FULL TEXT OF CHAIRMAN'S APPEAL 2012 is here: www.charitychoice.co.uk/failand-and-portbury-cricket-club-176596

2nd April 2012

Dear Players, Former Players, Friends & Supporters Generally of Amateur Community Sport

Failand & Portbury Cricket Club: Urgent appeal for £50,000 towards a good cause

PLEASE Make a donation Donate now

Last year was marked a major development for our village cricket club - the acquisition of surrounding land which has enabled us to invest in making the ground fit for good standard club cricket, without losing any of its rural charm and character. What other grounds incorporate an historic oak tree, with other centuries-old oaks round the boundary?

The land, which was part of The Michallat Estate became available at very short notice, and it had to be bought by ?Perimeter Enterprises?, set up and funded for just that purpose by a small group of Club members with short-term loans - necessary because the Club simply did not have the funds required.

The Management Committee (as elected by Club members at AGM) have now authorised the Club to purchase the land. The cost involved is just under £50,000. We have secured a low-interest 5 year loan of £10,000 from The Somerset Playing Fields Association, and have definite promises of donations or long term loans for a further £15,000 from a small number of Club members.

Our intention is to exchange contracts on the land by the end of April 2012, so we need as much as possible of the remaining £25,000 in place as soon as possible. To that end, we are seeking donations (or offers of loans) to help us towards that target.  

As a registered charity, we can take advantage of Gift Aid, which enables us to gross up donations from taxpayers by another 25% (and higher rate taxpayers can themselves get tax relief at 20% or 30% in addition). 

Tax Effective Giving (UK taxpayers only)

When a donation is made, the tax is reclaimed by the recipient charity and also (if a higher rate tax payer) the donor. If you are a standard rate taxpayer and are able to make a Gift Aid declaration, the recipient charity can claim back the tax, at the standard rate, on your donation. If you are a higher or highest rate tax payer, in addition to the charity reclaiming tax at the standard rate, in your tax return you may reclaim any additional tax that you have paid.

The Benefit to The Charity and the Cost to the Donor

Here is a breakdown of the costs of making a gift of £100 at the three different levels of tax:

	Donation Made	Gross Amount The Charity receives after Gift Aid	Tax Relief through Donor?s Tax Return	Effective Cost to Donor
20% taxpayer	£80	£100		£80
40% taxpayer	£80	£100	£20	£60
50% taxpayer	£80	£100	£30	£50

If you want to help, and can afford to, we really need your help. Please let me know as soon as possible. Just give me a ring on 01761 463 881 or reply by email to dickcricket@gmail.com. I will of course treat our conversation in total confidence!   

This project is for the long term, so pledges of future support would also be most welcome. And looking (I hope) a really long way ahead, for those who are thinking of making (or updating) their will, do please remember Failand & Portbury Cricket Club ? the 2011 Budget introduced some extra incentives for those wishing to make donations in this way.

The new land has made an enormous difference to the current facilities and future potential of the club. Raising the money to buy the land will put us in a really secure and advantageous position going forward - few other clubs own their ground freehold, let alone one of our quality. We believe the development also sustains our cricket club?s place in the community, and helps us maintain the unique quality of the local environment for the benefit not just of a few members but for all.

It?s a lovely setting, a friendly club, and visitors, well-wishers & neighbours will always be welcome.

If you are in a position to help us now, please do. We would be more than grateful.

For more information go to FULL TEXT OF CHAIRMAN'S APPEAL 2012 at www.charitychoice.co.uk/failand-and-portbury-cricket-club-176596

Best wishes and I hope you can help us.

Dick Whittington

Chairman

Failand & Portbury CC 

www.cricketclubsbristol.co.uk 

Horse Race Lane

Lower Failand

North Somerset BS8 3SS

Tel: 01761 463 881

Email: dickcricket@gmail.com

PLEASE Make a donation Donate now

PLEASE help by forwarding this email to any Friends & Supporters Generally of Amateur Community Sport who you think might be able to support us

Please visit our new website on: www.cricketclubsbristol.co.uk

Failand & Portbury have updated their website, so please click through.

Horse Race Lane, Lower Failand, North Somerset BS8 3TY
          This is where we play cricket!

Failand & Portbury CC Legend and Guru

Monty (Mrugang) Desai - long time Club player and supporter - was in 2011 made head coach of Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals.

Congratulations Monty! We remember you for your support and fielding and look forward to seeing you again in 2011.

Looking forward to the 2011 season at Failand & Portbury Cricket Club.

New players interested in coming to winter nets or joining for the summer should contact George Humphreys on georgethomashumphreys@gmail.com.

F&P CC has undergone some exciting new changes for 2011. None more so that the size of the boundary!

