Can't find the original thread for this subject

Mark Nicholas joining the Willis / Atherton city franchise gang

Has he looked at who is currently propping up or near the foot of the CC D1, P40 Group C or T20 South tables?

"County clubs should be centres of excellence but too many are not, employing mediocre cricketers from elsewhere."

To be fair he's summed up Surrey and his own county pretty well there.

"They stumble along the breadline, sustained by money from Sky."

I assume this a reference to ex international cricketers who missed out on the IPL riches and now have to grovel up to Murdoch's empire to earn a crust.

In Nicholas' case he's biting the hand that fed him well for years. Ingrate.

What a moron.

"The battle to survive is self-serving and damaging to the game's resources. – exist for no obviously justifiable reason."

Buried deep within the forum I started collecting the P&L figures for the clubs with most smaller counties doing better than the big boys, who borrow massively to keep the international status and pinch other clubs' players. And if he has a handful of 'centres of excellence' where exactly do the players come from ? Straight from the Birmingham and Lancs leagues ?

Such a transformation of Hampshire's facilities has left the county firmly in support of the Test Match Grounds group's growing belief that the present structure of 18 first-class counties undermines the potential of Twenty20 cricket in England

WHAT ? Is he proposing that because Hants have spent another £45m that we lose a few counties just to keep T20 going ? Where will the clubs who are left going to generate any interest from - no-one is going to watch Slurrey play Hants ten times a season.

I never thought I'd say this but Sky might actually be of real benefit here. Can you imagine them trying to sell live cricket practically seven days a week all summer when there are only ten teams. A major loss of advertising revenue as 80% of the country switch off the tv.

Our friends from Sussex who were here recently were convinced that as soon as Clarke disappears from the scene,the puche will take place.They saw Gloucester as the only `smaller` club likely to retain first-class status as sole `West of England` representatives thus making up `a Gang of Ten`-all of which host Internationals/TMs at present.Thus Derbyshire,Leics,Northants,Essex,Kent,Sussex and Worcs would be thrown to the wolves,initially on half grant, so that the present focus of better players onto `big clubs` could continue apace.They seemed convinced that players had got this message and it was as big a reason for defection as pure money issues.
Unfortunately the downturn in our fortunes makes us unable to argue on pure cricketing grounds for if we do discover any gems from the present crop(unlikely)they`ll be off without doffing their caps!We may well survive as `federated first-class` counties for a while but I don`t see it going beyond 2020-and I might well be being hopeful with that prediction!

To facilitate this takeover the Gang of Ten would effectively have to resign from the ECB and set up their own organisation as there is no way that such a radical restructuring would get a majority under the current regime.

This is where Sky become the final arbiter - if they were unconvinced that a revamped structure was viable, or profitable to them they wouldn't sign up to it and it would be dead in the water.

....oh yes, and Mark Nicholas is a ****

Chilling stuff from rupert. Sadly, very believable: I consider that a federation with Gloucs. in the 20/20 will come along sooner rather than later- and maybe a federation for other games too.

And you will remember I warned of this at the old place too.....

I imagine the NTMG clubs will be eventually be persuaded to vote for contraction `to save some semblance of the game as we know it`and be offerred the sop of about a dozen ` conference championpionship`games a year plus a `final`at Lords.Bit like the Harriers going to Wembley,I guess.
It`s all going on behind the scenes,believe me.just ask Jim Cumbs when he comes to speak here in August.I`ve already put him on notice!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jun/22/mark-nicholas-first-class-counties

When replying, remember the libel laws.

That's rich coming from Mark Nicholas. Journeyman county pro who due to his plummy mouthed pronouncements has somehow managed to pass himself off as a deep thinking Brearley like figure. Biting the hand that fed him is an understatement.

Oh I forgot, he's also got a short memory - I can't remember him calling for Hampshire's head before their sugar daddy came along. Hampshire were dross for years ( including under his captaincy ).

'The battle to survive is self-serving and damaging to the game's resources. Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire – to name four of six or seven – exist for no obviously justifiable reason.'

The same could be said of Mark Nicholas - what a ****!

'best known for his suave commentary style'

No. Best known for being a ****!

I have edited my comments to avoid falling foul of the libel laws.

Mike Nicholas is a ******* ****** ** **** ***** ********* ****** **** who ***** *** ** ********** **** ******* and who should
***** ****** ***** ****** *********** ** ** **** ****** ***
own backside.

(Please note that the number of asterisks may not equate to the number of missing letters.)