08 April, 2021

D Day

 








The long wait has ended, the 2021 season starts today. When will spectators be allowed into watch, however.


12 days and opened the curtains this morning to see that we'd had a little snow overnight.

Boris has had a few hiccups (not currently a common symptom to look out for), but the roll out of vaccinations has been gradual but relentless and hope that spectators will set foot inside Trent Bridge before the end of May remains high. It's a pity that because of the 100 in August, much of the Championship programme has been crammed into April and May. Freedom to live isn't expected until late June at the earliest, after the Blast has lifted off.

check out Lisa's roadmap

52 Days and we currently don't know for sure if it's the County Championship or a Repeat Bob Willis Trophy that's being counted down towards...

no spectators alas

80 days until the start of the LV County Championship 2021. How is everyone bearing-up in these weird and troubling times?


With 79 days until the start of the LV Championship 2021, and with no sight of an end to Covid-19's grip on the world; what do people hope for in coming domestic cricket year?

Do you want to be allowed back in Trent Bridge in 2021? 

Many will have been cocooned, safe in their homes for more than 12 months by April, will they feel able to mix with strangers, even if they have had a jab or two of the vaccine (if they fall into the more silver demographic)!

If tiers allow, would Trent Bridge welcome spectators through the gates so soon? Reduced numbers permitted, no bar or refreshment takings to soften the financial hit, seating blocked off to promote anti-social distancing and the requirement for extra stewarding to enforce it in a climate where fewer members have been renewing memberships owing uncertainty of the future with fear being racked-up week on week by weak leadership in Westminster using that fear and uncertainty to keep everyone isolated from the world outside. Money's tight, so why make it worse?

What's with the NCC(C) face masks?

Does this mean that they expect to have spectators sooner rather than later or is it just more merch to flog to punters?

If the members fail to renew will the club start charging for the live stream? 

If they do start charging they will have to stop showing the lack of anything happening at square leg, quite so much and become slicker and more professional in their over all operation. What we got last season was good for the price (£0) but no even as good as "red button" coverage from an outside court at Wimbledon, when there used to be a Wimbledon. Dave Bracegirdle won a few more fans in 2020 but if people are playing Bracegirdle Bingo, much as they do with Boris Bingo at briefings, you know that the act is getting tired and too predictable. Not everyone watching has got Alzheimer's Notts! We actually pay for the commentary via our license fee in a roundabout way anyway. Next slide please.

There should be an AGM next month, obviously another Zoom affair which will see the installation of more of Richard's stooges, Sport England approved diversity appointments and take the club further away from any realistically potential new or renewing members. 

Then add to the mix The Hundred...

With no fixtures yet announced for August for counties, the ECB, through the counties, has stepped-up the hype for the divisive Hundred competition. Something that is unlikely to sell a membership! 


46 comments:

  1. It's generally at this time of the year with Christmas and the new year all in the past that thoughts turn towards the new season.

    At least that's the case in normal times, Something you could never describe our present situation as.

    I would love if at the start of April I was walking through the gates of Trent Bridge, Sadly you would have to say that seems highly unlikely, With the best will in the world its difficult to see any spectators being allowed into any sporting venues before mid summer, And that is as always subject to covid being at a manageable level.

    As for myself, I try to keep myself occupied, It's not so easy in the winter The weather unlike the first lockdown is at best pretty unsettled, Sky Sports, Netflix or Prime generally fill the gaps, But like many who frequent this blog nothing actually beats watching live sport, Preferably at TB.


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  2. Agree with you Zanga. The thud of the pack through the letterbox containing the minutes for the AGM and the voting forms is usually a harbinger of good times ahead. Not this year ,sadly .

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  3. If predictions above are correct, and hard to argue with them, logically I could be a pay at the gater later in the Summer.

    Vaccines bring hope, but nothing certain these days, sadly

    Most of all stay safe everyone, there is hope somewhere in all this !

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  4. I am very confident of watching cricket INSIDE Trent Bridge this coming season .
    It surely has to happen?

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  5. Stuart Broad puts his house on the market at a bargain price of ......£2.2 million.
    As they say “ the boy done well”
    I wonder how many games Stuart will play for
    us ( notts) before he calls it a day ?

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  6. i) Whether it should be allowed and ii) whether I'd want to attend are different questions. Yes to the first part - as I believe adults should be free to make their own choices as much as possible and don't agree with political interference in sport in the form of the Government deciding whether spectators can attend or not. Very questionable for 2021 for the second part as I don't live locally and need some certainty before investing in travel and a membership - and I don't think these are likely to be on offer. The atmosphere in Trent Bridge would have to be near normal for me to want to attend anyway - as I suffer anxiety in unfamiliar settings due to a condition.