• Facing away from the road: Straight Hit - 95 Meters
• Facing towards the road: Right handed hook - 80 Meters
• Facing away from the road: Tom Isom's extra Cover drive - 100 Meters

April

• Indoor nets on Sundays at 5pm at the Downs School Wraxall.
• Sunday 10th April - With the help of Nat West Cricket Force we are spending time preparing the ground for the new season.
• Thursday 21st April - Club Dinner
• Saturday 24th v Gordano - First Game of the season

May

• 2011 League season begins for all league teams. Fixtures can be found on the fixtures page.

Cricket is a serious business!

The Cricket Field Fortunate indeed this field; It’s destiny is not to yield A harvest made with wheat and corn From rutting plough or harrow born, But cleared of lump & stump & thicket Is set aside for playing cricket. In winter gentle sheep may graze Preserving turf for summer days, A picket fence thrown round the square Should hoof or human trespass there. Some say we should share, use the land Clearly, they don’t understand. This field shall always take its name Only from England’s noblest game. Despite its level disposition And most favourable condition Hockey posts shall not be found, This is no recreation ground. Four generations, maybe more, Since long before the first World War, Cricketers long gone, & some Who play today, & those to come, All sow unmixed the seeds of cricket And harvest only run & wicket. By Arthur Salway

New players for 2011 welcome
Are you looking for pastures new? 

Do you have itchy feet (though washing them regularly)?

Are you 7' 6" tall with forearms like steam-train pistons?

Are you 5' 10" with a practised wrist action?

Are you 4' 9" and good on the pull?

Consider emailing Chairman of Selectors George Humphreys without delay.

You could be in today's team!

UPDATES FOR 2010

• See the Selection Page for team news.
• See the Social Events page for info on F&P Fantasy Cricket.
• The 2010 fixtures can now be found on the Fixtures page.
• See the News page for information on 2010 subscriptions and match fees.
• For contact information see the teams page or click on the Contacts page.

Wanted
Spinners for league teams: 1 x left arm, 1 x right arm and 1 x 3 arms.

Be there at nets on Tuesday at 6.00 pm and contact Ed Humphreys on ed_hump@hotmail.com and 07870 986 304 soonest.

No applications please from anyone who needs a visa or wants paying.

And another thing: Anyone available to play in the National Village Cup team away at Middlezoy this afternoon should immediately get in contact as above - there has been a last minute drop-out.

Mr Chairman and Gentlemen

You will be aware of the upcoming indoor nets sessions but this is by way of confirmation:

Indoor nets begin at The Downs School, Wraxall this Sunday at 8.00pm. Indoor non-marking soles are needed.

Cost is £3.00 per hour (subject to Treasurer's confirmation) to cover for the outlay on net hire so bring the cash with you without fail.

The full schedule of dates is below:

15 Feb 8pm till 9pm
22 Feb 6pm till 7pm
1 Mar 6pm till 7pm
8 Mar 8pm till 9pm
15 Mar 6pm till 7pm
22 Mar 8pm till 9pm

Be aware the 6pm starts are followed by another club at 7pm so do not be late as time will be at a premium.

The hall is empty after our 8pm sessions so there may well be scope for run-on.

This is an important season with severe challenges ahead so do be there to get yourself into top conditioning mentally and physically alongside performers of all standards, graded not by reputation but by 2009 displayed playing strength.

Email Lyndon Prendergast at l.prenders@sky.com or your squad leaders to confirm you will be there and that you will be part of Big Things due to happen in 2009 with:

- 1st XI and 2ndXI both promoted to the top tier Bristol & District Senior Division, [1st XI Alastair McArthur alastairmcarthur@hotmail.com] [2nd XI Ijaz Shafi ijazs@hotmail.com and Jeff Astle jeffastle1@gmail.com ]

- 3rd XI battling in the Sunday North Somerset League [Steven Pursey stevenpursey@btinternet.com] and

- Sunday Non-League XI with an array of attractive fixtures [John Skinner hjohnandpamskinner@sky.com ]

- Midweek XI with afternoon tour games and evening 20 overs [Paul Duffy paul.duffy@sbjbc.co.uk ]

Contact any of the above to get yourself into a squad and be there at nets on Sunday.

And bring a friend.

And your £3.00.

Squad Leaders - call up your soldiers and get them into battalions.

There are also 2 playing spots left (and unlimited off-field particpator places available) for the annual International Central European Indoor Wintercup in Vienna Austria hosted by the Vienna Cricket Club from Friday 27th February to Sunday 1st March 2009.

This is the 5th successive year that Failand & Portbury CC has been invited to participate in this hectic weekend programme of games, dinners and drinking through the night. Likely oppositions include Vienna CC (in effect the Austrian National Indoor Cricket Team), Berlin CC, Graz CC (from Austria), Elveston CC (former National Village champions from Durham and winners last 2 years), Prague CC and Bessbrough CC from Northants.

