Gidea Park & Romford CC

GP&R lost out at Colchester & East Essex in Saturday's second round League Cup match. A late flourish by the home side's lower order saw them post a challenging 190 score and Park were unable to keep up with the run rate being bowled out for 147. Park return to Castle Park for next week's opening league match.

The 2nd and 3rd XI matches at Gallows this weekend (May 3rd) have been cancelled as the ground has not recovered from the recent wet weather. Hopefully the season will get underway at home next weekend when the first round of league matches are due to be played (2nd and 3rd XI at home).

All players are requested to log in regularly and keep their availability up to date on the website. This will reduce the need for the captains to chase up players and reduce the number of late replacements needed. Thank you.

Gidea Park & Romford CC would like to pass on its condolences to the family and friends of Joe Hussain who passed away on 26th April. Joe was the father of former GP&R player Mel Hussain and former England captain Nasser Hussain who has been a guest at the club on several occasions.

The league handbook is available from Andy Jenner or from you team captain this weekend. It contains all the reviews of last year plus the match rules and playing conditions(NOTE there are some changes this year so PLEASE READ.

The club's fixture handbook will be available from team captains this coming weekend.

GP&R have drawn the following opposition in this year's cup competitions:

Cockspur National Cup: 1st round - bye, 2nd round - Loughton or Bexley (away)
Evening Standard Challenge Trophy: - 1st round - Hainult & Clayhall (home)
Shepherd Neame Essex League Cup: Old Brentwoods (away)
Shepherd Neame Twenty20 Cup: Hornchurch (home)

Weekly nets begin week commencing 21st April, schedule as follows:
1st & 2nd XI - Thursdays from 6pm
All seniors - Wednesdays from 6pm
Juniors - Fridays 6.30pm - 8.30pm

CricketForce 2008 took place over the weekends of 5/6th and 12/13th April. Thank you to all members who supported the event and helped prepare the club for the new season despite the poor weather. Thank you also to NatWest who sponsored the event and provided a number of staff from local branches to help out at the club which also generated some local press coverage (Romford Recorder 18/4/08). Some of the work completed including painting and decorating in the changing rooms and entrance lobby, painting and repairs to the sightscreens and repairs to the balcony. Photos can be viewed in the photo gallery section. For more information see the CricketForce section.

The club has adopted the following ECB Codes of Conduct to ensure the wellbeing of all its members:
1. Members and Guests
2. Young people
3. Coaches and volunteers
4. Parents and guardians
The club encourages all members to be familiar with these codes and to adhere to them at all times. Please see the Codes of Conduct page for full details.

The 2007 senior club awards were presented by guest Stephen Peters of Northants CCC at the annual Stag Supper on March 7th. Photos of the evening can be viewed in the club photo gallery.

We are sad to report the untimely death on 12 January 2008 of Alan Stevens at the age of 55. Alan was a very talented, aggressive upper order batsman and big run scorer who skippered Gidea Park & Romford CC for five seasons in the 1980s and led a talented side to the league title in 1983. He won representative honours for both the Essex League and the Essex Cricket Association and will be badly missed by all his friends and opponents.

Alan joined Gidea Park in 1975 from Upminster CC and quickly cemented a place in the top 5 of the batting order, being part of the side who won the league title in 1977 under Tom Ford and who were runners up the following year. He took over the captaincy from Tom in 1981, and in 1982 took the team to the last 16 of the National Club Championship (now the Cockspur Cup), although the teams' league form was patchy. However, in 1983 he had a strong batting line up with himself, Dave Lock and Chris Swift at the top of the order, a fantastic wicket keeper in David Goldsmith, and a good and varied attack with three classy spinners (Terry Foley, Brian Mayes and Kevin Crossley), pace from Rohan Daniels and nagging medium pace from Andy Jenner. The side won their first six league matches and were crowned champions on the final day of the programme with 11 wins out of the 17 games played and completed (two were abandoned). Alan had led from the front with over 700 league runs to his credit and played the game in a positive spirit all the way through, as he did for all his career.. He continued as captain for two more seasons, achieving third place in 1985, before his work took him to Manchester , where he lived until his untimely death.

Alan was also a talented 1st XI hockey player for Upminster HC and Brentwood HC. Members of all his local clubs (cricket and hockey) will wish to pass on their sincere condolences to his wife Joanne, his daughter and family.

Gallows Corner Sports & Social Club - No Smoking Policy

You will be aware that with effect from 1 July 2007, a no smoking law in public buildings came in to force in England. We are obliged by law to abide by this, so with effect from 1 July 2007, smoking is not be permitted anywhere within the clubhouse premises. No smoking signs are displayed at all of the entrances to the clubhouse. Provision will be made on a trial basis to allow smoking on the balcony and umbrellas and sand buckets will be provided. If you wish to smoke on the balcony, you must ensure that the balcony doors are closed and you use the sand buckets provided. Please do not drop litter on or over the balcony.

The penalties in law surrounding abuse of this ban are severe and accordingly any abuse of the ban will not be tolerated by the Club Committee. If anyone is caught smoking anywhere in the clubhouse after 1 July 2007, then they will receive a written warning. Any future
offences will be considered by the Committee who will then, at their discretion, enforce either a suspension or, in extremis, a ban on the offending member.

Please ensure you comply with what is a legal requirement and respect the new arrangements.

Yours sincerely,

The Committee
Gallows Corner Sports & Social Club

Zaafran Indian restaurant, in Gidea Park, has agreed to sponsor the club and in addition to financial support will offer 10% discount to club members when dining in, on production of a valid membership card. Click on the Zaafran logo for a link to their website and details of their menu.