County Off-season
Andrew Dunford
thought it might brighten up your dark February:
I have always wondered what professional county cricketers
did in the off
season to make some extra moolah - after all, payscales in
county cricket
aren't exactly like those in other prominent sports. I got
an inkling
yesterday. There is this new comedy show called 'Banzai',
and they had Phil
Tufnell on it. They had a section called 'guess the
cricketers arse' or
something like that, where a lineup of men had their backs
turned to the
camera, and proceeded to drop their pants. The viewer had
the pleasure of
looking at their hairy arses and guessing which one was
Tufnells (I'm not
kidding). I knew it was the 'lean' season, but I never knew
the pickings
were this slim. But then again, Tufnell probably did it for
free.
Slowhand
Jackie Hewitt
Andrew Dunford wrote:
As a female fan of the game, my reaction to this, especially pre first
coffee of the day is.................uuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
--
Jackie Hewitt (E-mail jackie...@oucs.ox.ac.uk)
UKSC's miniature Worcestershire Supporter.
Courtney Walsh web site at:-
http://sites.netscape.net/jackieahewitt/homepage
Em
The opposite of mine then (the thought of AJS and GPT with their pants down,
I say no more).
Em (mopping up the tea she spilt whilst reading Slowhands post)
Dave
."Jackie Hewitt" <jackie_h...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:3A791604...@yahoo.co.uk...
>
>
>
> As a female fan of the game, my reaction to this, especially pre first
> coffee of the day is.................uuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
>
> --
Jackie
We could all take pics of our rears
and you could have a guess who page on your website.
In my case you'd only access it with broadband.
The on topic bit.
IIRC Gloucester employed one of their players as a handyman
in the winter.
Dave
Jackie Hewitt
Dave wrote:
> ."Jackie Hewitt" <jackie_h...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:3A791604...@yahoo.co.uk...
> >
> >
> >
> > As a female fan of the game, my reaction to this, especially pre first
> > coffee of the day is.................uuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
> >
> > --
> Jackie
> We could all take pics of our rears
> and you could have a guess who page on your website.
> In my case you'd only access it with broadband.
>
Ummmmmm- can I pass on that one?
>
> The on topic bit.
> IIRC Gloucester employed one of their players as a handyman
> in the winter.
>
> Dave
My back on topic:-
Andy Caddick has been employed to decorate the ground at Taunton in the
winter, he is a qualified painter and decorator.
Some of the Worcs players, including IIRC Lampitt and Rhodes do work
coaching in local schools and at local clubs. Another player- can't remember
which, what us up with my memory... is employed in a marketing capacity with
the club.
Reuben Spiring, who hasn't 100% given up hope of being able to play cricket
again is training to be a helicopter pilot.
And of course a lot of players go overseas to play club cricket in
Australia/NZ/South Africa.
Dave
>
>
> Dave wrote:
>
> > ."Jackie Hewitt" <jackie_h...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> > news:3A791604...@yahoo.co.uk...
>
> My back on topic:-
>
> Andy Caddick has been employed to decorate the ground at Taunton in the
> winter, he is a qualified painter and decorator.
>
> Some of the Worcs players, including IIRC Lampitt and Rhodes do work
> coaching in local schools and at local clubs. Another player- can't
remember
> which, what us up with my memory... is employed in a marketing capacity
with
> the club.
>
> Reuben Spiring, who hasn't 100% given up hope of being able to play
cricket
> again is training to be a helicopter pilot.
>
Maybe it was Caddick come to think of it.
If he is hoping to play cricket again does that mean he's
Aspiring
Jackie Hewitt
Dave wrote:
>
> >
> > Reuben Spiring, who hasn't 100% given up hope of being able to play
> cricket
> > again is training to be a helicopter pilot.
>
> Maybe it was Caddick come to think of it.
>
> If he is hoping to play cricket again does that mean he's
> Aspiring
Yes, we have had some fun with Rubens name at New Road. If he is out of form
he is unin-spiring, if it is hot he is per-spiring. He also had a season with
a misprint on his AXA shirt as SPRING (I'm not shouting, it was in caps) so
we called him Mr Spring.
Mick Diddams
wrote:
>The opposite of mine then (the thought of AJS and GPT with their pants down,
>I say no more).
>
>Em (mopping up the tea she spilt whilst reading Slowhands post)
Em - I know AJS is a make of motor bike but what is a GPT???