Most people are going out by peanuts Ryanair flight Bristol to Bratislava on Thursday night 26th February and coming back by similar peanuts Easyjet or Ryanair flight on the Monday. Accommodation is £18.00 per head at the Ruthensteiner Hostel http://www.hostelruthensteiner.com/ .

Your contact to get on the trip is Tour Manager George Humphreys - email him now on george@oxford-royale.co.uk .

Both Indoor Nets Wraxall and Vienna Tournament:

Don't hang about! Get yourself signed up pronto for schnitzels, pretzels and indoor netzels.

Robert Humphreys
Club Secretary 2009


FORWARD THIS INFORMATION TO ANY FRIENDS

AND TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS BUT MIGHT PLAY IN 2009

Chairman’s Report for 2008

In many ways 2008 can be judged a highly successful season, although it didn’t always seem like it at the time. As ever, there were some issues which caused problems from time to time, and we need to deal with these much more firmly next year. So 2009 will be a year of substantial challenge on and off the field.

First the good news…
Pride of place must go to the 1st XI and a terrific achievement in gaining promotion to the senior division of the Bristol & District League. In many ways this was against the odds, particularly after two defeats against runaway winners Cleeve and one to challengers Phoenix WI. The efforts on and off the field to get the return match played, completed and won is the stuff of legends, and I will only refer you to Ben Boundary- Creeper’s real-time report on the FPCC Website. I must mention Alistair’s terrific leadership, ably supported by Simon Bachelor. It was a real team effort, but I will make special mention of the indefatiguable Tony Lippe, still getting through 15 overs unchanged at the age of….., and to Walkers Major and Minor whose performances were critical to the team’s success, particularly in the last tense weeks of the season. Well done on getting up – now let’s make sure we stay there!

Congratulations too to Ijaz and the 2nd X1 on their return to the senior division at the first time of asking, with a special word of thanks to unofficial vice captain Bernard Raines for his efforts on and especially off the field.

We do need to look at availability next year to make sure a full side is fielded at all times.

Sundays also went well (mostly) with the North Somerset X1 (aka Steve’s Grandfathers) making their habitual late season “burst” to achieve a moderately respectable midfield position. And the friendly X1 enjoyed some good cricket thanks to John Skinner’s conscientious leadership.

It was a difficult year for junior cricket, although there were some excellent individual and team performances. Sadly no Under 15s this year, although the Under 13s did well to win the junior Plate final.

All this was made possible by the efforts of our groundsman extraordinaire Paul Bachelor, who did a miraculous job of preparing good cricket wickets in most unfriendly weather conditions. And despite the pernicious efforts of the resident mole population, the condition of the outfield was a considerable improvement this year, for which much thanks to our new assistant groundsman (or lady).

On the down side, far too many players failed to show due consideration and support for their captain and for the club, particularly in settling their subs and match fees on time. This makes the Treasurer’s job near impossible, and must be corrected next season. I hope members will support the committee in making it clear that selection is conditional on payment, a discipline that needs to be led by the captains, enforced by the Selection Committee and monitored closely by the officers of the club.

We have also reached a crossroads in terms of junior cricket. This has been a strong feature of the club for many years, but we are now running out of strong cricketing parents with the time and energy to put into organizing junior teams. Where one asks are the Humphreys and Walkers of tomorrow?

Lyndon has done sterling work as Youth Organiser, and Jane and Rod Billing have put their heart and soul into managing the younger teams in recent years, but unless new people put their hands up very quickly I fear that junior cricket may be taking a back seat for a while.

One other issue facing us, albeit a more practical one – we desperately need a new scorebox. Is this the time to go electronic, and if so can we find up to £4,000 to install it?

Finally, I want to express my, and the club’s, sadness at the untimely death of young Matt Billing a couple of months ago. How devastating and how undeserved for the family. The service at Portbury Church was a desperately moving experience. Somehow, it puts everything in context.

Richard Whittington
24th November 2008

Double promotion for 1st XI and 2nd XI in 2008
North Somerset XI hold valued league position for 2009
Sunday XI keep going like there was no tomorrow

"I am so happy at last that we reached where we deserve to be.

We should press for more highs next year!

Congratulations to everybody at Failand & Portbury!"

Monty from Atlanta, Georgia

THIS CLUB

Welcome to Failand & Portbury Cricket Club, offering good facilities, an attractive ground and lots of opportunities for both players and supporters.The ground is situated in Horse Race Lane, Lower Failand and our members come from all over North Somerset, Bristol and further afield including London, South Wales and other godforsaken colonial remnants of Empire.

