Chairman's Message
Sporting
success is a fickle mistress. To get a group of players together and
achieve success is hard enough in itself but to sustain success is another
and has often proved impossible. Look at how we won the Ashes in 2005 and
what happened afterwards, look at Welsh rugby collapsing into a shambles
in the 1980s after what had gone before and consider how Liverpool FC fail
to live up to their supporters' expectations after years of success.
Sustaining our Club as a successful one is the elusive dream.
During my
playing career at Cowbridge we have witnessed ebbs and flows of success.
In my early days we had strong senior teams winning the then Welsh Club
Cricket Conference three times in four years. This success could not be
sustained as the sides grew old together and in addition, there was a lack
of foresight and investment in the Club. Focus was restored when after
joining the South Wales Cricket Association steady success was
achieved despite the occasional blip culminating in two years in the top
division. Again it proved hard to sustain, as we find ourselves in
Division II.
Now with the
reorganisation of club cricket in South Wales, we find it is time to plot
a new chart. To get to the
new South Wales
Premier League is quite obviously our aspiration. While there are many
steps along the way every journey has to start somewhere. For Cowbridge
Cricket Club this means investing in our equipment and facilities to
achieve a solid base. In 2009 we invested heavily in new covers, a canvass
sheet, a roll on cage, a new outfield mower and a sightscreen.
Additionally this year we have appointed a new groundsman who is fully
qualified and highly enthusiastic. Only by getting our infrastructure
right can we enjoy sustained success.
Fortunately we
start afresh in 2010 with so many aspects on which we can build but in the
end it really comes down to the people involved. My thanks for their
efforts in 2009 were extended at the Annual Dinner and it is they who will
lead the club forward in the coming season. Our President Richard Smart
sets the tone and style with aplomb; our Vice Presidents' support at
events and financially is what sustains us; our Secretary Jon Smart keeps
the show on the road and all our captains and coaches work hard in the
season to run the cricket itself. Thanks also to our sponsors and
advertisers who again have helped in a difficult economic climate.
Furthermore having compared our website with many others I have yet to
find a better one, which is due to the expertise of Graham Bishop.
Good luck to
all as we seek to build and sustain success.
Jeffrey Bird
Chairman