LMC Motions

You will recall that various changes to the General Rules were agreed at the SGM in April following the withdrawal of Seaham Harbour Cricket Club. The following motions reflect these changes rather than the General Rules in the handbook.

The League Management Committee’s motions for the SGM are as follows:

General Rules

Amend Rules 23 and 24 as follows.

23. For season 2018 only General Rules 19 (a), (b), (d), (e), (f), (g), (h), (i) and (j) to (j) will not apply.

24. For season 2018 only:

(a) There will be no relegation from the NEPL Premier Division. The top
placed club from the NEPL First Division will be promoted to the NEPL
Premier Division.

(b) There will be no relegation from the NEPL First Division

(c) There will be no relegation from the NEPL Second Division. The top placed two clubs from the NEPL Third Division will be promoted to the NEPL Second Division.

(d) The bottom placed club from the NEPL Sunday League First Division will be relegated to the NEPL Sunday League Second Division. The top placed club from the NEPL Sunday League Second Division will be promoted to the NEPL Sunday League First Division. The bottom placed club from the NEPL Sunday League Second Division will be relegated to the NEPL Sunday League Third Division. The top placed club from the NEPL Sunday League Third Division will be promoted to the NEPL Sunday League Second Division.

(e) The top placed qualifying Club (i.e. a Club that wishes to be promoted and meets the NEPL Facilities, Ground Conditions and Club Structure Criteria) from each of the DCL and NTCL in season 2018 will be promoted to the NEPL, without the need for a play-off and without the need to be winners or runners-up of the respective league.

(f) The third Club to be promoted to the NEPL will be the top placed qualifying Club (i.e. a Club that wishes to be promoted and meets the NEPL Facilities, Ground Conditions and Club Structure Criteria), from either the DCL or the NTCL, based on the league position of Clubs, below the two Clubs promoted through (e) above, in the respective leagues.

(g) If the top placed qualifying Clubs identified through b) above are in equal positions in the DCL and NTCL, the Clubs will play-off with the winner being promoted.

The above motions will require a majority of two thirds of member clubs, in accordance with General Rule 9. Clubs should also be aware that General Rule 9 states that the agreement of the Durham and Northumberland Cricket Boards will also be required to amend the Constitution and General Rules.

If any of the above is unclear or you have any questions relating to this matter please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Gordon Halliday
League Secretary
NEPL