[www.thisislondon.co.uk]

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*ANDRE VOS AND DAVID WILSON ARE HARLEQUIN LEGENDS*
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It looks like the preparations for the 2012 season has begun as the Daily Telegraph and Guardian report that npower may cease to sponsor England's home Tests after 2011 due to the 2012 Olympics, while today lords.org shows how Lord's will look while it hosts the archery at the Olympics (more information can be found on the London 2012 official website).

The Telegraph article says that it will not be possible to play cricket at Lord's in the early part of the 2012 season, although the timeline page on the London 2012 website says that construction of the temporary facilities will begin in June and removal will complete by 15th August, so that gives hope that Middlesex can get some matches in in April, May, possibly June, the second-half of August and September, although they will have to fit in around England's Test v South Africa and any ODIs and finals. The reason why there will only be one Test at Lord's in 2012 is almost certainly due to the ground being unavailable for cricket for a high proportion of the summer.

I'm not sure why construction has to take so long or why the ground has to be unavailable for cricket for so long. Temporary seating allowing 5,000 spectators to watch each session will be constructed, but what is the point of having the event at Lord's if it appears that the 30,000 seats already in place are not going to be utilised? And why does it take so long to install 5,000 temporary seats? Then again, a lot of other work must take place, such as installing the archery boards and practise facilities.

I guess 2012 will be a year when Middlesex have to play a fair proportion of matches at outgrounds.

I was thinking of attending the archery in 2012 as I actually enjoyed watching it on TV in 2008, am really familiar with Lord's and aspire to attend a few events in 2012, but if only 5,000 seats will be available for each session and it is going to disrupt Middlesex's use of Lord's then I might as well boycott the archery.

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Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford

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(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)

The Daily Telegraph confirms that in 2012 Middlesex will be forced to play at Uxbridge and Southgate for about six weeks as of 2nd July.

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Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford

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(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)

Quote:

Jonathan Winsky
The Daily Telegraph confirms that in 2012 Middlesex will be forced to play at Uxbridge and Southgate for about six weeks as of 2nd July.

But Cricinfo say, "Middlesex will play their home matches at various outgrounds including Southgate and Uxbridge while Lord's is unavailable".

Will this mean there is a possibility of Middlesex playing some County Championship (or even just Clydesdale Bank 40) matches at Richmond or, dare I say, Radlett? Or will grounds other than the usual suspects come into consideration?

I know I should really be concentrating on the 2010 (as it is less than three weeks away) and 2011 (as this is Middlesex's earliest opportunity to become County Champions) seasons rather than the 2012 season (which I would estimate is still more than 100 weeks away), but I do like thinking ahead about what Middlesex are likely do during scenarios such as being unable to play at Lord's during the 2012 Olympics.

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Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford

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(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)

JW, one other matter to concern you. The club grounds are exactly that, club grounds, and where are those club teams supposed to play home matches during that period and how would their members be reimbursed for their annual subscription which covers use of their ground for a full season.
Lot's to be sorted one imagines.
No worry for the MCC however as they again will rake it in for hosting the archery on what is a cricket ground. Bit like Wembley holding American football.

Bet the Archers won't turn over the pitch at Lord's as bad as he Yanks did Wembley though Vic.

If the 2012 fixtures look anything like 2010 - we will have completed 10 out of 18 championshiop matches by the time the archery starts, so not sure it will have that big an impact with this competition. We are only scheduled to play 3 championship matches during the 6 week freeze out - if 2 are away then we would only need an outground for 1 championship match.
The one dayers and 20/20's could be more tricky - not sure how much club cricket is played mid-week Vic, so not sure the impact on 20/20.
Interestingly though we play this years 5 Lords 20/20 matches before the corresponding freeze out dates in 2012 - so again may be not such a big impact after all?

Oh meant to say, judging by the artist's impression of the archery at Lords they might as well just have used the nursery ground - absolute madness!

Richmond not currently passed for 4day cricket JW. Wicket and outfield would require an upgrade (money).

Radlett according to our esteemed MOD is for 2nd's and training purpose's only.

There is a place out in Berks which could come into the frame for 4day cricket.

Southgate by all accounts would require a slight change of direction by it's head honchos.

I suspect The Oval will be considered.

Posted by: dingy bags (IP Logged)
Date: 21 March, 2010 16:07


I suspect The Oval will be considered.

I don't think so DB, too costly and they play outmatches as well.

Ain't gonna look too good with us playing there, and they are playing at Whitgift.

In any case, as the conference bandwagon is now rolling, in the persons of Simon Hughes and Dominic Cork, TMS today.

It ain't gonna be a prob as there will only be 5 home matches in a 10 match conference season per DC.

Hughes also chipped in with, the counties are in thrall to England, as they provide ALL of the money.

This caused me to check the 2009 accounts for Middlesex, to check the veracity of that statement.

On a turnover of 4.316 mill, the 1.850mill ECB share, represents 42.9% of revenue, meaning that the club raised the other 57.1%, including 0.75mill in subs.

A significant amount(42.9%) but still less than half.

The fact that Mr Hughes sat on our committee, yet does'nt seem well acquainted with that sort of info is worrying.

He also said back in the summer, that Adam London was an MCC groundstaff boy, when he sub fielded for England.

One would have thought that he should be aware that Adam was a contracted MCCC player.

As for the Cork plan, (read as PCA plan). He wants 3 conferences of 6, playing nonstop local derbies to equal 10 games.

I think the conferences were Kent, Sussex, Hants, Somerset, Surrey and ourselves.

Durham, Yorks, Lanky, Derby, Leics and Notts.

And Glaws, Glammy, Worcs, Warwick,Northants and Essex.

How the champions would be decided went unexplained.

I am not sure how you can describe Som/Middle or Essex/Glammy as local derbies, but heyho....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 22/03/2010 20:00 by Seaxe_Man.