2015 FIXTURES - CONSTRAINTS ON THEIR PREPARATION

Date: 1st January 2015

As a Management Committee we are happy to make clear the basis of the 2015 fixtures.

We have no intention of responding to any vitriol on the unofficial website but need to make clubs aware of what lies behind the preparation of the official fixtures.

It has long been our practice to listen to clubs' fixturing requests for specific events and as usual several clubs have contacted us. Below are listed some of the constraints which have been taken account of at 1st and 2nd XI in 2015. Other constraints apply to 3rd XI fixtures particularly where ground sharing is involved.

Our top priorities are the County matches at S&B and Colwyn Bay, followed by the International Tennis Tournament at Aigburth. Then the requests for annual club functions, a Marquee Week, a Church's Walking Day, a Town Council's Sports Club Day, various club's problems with their football and rugby sections, President' Days etc and we still try to make travelling at Bank Holiday weekends easier if not perfect and, for the clubs that still want to, to preserve their long-standing 'derby matches'. Wallasey and New Brighton have also long enjoyed never being away together and Lytham always ask for a home fixture at the end of the season as a result of the length of The Northern Cricket League's season. Finally we ensure that all teams have two home and two away fixtures over the last four weeks of the season.

Very few of the above requests have been taken into account in the "alternative fixtures" prepared by Phil Lovgreen, the first ever L&DCC Vice President to be voted out of office.

In addition to the above the number of clubs and the mixture of divisions that their first and second XIs play in is also a major constraint and this affects the travelling for some 2nd XI teams on Bank Holiday weekends.

In particular:

8 clubs have teams in 1st & 2nd XI Premier Divisions;

7 clubs have teams in 1st & 2nd XI First Divisions;

10 clubs have teams in 1st & 2nd XI Second Divisions;

4 clubs have teams in 1st XI Premier Division & 2nd XI First Division;

3 clubs have teams in 2nd XI Premier Division & 1st XI First Division;

1 club has a team in 2nd XI Premier Division & 1st XI Second Division;

2 clubs have teams in 1st XI First Division & 2nd XI Second Division; and

1 club has a team in 1st XI Second Division & 2nd XI First Division.

If any club has a specific problem with any of its official fixtures please contact the Fixtures Secretary in the usual way.

MiL&DCC Management Committee