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  7. Just a few random thoughts.
    Live streaming from TB - if the worst happens and no spectators are allowed inside the ground then I for one would be prepared to pay a fee- especially if the whole package was improved a little.
    However as I mentioned in an earlier posting - I am very confident of watching some live cricket inside TB this coming season . Without any spectators inside it would mean two whole seasons would have elapsed without bums on seat . Surely that could never happen .
    The fast vaccine rollout is a game changer and the death and infection rates are bound to fall to an acceptable level. The virus will be amongst us all for possibly years ahead and contracting it will have to be a daily risk that we all have to live with . What is the alternative ? A hermit like existance ? No thanks! An added problem will be the percentage of the population that refuse the vaccine inniculation . Presumably this group would include some Notts Members. A certificate or registration of some sort for those who have been vaccinated is being mooted by the Govt . This might be a condition of entry into Theatres , Restaurants , football and crucket stadiums etc . Its a fact of life that all risks cannot be eliminated. Crossing the road or driving your car is a risk these days.
    So lets try and be optimistic after all these dreadful months of deaths and infections.
    Looking forward to sitting in the middle tier Rad Road stand by the middle if summer at the very latest. More than likely the lifts will not be used in the stand which will mean a bit of a slog for thise fortunate enough to afford the SIX Restaurant prices!

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    1. Spectators back in TB just in time for the Hundred, just you wait and see.

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  8. Neglected to say happy new year when I made a comment a couple of days ago,(though you might say what’s happy about it? Or you’re late)
    Just seen that Glastonbury has been axed for the second year, not that I was as going.if it’s anything like last year there is a domino effect to come. I can’t see how the deferred euro 2020 can go ahead on front of fans.from none in at the moment to 50,000 marauding Scots down here for the England game but I may be wrong. None of this augers well for cricket in front of spectators at the moment I’m sorry to predict.

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  9. Looked at tickets for England vs India at Trent Bridge in August and thought this was a great opportunity to go with my Grandad,,, but tickets were all around £200 each! Off to the Fosters Party stand at Old Trafford instead,,, that £160 per ticket saving will do quite nicely!

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    1. Not true, tickets still available at Trent Bridge varying in prices from £20 to £85 per ticket per day. Pricing, I assume, is fixed by the ECB and not the individual stadia. Savings to be had from your inflated anonymous imagination at Trent Bridge.

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  10. Is that £200 per ticket a reflection of the anticipated reduced social distanced attendance.?Double the ticket price for 50% of normal capacity = same amount of revenue.
    How many tickets are Notts selling for the game taking into account the current virus situation ?

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  11. 5 million people have had the vaccine in UK and they get 60 per cent protection, but quite a delay now till second jab

    County Championship begins in about 9 weeks time

    So if 5 million in about 3 weeks, the maths shows that in another 9 weeks the majority of people will not have had the vaccine.

    Hopefully, I really pray, due to those who have had the first jab and the lockdown, the number of cases and loss of people will be lower.

    But almost certainly still high.
    If there is an Easter roughly time (Easter Sunday 4th April) some relaxation crowds at sporting events not likely to be a priority.

    So non essential shops may reopen and some relaxation of social and family meeting quite likely if figures allow.

    But Cricket needs to face the reality that we are looking at crowds of some numbers coming back being well into the season

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  12. In a bucket half full rather than half empty way, it would seem likely in an uncertain era that we will back during the season

    To watch ? Well that is a separate topic

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  13. Interesting that instead of predicting how the club and individual players with go this season that all the talk is understandably about the pandemic and crowds.
    Unpicking rich’s equations were interesting but I was never that good at maths.
    I’ve had an email from UEFA and they’ve reopened the portal for for euro 2020 ticket holders to get a refund.reading between the lines this gives them wiggle room to let in reduced crowds or for it to be played behind closed doors or not at all. (Though the email does not specify any of these.)
    The Japan government have given a strong steer that the Olympics may not go ahead, it’s all looking a bit inevitable again .

