Probably my fault (again). Express & Star is now virtually the only source of Warwicks news in the winter . I cant get it up here in Oswestry so George sometimes send me a copy of what he's written.

He's away this week so he must have written it early and I jumped the gun.

My own view is that Worcs and Warks will merge within a decade. I hope they don't, but I fear they will.

Perhaps someone with Bearsfans privileges will do the honours?

<Lights the touchpaper and retreats>

I cannot disagree with Asia's thoughts when looked at through a cricket perspective but , from a business point of view , I cannot see two grounds being maintained , even if Edgbaston had the one day stuff and NR the bulk of lower volume 4 day games.

The thoughts - pinched from the E&S thread on the Bearsfans site - belong to George not me Sunbeam



Best Headmaster tone

He thinks Leics. 'might be in there as well' !

Kim- I've read all the thread...classic remark from you- and I imagine that all Bears now know what we think of the good Mr.Dobell over here...

I couldn't read the article on Bears forum (need to register). Was it insightful and interesting ?

Did you see your comment Kim. Not sure that it was necessary, mate.

Hi Serchers

Was a gentle joke about George not at all a dig at Worcs.

BTW it takes about 30 secs to register on there and his E&S columns go up there every week.

It could be , in ten years time or thereabouts , that the bulk of professional domestic cricket will take place on the nine test playing grounds plus one or two others . Of the test centres Old Trafford and Headingley will need a considerable investment to maintain their status.

If, and it's a huge if, we merged with the Awful Bears, how would their fans take to coming to New Road?
After all their ground is in a desirable part of the Big Bad City, and would fetch lots of money. Ours, on the other hand, is liable to flooding, and therefore unlikely to be built on. So it's obvious which ground would have to go....

Tim

Personally Id love it.

1. Loved going to New Road last year

2. Dont enjoy the soulless dump that is Edgbaston. Its like a morgue with a 21,000 capacity so with 25,000... oh dear.

But you, by your very presence on here are an exception .

[size=12]"Change," Robert Gallagher wrote, "is inevitable. Except from a vending machine."
Certainly the world of county cricket is changing fast. While the recent announcement of a tie-up between Hampshire and Rajasthan Royals probably amounts to little more than hot air, it also provides a hint as to the future direction of the game. Like it or not, the clamour for a reduction in the number of first-class counties is an issue that will not go away.
While The Royals will only, in the short term, contest exhibition matches, their longer-term aim is clear. They covet the introduction of a franchise system where nine clubs participate in the Twenty20 Cup with all the games played on Test grounds. The implication for the smaller counties hardly needs spelling out.
The plans were first mooted in 2008. Along with the likes of Surrey, Lancashire and the MCC (Warwickshire remain unconvinced about the proposals), the aim was to form a T20 league to rival - or compliment - the Indian version. Although the eight or nine franchises would have been obliged to distribute some of the profits throughout the English game, the concern was that the new structure would set a precedent that would, in time, be accepted in championship cricket, too. In short, the league would be the thin end of a wedge. Within a few years, the smaller counties would become irrelevant.
Is there any cricketing merit in such a scheme? Organisers claim that the standard of competition would rise as talent would be condensed into fewer teams. At present, they argue, talent is spread too thinly across 18 counties. There is, I suppose, some logic in such a view, though it ignores the positive effects of having professional sides across the country. Under the franchise proposal, professional cricket would be confined to major cities almost exclusively.
But this isn’t really about cricket. It’s about money. For the first time, county clubs are in competition with one another off the pitch. The Test hosting clubs - many of whom are struggling for survival - are greedily seeking ways to split the ECB cake into fewer slices. They also believe that by forming partnerships with Indian Premier League clubs - of which there are currently eight - they can fast-track themselves into a world of global TV contracts and lucrative naming rights.
In the short-term, the smaller counties have the power to protect themselves. Any fundamental change to the structure of English cricket will require the support not just of the majority of first-class counties, but of the minor counties as well. Understandably they are unlikely to vote for a proposal that condemns them to irrelevance.
But they could be seduced. For the larger counties could persuade them that the share of income they receive from a restructured competition will be greater if they embrace the franchise system. Then, once it is established and the larger counties hold all the aces, the smaller clubs will find their share of the proceeds diminishing year on year. The revolution will be implemented by stealth.
The possibility of a break-away league can’t be completely discounted, either. Though such a scenario remains remote at present, it is not impossible that English clubs could chose to align themselves with the Indian cricket Board (the BCCI) rather than the ECB. Already the BCCI have scheduled this September’s champions league to coincide with the English season, meaning that two counties will have to decide whether to pursue the possibility of great reaches in India - £1.6 million to the winners - or field second XIs in the final stages of the county championship and 40-over competition. Clearly, the Indians couldn’t give a damn about English cricket.

This is the second time in a fortnight where I agree with GD ! I'm going to have a lie down in a darkened room

As GD writes, this is more about money than cricket. I can understand why the bigger clubs want a bigger slice of the cake and their need to look at other options, but the major problem with the splitting up of county clubs is that it'll kill cricket at ground root level. Can you imagine what what happen to junior cricket in Worcs alone if there wasn't a County ground to inspire the yoof.

Pretty worrying times for me. And to think that it could all be avoided if the ECB and the clubs sorted out the cause of the financial problems at the moment.

Spreading mediocrity was , ironically , one of the arguments used against Durham becoming First class but now have , arguably , the best set up in the country and if the counties were to be reduced to 10 , Durham would probably be the first on the list to remain.
How many of our players would walk into the Warwickshire team right now? One ?
If the counties were "merged" it's probable that the gang of four would have stayed.
It has alway been stated that the future development of NR must be self financing and should not jeopardise activities on the field.
With fresh facilities the NR setting would have a vital role to perform as it would complement Edgbaston , not compete with it. One should not forget , also , the role of our two neighbouring minor counties where NR may have a part to play .