Em
> wrote:
>
> >The opposite of mine then (the thought of AJS and GPT with their pants
down,
> >I say no more).
> >
> >Em (mopping up the tea she spilt whilst reading Slowhands post)
>
> Em - I know AJS is a make of motor bike but what is a GPT???
>
GPT: a rare breed of Surrey-born handsome type male, one who reaches approx
98 before being caught behind from pointless shot. He can often be seen at
first slip (where slip has been known to be the operative word). However,
his skill reigns on with his good looks and cheeky smile.
AJS: gorgeous former England captain who needs to move North in order to
enhance his life.
EVH: sad northern lass who stoops to admitting her fondness for adonis like
qualities of above named southerners.
Em
Richard Lock
Em wrote:
> <e.ha...@ntlworld.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >The opposite of mine then (the thought of AJS and GPT with their pants
> down,
> > >I say no more).
> > >
> > >Em (mopping up the tea she spilt whilst reading Slowhands post)
> >
> > Em - I know AJS is a make of motor bike but what is a GPT???
> >
>
> GPT: a rare breed of Surrey-born handsome type male, one who reaches approx
> 98 before being caught behind from pointless shot. He can often be seen at
> first slip (where slip has been known to be the operative word). However,
> his skill reigns on with his good looks and cheeky smile.
RJL: As above :-)
Ian Diddams
>> And how many months of the year do these cricketers "work" for their
>> salaries?
>Ah yes, but how many years do they have in them?
... err... I don;t see what that has to do with whether or not they get a
winter job or not...
That aside, how many "normal" occupations have the possibility of an
extremely
large tac free sum after ten years work? Or the ability to take their
pension
at the age opf 35 ..or 40... (dunno actually if this is true for
cricketers... it certainly is for football players, and I know rugby
players
were pushing for the same deal) - notg that the pension funds are likely to
be
very large at this age especially given the lower financial outlook of
cricket
versus football !)
My point is rather that if cricketers don;t earn during the winter, they are
unlikely to any worse off than the "average" income anyway. It has nothing
to
do with whether they have a trade/career they can turn to...
Didds
If you can't annoy somebody with what you write, I think there's
little point in writing. -- Kingsley Amis
Mick Diddams
wrote:
>"Ian Diddams" <di...@MailAndNews.com> wrote in message
>news:3A82...@MailAndNews.com...
>> What's the average national wage/income these days? 16K ? 18K ?
>>
>> Whjat's a capped players salary? 20K ? 25 K? Even an uncapped salary
>> would
>> be around the national average I would imagine.
It was 25K last year for a capped player I believe..
>> And how many months of the year do these cricketers "work" for their
>> salaries?
>> Maybe 7?
>
>[snip]
>
>Ah yes, but how many years do they have in them?
Ah yes, but how many other occupations can you retire from in your mid
30's with a 6 figure (benefit) sum stuffed in your pocket. Two years
ago Graham Cowdrey walked off into the sunset with over 300,000
pounds, imagine what a well known player walks off with. And Graham
was only 35 when he 'retired' - leaving him around 30 years to build
up another career and pension...
MikeF
> ... err... I don;t see what that has to do with whether or not they get
a
> winter job or not...
>
> That aside, how many "normal" occupations have the possibility of an
> extremely
> large tac free sum after ten years work? Or the ability to take their
> pension
> at the age opf 35 ..or 40... (dunno actually if this is true for
> cricketers... it certainly is for football players, and I know rugby
> players
> were pushing for the same deal) - notg that the pension funds are likely
to
> be
> very large at this age especially given the lower financial outlook of
> cricket
> versus football !)
>
> My point is rather that if cricketers don;t earn during the winter, they
are
> unlikely to any worse off than the "average" income anyway. It has
nothing
> to
> do with whether they have a trade/career they can turn to...
>
> Didds
But if they do work during the winter, they can earn money. Just because
they can live on what they earn during seven months, it doesn't mean they
should just sit around for the next five. Also, any normal occupation
doesn't tend to sack you before you get to forty. After that - who's to say
they will get a job that will still pay them as much? The large lump sum
they get may sound good, but it won't last them the rest of their lives.
Jackie Hewitt
MikeF wrote:
>
>
> But if they do work during the winter, they can earn money. Just because
> they can live on what they earn during seven months, it doesn't mean they
> should just sit around for the next five. Also, any normal occupation
> doesn't tend to sack you before you get to forty. After that - who's to say
> they will get a job that will still pay them as much? The large lump sum
> they get may sound good, but it won't last them the rest of their lives.