We play all the year round cricket here*.

Be seeing you!

*in fact, in this instance, away at Barrow Gurney

Outdoor nets are held at the ground every Tuesday at Horse Race Lane as soon after 6.00pm as is possible (in other words when more than two players turn up to make a start.

Be there!

Consider emailing Chairman of Selectors Paul Nice on paulnice@talktalk.net with news of who you are without delay.

The 2008 Season - It Begins!
The season is underway with wins for 1sts and 2nds and a stunning victory in the 2nd round of the N-Power National Village Cup.

1st XI Vice-Captain Simon Bachelor had a dream start to the season with 100* against St George on the opening day. His patient innings helped the 1st XI record a 13 run victory over the visitors and 25 league points after St George were restricted to 166 with George Humphreys taking 3 wickets up the hill.

The 2nd XI also started well with a comprehensive victory at Pucklechurch, with batting contributions from Babur Khan, Nadeem and Ahmed and three wickets for Tom Ison on his Failand debut. An excellent start - where's the full scorecard, Ijaz? Mark Walker needs it to get it up for us all to see!

The 3rd XI game at Harptree fell foul to the weather but 2 league points were gained from a no-result. Steve Pursey starts another year as North Somerset XI skipper with points on the board.

In the National Village cup Charlie Walker hit a magnificent 103* for our 1st XI against strong opposition from Wellington in the 1st round . Ashbrittle, Stawley & Clayhanger looked favourites as F&P slumped to 15/3, chasing 165 [chasing wide ones, surely? Ed.], against a pacy and accurate attack. 15 year old Charlie however stood firm and timed his innings to perfection leaving partner Ed Humphreys to hit the winning runs in the penultimate over. See 1st XI v Ashbrittle (home) for full scorecard.

Next weekend (10th/11thMay) the 1st XI visit Long Ashton while the 2nd XI entertain their Long Ashton 2nd XI. The North Somerset XI host Bath Exiles. All vital league games!

Outdoor nets are held at the ground every Tuesday at Horse Race Lane as soon after 6.00pm as is possible to make a start. (in other words when more than two players turn up). Be there!

NEW PLAYERS AND INCOMING TOURING/HIRE TEAMS WELCOMED
The season is off to a flying start as a core unit of players has been going through their paces at intense net sessions at the indoor Downs School facility in Wraxall. "Excellent news" observed Failand & Portbury legend Paul Bachelor.

New players are welcome but they need to get in touch with nets co-ordinator Alastair McArthur at alastairmcarthur@hotmail.com without delay.

Requests for fixtures from incoming touring sides and companies seeking to stage hire games are being handled by Fixture Secretary Paul Bachelor at paul@outside-edge.co.uk but again early contact is advisable as space is limited.

NEW PLAYERS WELCOME NOW!

MISSION STATEMENT

Now that the 2008 season is upon us:

We must strive to achieve!

Marvin Straightjacket

Club Supremo 2008

Look out over THE BRISTOL CHANNEL :

see WALES in the distance!

Vienna 2008 international indoor tournament

Thousand target

Failand Sixes 2006
John Bachelor and George Humphreys

NEW 1ST XI CAPTAIN

Following the unavailability of MONTY DESAI, whose arrival has been delayed a number of times, FAILAND & PORTBURY CC have taken steps to fill the gap of first team captain.

The unanimous choice was ED HUMPHREYS, who at 19 years 6 months becomes FAILAND & PORTBURY's youngest ever 1st XI captain in the club's 111 year history. Teenager ED is the youngest of four brothers now playing at HORSE RACE LANE.

His vice-captain is all-rounder PAUL NICE.

Following a long awaited first league win of the season last weekend, it is hoped the confirmation of these two positions will bring some stability to the side in time for the expected influx of players back from university.

5 GAMES THIS WEEKEND
We are aiming to make best use of the good weekend weather by fielding no fewer than 5 teams this Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday the 1st XI play St Mary Redcliffe (H) and the 2nd XI play Bishopston (A), both in the Bristol & District League.

On Sunday the 1st XI again turn out - this time in the National Village Cup area semi-final at Timsbury (A). Meanwhile there are fixtures at home (Cuaco Touring XI) and against Gordano Valley (venue tba).

The good news is that with the influx of new players and the return of the students, pressure for places in these sides is still very keen.

Anyone with any interest in playing is urged to call Selection Co-Ordinator Paul Nice - details on Contacts page - as soon as possible to avoid gut-wrenching disappointment.

Note that the North Somerset XI (3rd XI) has no league game this wekend.

URGENT
All new players MUST be at nets at the ground on Tuesday 17th May for practice, evaluation and selection. If in doubt, contact Paul Nice soonest - see Contacts page.