• Clitheroe CC Not Guilty

Posted: **Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:58 pm**

After months and months of legal hearings Clitheroe have been cleared of all charges of paying amateurs.

They might get the chance to be crowned champions properly now.

Posted: **Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:06 pm**

I think the verdict means they can be crowned champions, But the judge in the case as placed a social media blackout on all clubs players and officials pending a press release later this week with his findings . Could be fun from what I’m hearing !!

Posted: **Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:14 pm**

RocketLawnChair wrote:I think the verdict means they can be crowned champions, But the judge in the case as placed a social media blackout on all clubs players and officials pending a press release later this week with his findings . Could be fun from what I’m hearing !!

I thought it was pretty quiet. I was expecting fireworks on twitter.

Posted: **Mon Feb 26, 2018 11:29 pm**

Quickenthetempo wrote:After months and months of legal hearings Clitheroe have been cleared of all charges of paying amateurs.

They might get the chance to be crowned champions properly now.

No great surprises there. I'm no accountant but I am sure it's not difficult to hide any such payments to players and this is not directed at any club in particular.

If there were concerns regards the remuneration of amateurs then I applaud the clubs who brought it to the attention of the League. However, there remains the questions of what are the legal costs involved with this type of action and, in the end, who foots the bill ?

This outcome will deter any future challenges relating to the payment of players.

The waters could also be muddied next season as 7 new teams join the Lancashire League. I have no idea what the rules in their League were regarding this issue. We will welcome the likes of Walsden, Middleton, Rochdale, Norden, Crompton, Milnrow & Littleborough to the league and it promises to be a Fairfewbigdrinkupsaway, especially with the new rail link from Burnley Manchester Road to Manchester via Todmorden.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 5:58 am**

Been told by a reliable source that at least 1 of those new teams does not pay a pro they are all “ amateurs “

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:33 am**

Amazing how it’s been common knowledge for years that people other than pro’s get paid but as soon as a new club comes in we start getting official complaints.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:29 am**

Bordeauxclaret wrote:Amazing how it’s been common knowledge for years that people other than pro’s get paid but as soon as a new club comes in we start getting official complaints.

The big difference here is 3 players allegedly told senior official's from within other clubs they were receiving payment. Two of them from the club they were leaving at a committee meeting and one in conversation with a senior official and several viable witnesses. Its understandable that it ended up being thoroughly investigated more than just the usual rumour mill.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:18 am**

Might sort a few out with the new rule changes. Once signed for this coming season I'm sure there's a 2 or 3 year period preventing players moving to another club. This will cause problems for any paid players, do they take a gamble and commit to a club they are getting paid at but have no affiliation too or do they go back to the club's where they've probably come through the ranks.. be very interesting to see who settles where...

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:14 am**

Andreshotboots wrote:Might sort a few out with the new rule changes. Once signed for this coming season I'm sure there's a 2 or 3 year period preventing players moving to another club. This will cause problems for any paid players, do they take a gamble and commit to a club they are getting paid at but have no affiliation too or do they go back to the club's where they've probably come through the ranks.. be very interesting to see who settles where...

Is the two to three year signing period just between Lancs League clubs? I presume it would have to be?

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:34 am**

Nothing to do with this situation but, on the subject of paid players, this is the list of 2018 professionals in the league.

Accrington - Janith Liyanage
Bacup - Ernest Kemm
Burnley - Asif Zakir
Church - Johnny Riekert
Clitheroe - Fawad Alam (plus allegedly a few others

)
Colne - James Price
Crompton - Aubrey Swanepoel
Darwen - Calvin Savage
East Lancs - Eddy Read
Enfield - Shashrika Pussegolla
Great Harwood - Ashen Silva
Haslingden - Sachithra Pathirana
Littleborough - Thomas Kaber
Lowerhouse - Ockert Erasmus
Middleton - Chris Williams
Milnrow - Niel Hornbuckle
Nelson - Reeza Hendricks
Norden - Jake Sandham
Ramsbottom - Senuran Muthusamy
Rawtenstall - Keegan Petersen
Rishton - no pro confirmed
Rochdale - Ed Moore
Todmorden - Chris Schofield
Walsden - Umesh Karunaratne

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:04 am**

Some good players in there. Let's hope Nelson get to keep Reeza Hendricks as he recently hit 70 in the 20/20s against India. That sort of thing tends to get you more international call ups or A tours.

Hornbuckle was a superb pro for Salesbury in the Ribb league and Burnley have signed a top class one by all accounts. With Holt staying as an amateur they could mount a challenge. Losing Bharat is a blow though.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:09 am**

Is Hendricks for Nelson any good at number 10?

