Somerset
This blessed plot, this earth
The Second Div is ours!!
By Grockle
October 28 2012
The internet comes to Taunton. Somerset starts to take notice of the ICT literate consumer and looks to become part of the information age....
It started slow at Taunton. The ECB had this plan for a sort of 'County Hub' where they controlled all the rights and each county had its own site presence on some ECB master site. It was never going to work and some clubs had already got their web presence well and truly established (mostly the Test grounds because ticketing was so much more controllable that way) but it got Peter Anderson interested because there might be money in it.
SCCC wanted a website and had little idea what they should have on it so as Pete and myself were the only websites they knew we found ourselves in a meeting with Peter and the Accounts Manager John Fitzgerald at the club to talk about what the club needed. They were interested in the commercial aspects; the booking of catering facilities, the ticketing of important matches, the registering of members and their membership payments and the sending out of the good word to the masses about the club and its activities. We were happy to talk about that and the possibility of linking them to a forum for supporters and access to the players for insights. That also seemed possible as they seemed to be considering that. I even offered Rivals expertise and moderation services if they wanted to do that themselves. Peter said that was no problem at all and we left the discussion feeling moderately positive about the club and our future relationship with it. They were niaive days.
Days passed and I found myself in an examiners meeting in Manchester discussing the inner nuances of the AQA A Level examination for that summer when I had a phone call from a long departed Somerset coach - we'll call him 'Kieron'. He was phoning to apologise for not being able to talk to me about cricket in the county from now on. He was talking as if I had some kind of idea what he was on about. I didn't at that moment in time and I never really had it confirmed but it seems that Mr Anderson had left the meeting to compose a memo for all staff at the ground forbidding them from discussing anything with Pete or myself related to SCCC on pain of instant dismissal. We must have really urinated him off. Gosh!! How radical and revolutionary were must have been in the meeting - and there we were thinking we were helping out the club we both supported get itself the right presence on the web.
And so started the 'Coventry Years' where reactionaries like Hugh Collis, brother of John Collis the Guardian cricket writer and one of the most knowledgable posters 'Grockles' ever had, posted under the name of Crouchend Wyvern and really got up Peter's nose. We did our best to make that even more uncomfortable for him as players and backroom staff alike got around the 'Anderson missive' by talking very loudly about thing in the bar when we were sitting there minding our own business or talking to people across our table without actualy talking to us directly. It seemed even more surprising seeing as Grockles has rarely been that kind of site except when accused of it by PA and a level of paranoia it was hard to find slightly amusing. Peter had a strange and ill informed view of the media and I am also sure he heard about comments on the site rather than read them himself so we would get sort of 'chinese whisper' comments made by him about what he seemed to think was on the site. He once took Hugh on to the point that Crouchend laid down the challenge and had a meeting with PA where he surprised the hell out of the boss by a) knowing something about the game of cricket and b) having a massive knowledge of Somerset's cricket history and the club's present needs. Peter started to mellow considerably after that and the 'Coventry Years' developed into the 'Gladiator Years' .
more to come
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:11:16:05:25:37 by Grockle.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Quote:A name uncannily similar to that of the Librarian in Discworld prior to his transformation!Loyal of Lhasa.
he was known as Will Wobblebat
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
I don't know what either of you is talking about.
I also don't know what I'm talking about.
LoL doesn't know what MikeIndex is talking about
Bobstan doesn't understand what LoL is talking about
MikeIndex doesn't understand what Bobstan is talking about
and I don't know what any of them are talking about!!!
Happy Christmas!!
I have heard of similar letters being sent to all employees on other matters in the past.
And then after the apparent impasse, in strode the inimitable Mr Giles Clarke to throw a spanner into the works by suggesting that this site was a breeding ground for rumours.
I've never heard such rubbish.
It was Peter who believed it was a rumour mill but that was mostly because he did not really understand the purpose of the net at all. Once he interacted with the members he changed his mind to a great extent
I certainly hope you will find the views of members and others helpful to you.
I'm sure we all realise that there are matters on which the Club must respect people's privacy and maintain confidentiality. I don't feel in your period of tenure that this has then gone on to become a culture of secrecy for no good purpose, which we have sometimes felt in the past.