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  14. Credit has to be guven to the under pressure NHS and Boris and Co who are dealing with an unprecedented situation. The last few days has witnessed over 400,000 vaccine jabs per day
    (I am booked in for 28/1 and 16/4). If this rate can be maintained ( or accelerated) then it equates to almost THREE MILLION JABS PER WEEK
    There are nine weeks to go before the first proper four day game . So nine x three million comes to 27 million on top of the five million doses already done . So all in all , in a best scenario situation we could have over 30 million of our population innoculated by the first County 4 dayer. Thats roughly half the population “ jabbed” and awaiting the all important follow up one .
    If the vaccine is as successful as is claimed then the infection situation should be well under control and rapidly diminishing.
    So there is optimism regarding possible ground admissions to T B and other venues .
    Ticket allocation will cause a major headache !
    You cannot get a pint into a half- pint pot!
    What a crazy world we are currently living in . At last years well attended Notts AGM in County Hall in late February I dont there there was a single reference made to the oncoming pandemic.
    Looking back over the past nine or ten months the whole situation seems totally incredible!

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  15. Good news you have dates for your jab. I’d jump in my car and drive anywhere for one.

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  16. FOX ROAD - having the jab in the next few days is the only plus thing I have ever noticed about getting old!
    I would rather be 40 again and at the back of the queue( knowing what I know now- which takes decades!
    The big problem at this very moment is actually getting to the inoculation centre . We are currently badly snowed in with our steep curving access road currently impassable and the forecast is not very good.
    Lucky Hales and Jakey sweating cobs in sunnier climes. If only WE could be there!

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  17. Interesting to see no comments on how we feel the team will do next season,

    Perhaps it's just me but I do feel more optimistic than in previous years,

    Batting wise we looked a better team last season than we have done for quite some while,It's fair to say that one swallow does not make a summer, But all recoveries have to start somewhere and Notts certainly looked more likely to chase down that elusive win than they did the previous season,

    Bowling wise the return of Brett Hutton has to be a big plus, Hopefully Tom Barber will find some consistency, Spin wise LBW should come into his own now that Samit is concentrating on the one day game.

    Fielding is perhaps one of our weaker areas, Hopefully with more younger players in the side that should change

    Next season whatever its form cannot come soon enough,Let's hope though we are allowed in to watch the season unfold.... And hopefully see the first championship win 🙏

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    1. Last season saw green shoots of improvement, without actually looking like winning a game, apart from the defeat to Derbyshire!!! Hopefully the squad additions will give attack the missing umph needed to take 20 wickets and to improve our position in games and get into those positions where we are actually competing and not being steam-rollered.

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    2. Enjoyed last 2 comments
      There are reasons to be more cheerful and you state them so no need to again

      In all 5 BWT matches we led on first innings and things started to go wrong in the 3rd innings of the match. Rather like for Sri Lanka in the Test just finished.

      Clearly we were not there, for Notts I mean, so unclear why this happened,lack of confidence from not winning fir so long ? Selection of bowlers and wrong balance of attack ?

      With spin we seem to judge players by economy rather than number 9f wickets. An attacking spin bowler will be driven. Leach and Bess got some stick for going at 3 an over, but they took a lot of wickets in the Tests.

      Are we brave enough to pick a spinner who takes 5 for 60 ?

      In April though the seamers are more likely to do the job, but even then we need that attacking spin option if the other side's batsmen get settled

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    3. I hope LPW is all be better for his "gap year"! What was the selection in 2020 all about?

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  18. Have just been looking at the papers for the AGM and see that one of the candidates for election to the Committee, Rathore, is not on the Gift Register. This possibly/probably means that he took the subscription refund that was offered, and if that is the case he ceased to be a member of NCCC and therefore is not eligible to stand. Does Miss P and friends know about this?

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  19. I for one would be very grateful for those in the know on here to express views about who deserves our vote.

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    1. I will be voting for Richard Steveñson only,for the past three years he as served the club with great dedication and integrity. He attends everyday at Trent Bridge when there is cricket and is always available to speak to in the members pavilion,where he will answer any questions with honesty. His knowledge in finance is second to none and is a great asset to the club So to all members who care about this great institution use your vote wisely and vote for Richard.

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    2. Thanks Richard, oops I mean Anonymous

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  20. Rathore: Has he bought a 2021 season membership? Or did he have company membership in 2020? He's failed to be elected so far in previous years. Word is that is in it to get tickets for his chums - true or fake news, I have no idea.

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  21. Warwicks have just announced a profit of £281000 for the operating year. On the bread line these counties aren't they? As one that donated my membership to them, I'm glad I saved them from oblivion. What profit will Notts announce at the AGM? Relying on the ECB, government and members without any operating costs has a future don't you think?