Speaking as a lazy type of person, 5 months hols sounds good! I can't complain
though as I do get a good amount of leave, most of which I take during what
passes for summer in the UK ie when cricket is rained off.
Ian Diddams
>But if they do work during the winter, they can earn money. Just because
>they can live on what they earn during seven months, it doesn't mean they
>should just sit around for the next five.
Errr... no. Of course not. I didn't measn to suggest they did. All I
meant
was while we sit here wringing our hands over poor county cricketers that
don;t have a job during the winter, lets not forgget that they've already
earned what many people work all 12 months of the year for. Thats all.
>Also, any normal occupation doesn't tend to sack you before you get to forty.
No. You're right. Ask all those steel workers in Llanwern and Coventry.
They're not 40.. well not all of them. Some are possibly 20. Others 60.
At least there's not much chance of KCCC folding because cricket teams from
the former eastern bloc and the far east are cheaper to watch...
Redundancies etc. aside, is this "early retirement" unknown to 18 year olds
when they sign up to become a county cricketer? Do they live in blissfull
ignorance of this fact until one day, aged late 30-something, some bloke
says
"Bugger off your too old"? No-one forces anybody to play cricket
profesionally... they could always opt for the job-for-life (*snort*) and
play the "safe" card.
Of course the safe card may not suddenly put 200K in their bank after ten
years work, tax free... that's maybe fifteen years post-tax income for many
people don;t forget.
>After that - who's to say they will get a job that will still pay them as
much?
Possibly not. Grunted. But see above the job-4-life and playing it safe.
> The large lump sum
>they get may sound good, but it won't last them the rest of their lives.
No? Maybe not on its own but I'd wager 300K invested wisely would go a oong
way to making the average 40+ person fairly comfortable in life... its 15K
a
year just sitting in a good interest bearing account (net of tax). That's
(presently) our hypothetical national average salary. One wouldn't need a
brilliantly paying job to turn that 15K into quite a decent yearly income.
Choker.
Now - of course not all cricketrs get that 300K (or any) benefit. And the
irony is many that do are already well set up because they have been well
profiled test players, with a media job lurking (god, if Willis can do it
anybody can!). The average county pro probably doesn't get a benefit and or
at least not a huge one - which is why we've argued here before about a
proper
pension scheme for county pros. (Pensions of course being proabably
available
at age 35 or 40 - although I dount they are very large at that age - ages
not
available to the average person), and so your concerns are very valid ones.
But this doesn't alter the fact that
1) nobody forces anybody to choose pro cricket over a "safe" aleged
job-4-life
2) county pros recieve a decent (comparitively) income from their job from a
fraction of the working year
3) it is a moot point that for many workers in this country they have any
more
job security anyway
I'm not knocking pro cricketers. But lets not get too concerned about them
being "unemployed" in the winter. There's many that was gladly swap their
"safe" factory job for one spent standing in a field on a sunny day, being
fed
twice a day.
I'd be interested in a "where are they now" look at ex-county pros,
especially
the unglamourous ones. What's for instance Charles Rowe doing these days?
Or
Jim Griffiths? Or Kev Jarvis (I suspect you know this dad!)? Or Graham
Stevenson (I think that was his name anyway! ex-Hants keeper, used to
reface
keeping gloves for a living in the winter).
robert.pollard2
"Ian Diddams" <di...@MailAndNews.com> wrote in message
Bob Stephenson ..ex Derbys...went to Hants when
Leo Harrison (now there was a keeper!) and Brian
Timms retired. Graham Stevenson played for Yorks
and Derbys...and became a coach. Another 'keeper
who made gloves in the winter was/is Mike Garnham,
ex Leics & Essex. Prospective buyers were
encouraged to post him a sheet of paper with their
hand profile sketched on...running a pencil around the
fingers etc. Genuine 'made to measure'.
Cheers
Robt P.
MikeF
news:3A94...@MailAndNews.com...
forty.
>
> No. You're right. Ask all those steel workers in Llanwern and Coventry.
> They're not 40.. well not all of them. Some are possibly 20. Others 60.
> At least there's not much chance of KCCC folding because cricket teams
from
> the former eastern bloc and the far east are cheaper to watch...
There is a big difference between a company shutting down, and one
automatically saying 'you're too old, you're sacked' before you get to 40.