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:15 am**

Lowerhouse won't be happy they brought the allegations to the table wonder if that was a cover up utc

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:18 am**

Quickenthetempo wrote:Burnley have signed a top class one by all accounts. With Holt staying as an amateur they could mount a challenge. Losing Bharat is a blow though.

I was talking to an ex Burnley player yesterday and it seems they are very confident of him being a good pro for them. He's in his mid-30s but apparently he's got a lot of league experience in England. To add that to a decent pro in Holt should get them round the loss of Bharat.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:24 am**

JimmyMac'sMate wrote:Lowerhouse won't be happy they brought the allegations to the table wonder if that was a cover up utc

What do you mean?

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:37 pm**

ClaretTony wrote:Nothing to do with this situation but, on the subject of paid players, this is the list of 2018 professionals in the league.

Accrington - Janith Liyanage
Bacup - Ernest Kemm
Burnley - Asif Zakir
Church - Johnny Riekert
Clitheroe - Fawad Alam (plus allegedly a few others )
Colne - James Price
Crompton - Aubrey Swanepoel
Darwen - Calvin Savage
East Lancs - Eddy Read
Enfield - Shashrika Pussegolla
Great Harwood - Ashen Silva
Haslingden - Sachithra Pathirana
Littleborough - Thomas Kaber
Lowerhouse - Ockert Erasmus
Middleton - Chris Williams
Milnrow - Niel Hornbuckle
Nelson - Reeza Hendricks
Norden - Jake Sandham
Ramsbottom - Senuran Muthusamy
Rawtenstall - Keegan Petersen
Rishton - no pro confirmed
Rochdale - Ed Moore
Todmorden - Chris Schofield
Walsden - Umesh Karunaratne

What a fall in standards from the Sixties etc when the Pros were absolute top class. Such a shame,

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:41 pm**

Video of Burnley's pro here:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x526378

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:56 pm**

FCBurnley wrote:What a fall in standards from the Sixties etc when the Pros were absolute top class. Such a shame,

Too attract a top class International player now would cost clubs about a million pound for a season. That's before the international calender plays havoc.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:57 pm**

So there are 17 posts there which are apparently "contempt of court"!!? (I'm happy to see Dressingown go down for it as a test case tbh!

)

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 1:59 pm**

Bit of a coup for Tod to get an ex-ECB central contract player who happens to be from 3 miles away.

Good County experience, hopefully they can build on last year's good season

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:04 pm**

Walton wrote:Bit of a coup for Tod to get an ex-ECB central contract player who happens to be from 3 miles away.

Good County experience, hopefully they can build on last year's good season

Be interesting to see if he still bowls leg spin or just operates as a batsman?
Seems to have been involved with the all star lashings team recently.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:04 pm**

FCBurnley wrote:What a fall in standards from the Sixties etc when the Pros were absolute top class. Such a shame,

huge fall in standards of names as well with only Aubrey Swanepoel, Calvin Savage, Niel Hornbuckle and Ockert Erasmus being any good.

although Johnny Riekert possible gets a look in as well.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:06 pm**

Quickenthetempo wrote: Seems to have been involved with the all star lashings team recently.

Captain, no less.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:06 pm**

FCBurnley wrote:What a fall in standards from the Sixties etc when the Pros were absolute top class. Such a shame,

No foreign players in county cricket then and very little international cricket compared to today.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:09 pm**

quoonbeatz wrote:huge fall in standards of names as well with only Aubrey Swanepoel, Calvin Savage, Niel Hornbuckle and Ockert Erasmus being any good.

although Johnny Riekert possible gets a look in as well.

A far cry from Brandon Hiini, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Brenton Parchment, Vernon Philander and Bilawal Bhatti

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:12 pm**

ClaretTony wrote:No foreign players in county cricket then and very little international cricket compared to today.

Counties strugge to get top class players these days and certainly for more than a month at a time.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:20 pm**

Quickenthetempo wrote:Counties strugge to get top class players these days and certainly for more than a month at a time.

Absolutely they do - gone are the days, sadly, when a county could sign a player and him stay there for years as Lancs did with Farokh Engineer, Clive Lloyd and more recently Wasim Akram. International players are in and out of clubs now that you have no idea who is playing for which county.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 2:45 pm**

Burnley's pro played at Greenmount in Bolton League for 3 seasons. He was part of the treble winning side of 2011.