Later the relationship was loosely positive, not sure the suspicion went away entirely but there was an attempt to be involved in the discussions and give suporters what was possible. As you say that is a difficult aspect to maintain because there has to be a line for players and administrators and walking that line is not always easy.
I think the fact that Grockles and the Official forms of communication keep a respectful distance but both try and keep things in the realms of reality seems to work.
We've never really advertised ourselves as some kind of alternative view because we aren't particularly and we've never really courted the comments of players and officials.
We are however always grateful for such contributions whether they come in the "full frontal" or pseudonym version and if an alternative view comes our way - in a sensible and open to debate sort of way - then it will get its air time.
It seems to have worked in the past and I'm certainly one for "if it ain't broke...."
As you say, the overwhelming majority of contributors to this site care passionately about the club and have its best interests at heart: they are cricket-lovers and genuine supporters of Somerset, rather than merely fans.
Of course, gripes (not always shared by all contributors) are sometimes aired. But I think that you will find that there is general recognition that the club is well-run, from top to bottom and both on and off the pitch, and that supporters take pride and pleasure in this.
I look forward to your occasional contributions - and recognise that there will always be issues on which, for good reasons, the club cannot comment.
As others have said, most of us are die-hard supporters of the finest county cricket club in the land and aim to be as positive as possible. Occasionally intemperate things are written here, but that provides a gentler catharsis than storming the pavilion in anger, and more reasoned viewpoints generally prevail.
There have been occasional ill-informed and uncharitable comments, such as those that were aired when it became known that not all was well with Marcus Trescothick. Whether MT or other players spend much time reading this site I do not know, but I trust that if they do they gain comfort that far more of us are very well-disposed towards them than are not.
Incidentally I felt a frisson of pride that Ed Milliband, in talking about prejudiced views of mental illness, complimented MT on his courage in explaining his condition to the world.
Incidentally, did anyone else receive a Pegasus invite to obtain a 'Harrods' teddy bear? Had my dear mum still been alive, she'd have loved one, so I'd have have gone for a look round, just for her, which brings my thoughts to her only visit to the County Ground.
She loved cricket and visited with me one summer's day, a few years ago and was delighted to meet a Grockle by the name of 'Si', a good friend of LoL. I wonder what's happened to him?
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
We have corresponded by e-mail over several matters in our 'real life' roles. Although we have agreed to differ over some things (normally prefixed by IMO or IMHO - in my humble opinion), I and I am sure those of us on this website have never doubted your passion for Somerset's cause, and welcome the even handed way that you handle any public meetings I have attended under your Chairmanship.
As has been stated above, we do all respect the need for confidentiality and privacy on many matters, but sincere expressions of support or comment wherever possible can only be helpful.
Our esteemed moderator has a light and sensible touch in appropriate matters, which is appreciated by other Grocklees!!
But it is probably always a little "touched" perhaps.
I'm certainy not to the taste of some posters and there are those who think I have bought Andy's 'corporate shilling' but I've run this place the same way for its lifetime and as I say, I have little plan to change that method.
Then again, we're probably a little behind Mr Gibson, Mr Tottle and the two Richards - Latham and Walsh - in terms of being honoured for reporting on the world that is Somerset cricket.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:10:31:09:02:26 by Grockle.
And hello, Andrew Nash!
Having been 'brought' to our club at the same time as your predecessor as Chairman, Giles Clarke, it is indeed unfortunate that you were never apparently made aware of the early uneasy relationship between 'Grockles' and the club’s management.
Perhaps you did not even know of the site’s existence, but welcome you are never the less.
I am sure that I speak for many when I say that I look forward to many erudite postings from 57deacon in the future.
Good to have you on board, Sir.
Also claims just over half are now sold.
However 100% of their card is now in our recycling bin!
(And there is always VJM, though it's a bit early to start naming things after him)
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Incidentally, when Eric of that ilk used to open the batting for the county, usually in the company of a much greater batsman than himself, you could have said he was Gimblett's Hill.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
(Does that mean Mr Nash likes Ketchup ?).
Variety is the sauce of life eh ?
Grizzzly
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