One gets the government whinging, the other gets the lawyers in for age
discrimination.
> Redundancies etc. aside, is this "early retirement" unknown to 18 year
olds
> when they sign up to become a county cricketer? Do they live in blissfull
> ignorance of this fact until one day, aged late 30-something, some bloke
> says
> "Bugger off your too old"? No-one forces anybody to play cricket
> profesionally... they could always opt for the job-for-life (*snort*) and
> play the "safe" card.
Well, no, of course not. That's why they want to earn money over the winter,
rather than sit around for five months grinning about how they don't have to
work for five months to have a lifestyle similar to that of your average
middle-manager.
> Of course the safe card may not suddenly put 200K in their bank after ten
> years work, tax free... that's maybe fifteen years post-tax income for
many
> people don;t forget.
And not many years at all for a lot of other people. How long would it take
the average grammar school educated graduate to earn that much money for
example?
As far as I'm concerned, it's a simple thing - if you want cricketers not to
work over the winter, and make no effort to help them get a job, then you
can expect not to have many cricketers in future.
robert.pollard2
"MikeF" <M...@nospamformikef.com> wrote in message
news:95r93d$1rf$1...@oyez.ccc.nottingham.ac.uk...
the "crem'"...................
Cheers
Robt P.
Ian Diddams
>There is a big difference between a company shutting down, and one
>automatically saying 'you're too old, you're sacked' before you get to 40.
To the recipient of the bad news ie the bloke w/out a job, the effect is the
same.
>One gets the government whinging, the other gets the lawyers in for age
>discrimination.
age discrimination? In what country/ Not the UK Robert!! It is quite
legal
AFAIUI for an employer to say either I don't want to employ you because you
are too young/old, or you are now too old so hop it.
Its a major area of discrimination that is still legal.
Of course, theer are more ways to skin a cat even if it were illegal to say
so. In the smae way that sex and race discrimination still exists but in
very
carefully couched terms.
>And not many years at all for a lot of other people. How long would it take
>the average grammar school educated graduate to earn that much money for
>example?
200K? After tax? 8-10 years I guess. 8-10 years our ex-couty pro doesn't
have to work mind. 200K of money all working for him from day 1 - compound
interest and all that. Not 8-10 years of building that money up.
>As far as I'm concerned, it's a simple thing - if you want cricketers not to
>work over the winter, and make no effort to help them get a job, then you
>can expect not to have many cricketers in future.
Oh - I agree. From an employers position. And I suppose from our psoition
if
we want to watch pro cricket of course :-)
But like I said, lets not get too concerned about all these impovereished
county pros that face unemployment over the off-season. That's all I'm
saying.
Now go and ask those blokes at Llanwern if they'd like another 8-10 years
working.... or 200K in their pockets today.
robert.pollard2
"Ian Diddams" <di...@MailAndNews.com> wrote in message
> >===== Original Message From "MikeF" <M...@nospamformikef.com> =====
>
> >There is a big difference between a company shutting down, and one
> >automatically saying 'you're too old, you're sacked' before you get to
40.
>
> To the recipient of the bad news ie the bloke w/out a job, the effect is
the
> same.
>
> >One gets the government whinging, the other gets the lawyers in for age
> >discrimination.
>
> age discrimination? In what country/ Not the UK Robert!! It is quite
> legal
>
>
Andrew Williams
> especially
> the unglamourous ones. What's for instance Charles Rowe doing these days?
> Or
> Jim Griffiths?
>Or Kev Jarvis (I suspect you know this dad!)?
> Didds
Kevin Jarvis is still living in the Bristol area, and I believe he is now
working in Social Services, but I can't be sure.
Andy
Mick Diddams
wrote:
>Snip
>As far as I'm concerned, it's a simple thing - if you want cricketers not to
>work over the winter, and make no effort to help them get a job, then you
>can expect not to have many cricketers in future. >snip
I don't see any mention of anyone saying they do not want county
cricketers not to work during Winter, just merely pointing out they
are now paid an annual salary, but they are not debarred, AFAIK, from
taking a Winter job, but surely it is up to these players to find
their own 'moonlighting' jobs, for that is what they are, as they
already have employment. And, of course, in addition to their salary
virtually all county cricketers, even those in 2nd XI, have a
sponsored car, sport clothing & equipment, free meals while at work
and free food and keep when working away from home base. How much are
these perks worth and how many other occupations enjoy all of them?