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  22. I see that Notts Membership is over 4,000 so far this coming season .
    Evidently the great majority of Notts 7,000 Members last year donated their membership fees to the club. There will be an awful lot of spectators at Trent Bridge in the future wearing ill fitting peaked caps. Anyway its a bit of fun in a pretty sombre year.
    So all in all , taking into account the " bung" from the ECB last year its safe to assume that Notts CCC finances are in a reasonable state .
    Of course recent lockdowns and closures etc will mask the true revenue stream generated by the SIX Restaurant.
    The new accounts will make interesting reading

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  23. I respect the decisions of those to rejoin and not ask for a refund for last year

    But equally respect those who took the opposite decisions

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  24. Agree, Rich, I'm holding off due to uncertainty and living out of the region. But always a supporter of the Outlaws, even if not a member in 2021. Might re-join if things look much more certain in June.

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  25. The experience of The Australian Open Tennis Championships, where crowds were allowed in, but now excluded again due to increase in you know what, is a bit of a wake up call

    If people allowed back into Trent Bridge, there is some risk the same thing could happen

    I do not suggest people should buy, or not buy, membership/tickets; but best to weigh up all the factors

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  26. Rich I totally agree. My personal opinion is all decisions re admitting supporters should be by sporting bodies alone, with a gradual approach - no knee jerks like at the Tennis. But we know in the real world there is a risk of sudden governmental shifts. I think some people may feel ready to buy, but I don't.

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  27. Spectators watching “live” sports inside venues is still a few weeks off. The huge and rapid vaccine roll out has provided hope that some form of normality can be offered to us . I can quite see why golf and tennis will evidently be the first sports to be played again .The overall picure will be much clearer after the Boris road map statement due
    Circa 22nd Feb .
    The whole Country ( and the world actually) is still in a poor state a year from the first lockdown . Imagine the situation now IF NO REMEDIAL VACCINE HAD BEEN SHOWN TO WORK !?

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    1. Malcolm from DevonThursday, 18 February, 2021

      I see on the Sussex website that it's their policy in the event that spectators are re-admitted to grounds at a reduced capacity, that ticket holders will get priority based on the chronological order of purchase of ticket. Less an issue at Trent Bridge where 4K could comfortably rattle around with no crowding. (4k a figure pulled out of thin air, much like Govt policy on covid)

      Vaccine passports by July for admittance to stadiums, do you reckon?

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  28. Thank you for the info Malcolm.
    Perhaps we might now hear something from the Notts top brass about possible arrangements and scenarios. We know nothing at present and the silence is deafening!

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  29. It could soon be a condition of employment that employees possess a vaccination certificate, especially in jobs involving meeting the general public.
    Ref attending Trent Bridge as specatator. Regardless of the numbers admitted into the ground, it would be reassuring to know that everyone there had been vaccinated. It might become a legal/ human rights issue for some who object to the vaccine on religious or other moral grounds. So a potentially complicated issue for Notts ccc and all others to deal with.

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  30. ... this very much depends on when the ground opens up to spectators. How fast can the whole of the adult population be vaccinated? Also I don't think there is any plan to vaccinate the under 16s. I'm not convinced this is a sensible option. It's likely that to start with it will be members only, sitting an allocated seat in a socially distanced fashion. With the vast majority of members not interested in the 4 day stuff there should not be a problem with demand exceeding supply!!

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    1. The club's (arm in arm with the ECB) priorities this season would appear to be:
      1/ Get the Hundred played (with or without spectators)
      2/ Test Matches (with or without spectators)
      3/ODIs (with or without spectators)
      4/ Blast (with as many bums on seats as restrictions will allow)
      5/ T20Is (with or without)
      6/ 4 day county cricket (with minimal fuss, incurring as little expenditure as possible, probably without spectators and with zero impact on priorities 1-5)
      7/ One day cup (or preferably not even bothered with it and certainly keep it away from Trent Bridge at all cost until there's a final to televise).
      8/ What supporters want.

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    2. Vaccine trials on u16s started this week. (?)

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  31. Seems the PM statement today will give us the first official steer as to crowds or not for new season.

    If paper predictions correct, would seem the answer is no to April, and unclear after that

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  32. Worcester match in LVCC in May the date I have hopefully ringed !

    This season sees the return of the sporting competition that I love the most,
    The County Championship.
    Even ahead of The FA Cup, our host on here won an FA Cup winners medal in that one !

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    Replies
    1. 1894, scored the winner in the semi final to knock out cup giants Blackburn. Jimmy Logan hat trick in the 4-1 win in final at Goodison Park against Bolton Wanderers. Never won the County Championship - runners up in 1892

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