He can score big runs and capable of taking a few wickets with his off spin. The players at Greenmount spoke very highly of him and gave a glowing reference to Burnley CC.

Think it was in his last domestic season in Pakistan he scored some big runs. The only issue with Asif is that he has been unable to come over for the past 3 or so seasons due to international call ups. He was due to be pro at Greenmount 2017 however had to be replaced.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 3:13 pm**

Walton wrote:Bit of a coup for Tod to get an ex-ECB central contract player who happens to be from 3 miles away.

Good County experience, hopefully they can build on last year's good season

He’ll be a good player at that level.
Ex ECB will always sound good for him, a bit like England International Michael Ricketts.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 4:16 pm**

Bordeauxclaret wrote:
He’ll be a good player at that level.
Ex ECB will always sound good for him, a bit like England International Michael Ricketts.

He will as anyone from Littleborough will tell you as he played there for a couple of seasons when he left the County game. Looking forward to welcoming my Burnley cc friends to Hare Hill on 15 April. Can't predict the result but we'll have a proper drink!!

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 4:28 pm**

Clitheroe official statement
http://www.clitheroecricket.com/news/cl ... 99519.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 5:38 pm**

Telegraph report with a bit more from the court.
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sp ... ref=twtrec" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 6:20 pm**

RocketLawnChair wrote:The big difference here is 3 players allegedly told senior official's from within other clubs they were receiving payment. Two of them from the club they were leaving at a committee meeting and one in conversation with a senior official and several viable witnesses. Its understandable that it ended up being thoroughly investigated more than just the usual rumour mill.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 6:26 pm**

Bordeauxclaret wrote:Amazing how it’s been common knowledge for years that people other than pro’s get paid but as soon as a new club comes in we start getting official complaints.

It’s not the new club coming in, it’s the new club being successful. No complaint if Clitheroe finish bottom half!!!

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:01 pm**

#FTH wrote:Incorrect!

What does #FTH stand for? I have seen in on tweets celebrating Clitheroe's verdict.

Surely not F the House?

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:43 pm**

#FTH wrote:Incorrect!

Fair enough, we will see when the full judgement is released in the next 24 hours !

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:49 pm**

RocketLawnChair wrote:Fair enough, we will see when the full judgement is released in the next 24 hours !

It looks like it has been released if you read the telegraph article I posted a few posts up.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:02 pm**

Rocketlawnchair might be connected to lowerhouse doesn't sound happy utc

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:33 pm**

JimmyMac'sMate wrote:Rocketlawnchair might be connected to lowerhouse doesn't sound happy utc

I am absolutely fine. I have been quite pragmatic about the entire event tbh given my allegiance. I was just quoted above as stating something incorrectly. I am now actually in receipt of the full 4 page judgment (not the watered down telegraph version) and I can confirm that what I posted in reply to Bordeaux Claret is factually correct.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:42 pm**

Our players get paid to finish bottom so we can give other teams a chance!!

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:57 pm**

Does the four page version get released into the public domain rocketlawnchair?

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:11 pm**

Cubanclaret wrote:Does the four page version get released into the public domain rocketlawnchair?

Yes, it will appear on the Lancs League website in the near future according to a short statement currently on there.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:09 pm**

Quickenthetempo wrote:What does #FTH stand for? I have seen in on tweets celebrating Clitheroe's verdict.

Surely not F the House?

Free the Halstead

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:17 pm**

RocketLawnChair wrote:I am absolutely fine. I have been quite pragmatic about the entire event tbh given my allegiance. I was just quoted above as stating something incorrectly. I am now actually in receipt of the full 4 page judgment (not the watered down telegraph version) and I can confirm that what I posted in reply to Bordeaux Claret is factually correct.

Apologies for the confusion. My comment of incorrect was for the alleged comments actually taking place, not the reporting that they did.

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:23 pm**

Here we are, have a read and form your own opinions.

http://lancashireleague.com/Articles/15/15805.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Posted: **Tue Feb 27, 2018 11:25 pm**

#FTH wrote:Apologies for the confusion. My comment of incorrect was for the alleged comments actually taking place, not the reporting that they did.

The Judgement confirms the belief that they did take place.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:58 am**

Whitewash ,but let’s get on the new season .

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:03 am**

arise_sir_charge wrote:The Judgement confirms the belief that they did take place.

Indeed. It confirmes the belief. I will confirm the fact - They didn’t!

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:09 am**

So you where there then?

You should have given evidence.

Posted: **Wed Feb 28, 2018 7:10 am**

When is Lowerhouse v Clitheroe next season? Might have to book a flight

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