There are around 400 contracted county players at moment and it been
so for a long time, despite the so-called poor renumeration they
receive, but they are paid as much as their employers can afford,
indeed for some employers, more than they can afford, Kent CCC made an
operating loss of L138,000 for 1999/2000. Playing staff salaries,
(including bonuses of L93.973) were L964,425 and Kent had 25
contracted players, according to Playfair annual, on its books..
Ian Diddams
>Kevin Jarvis is still living in the Bristol area, and I believe he is now
>working in Social Services, but I can't be sure.
blimey! He gets around!
Last I heard he was living just outside Sittingbourne!!
Mick Diddams
Thanks Andy, knew he went to Gloucs when he left Kent, but that last I
of heard of him. Kevin (batting rabbit supreme) used to live next
door to a friend of ours (Ian - Doug Kingston) and Kevin rarely mowed
the lawns or did any gardening while there, but as Doug is an Essex
man I was delighted by Kevin's horticultural apathy...
MikeF
news:3a82749...@news.freewire.net...
> On Wed, 7 Feb 2001 14:16:12 -0000, "MikeF" <M...@nospamformikef.com>
> wrote:
> And, of course, in addition to their salary
> virtually all county cricketers, even those in 2nd XI, have a
> sponsored car, sport clothing & equipment, free meals while at work
> and free food and keep when working away from home base. How much are
> these perks worth and how many other occupations enjoy all of them?
Well, company cars are quite common in other jobs (not mine sadly), and as
for sport clothing, if I had to pay for my own lab coat I'd be bloody
annoyed, so work related clothing is to be expected. When I'm away on
conferences, I get paid for meals and accomodation. So the only thing I'm
personally missing from that list is the company car and the free meals
while at work. So again, it's less of a thing than you make out.
Plus of course, going back to the benefit year - they don't all get them, do
they.
Of course, counties don't have to offer to help find the players jobs. It's
just that if they didn't, they could have trouble finding players.
Mick Diddams
wrote:
>Well, company cars are quite common in other jobs (not mine sadly), and as
>for sport clothing, if I had to pay for my own lab coat I'd be bloody
>annoyed, so work related clothing is to be expected. When I'm away on
>conferences, I get paid for meals and accomodation. So the only thing I'm
>personally missing from that list is the company car and the free meals
>while at work. So again, it's less of a thing than you make out.
By your reckoning it may not amount to much, but they are perks that
vast majority of workers do not enjoy, very many of whom earn a damm
sight less than L25,000 a year and I would opine that company cars not
as common a perk as you suggest and the Inland Revenue certainly do
not regard them as an inconsequential perk. Also there are very many
workers who are expected to be of a well dressed and smart appearance,
i.e. office workers, who do not get 'work related' clothing or an
allowance to purchase it.
>
>Plus of course, going back to the benefit year - they don't all get them, do
>they.
No, they certainly do not, about 3 out of 10 county cricketers end up
with a benefit year I believe, but of course young cricketers at start
of their careers have no way of knowing who will, or will not, be one
of the few lucky ones, but that does not deter them from joining.
>
>Of course, counties don't have to offer to help find the players jobs. It's
>just that if they didn't, they could have trouble finding players.
IMO that problem not likely to arise as many youngsters entering game
today have very few, if any, worthwhile educational or professional
qualifications and would end up in jobs that pay far less, do not have
the perks and are far less enjoyable than that of a county cricketer.
L25,000, plus perks, for 153 days work, that is how long coming fc
season lasts, is a damm sight better than working all hours in
telesales in an effort to earn a few bob and not live off the state,
then being slagged off by for their endeavours to be self
sufficient...
robert.pollard2
"Ian Diddams" <di...@MailAndNews.com> wrote in message
involves a friend who, during the mid seventies, worked
at a company in Wigston involved in the manufacture of
musical instruments.
One morning a 'rep arrived producing a business card stating 'Ian Botham -
Sales Rep' etc........business concluded, off he went. This was shortly
before fame caught up with him.
That very same day, during the afternoon, Brian supervised the offloading of
a van consignment of items delivered by a somewhat dour and surly driver,
business concluded, off he drove. This was shortly before infamy caught up
the same Peter Sutcliffe, aka 'The Yorkshire Ripper'. Little did Brian
realise the coincidence of the two
people he'd met that day.
Cheers
Robt P.