The Grassroot Magazine March 2014 by Grassroot Media

Contents 2-3 EasyFundraising 4 VS Cricket 6 MD’s Letter 7 Block Shop 8 Colin Smith Colin team up with one of our member clubs. Bosham FC 13 The Secret Non-League Footballer Non-league bonuses exposed 17 JMN Sports 18 Football First Aid New column on first aid for clubs 23 Club Sustainability With Andy Carmichael 26 The Grassroot Cricket & Football Groundsman What to do this month to your pitch 28 Back Nodger 31 Player Fitness with Isaiah Barratt Learn all about vo2max

34 Sports Psychology with David Harrison Talking to yourself isn’t that bad... 36 Twitter Directory 37 ESU Scoreboards 38 Block Shop Protect skin & make £ for your club 39 Owzat Insurance 40 Sponsor A Local Club Help build something to help you 41 Club Funding News This month featuring Biffa Award 45 Match Minutes FC 46 Flood Defence Officer’s Diary What has the FDO been up to now? 48 Cricket Coaching with Andrew Beaven Great piece on team building 51 VS Cricket 54 Grassroot Teamwear

Grassroot Media Contacts Twitter @grassrootmedia Facebook.com/grassrootmedia LinkedIn search for Matthew Court Office telephone number 0800 8 20 21 22 or 01992 27 44 27 Mathew Court’s email address mcourt@grassrootmedia.com

The MD’s Letter Hello everyone. Where is this year going? Already half-way through March! I had my first cricket net this weekend, and boy did I ache the next day. It was interesting to see how unfit I was and felt afterwards need to get that sorted if I’m going to play this season at any decent level. Anyway, those of you who are football clubs will know we’ve been running Back Nodger’s posters this month - it’s a really good product with a really good fit for what our posters & audience are all about, for those cricket clubs who don’t know what I’m going on about there’s a feature in the magazine about it all. You can also go to www.backnodger.com to see what the fuss is about. Thanks to all of the cricket clubs that helped me in my little quest for research for cricket bat makers. I’ve made contact with a couple of the most recommended ones and we’ll see what we can do. I’m hopefully going to be able to announce a deal early next week that will see our football audience double through the addition of a bunch of new sites across England. I’d hoped to have given you all the good news now but it’s been delayed slightly. Why will it be good news? Well it should take our audience to around 100,000 players a month which means more demand for what we provide. I’ll keep you all in the loop.

Happy reading,

Mat Court - MD

Colin Smith Colin Smith from Elvington & Tilmanstone Colliery Welfare Cricket Club continues his monthly column with more tips for our clubs.

Bish Bosh Grant Fundraising with Bosham FC For the last couple of months I have been helping the commercial manager at Bosham FC, Simon Jasinski, with grant fundraising applications, Charter Standard and CASC registration. I was contacted by Simon after he saw my articles in this magazine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so well done to Mat Court for that. First of all Simon emailed me, then â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;phoned for a chat and I was immediately struck by his enthusiasm to progress his local

football club. The club was in need of a cash boost to renovate the clubhouse and improve the ground facilities including dugouts (picture below) in order for them to progress and meet Sussex County League standards, where they are based. Part of the overall plans was to apply for a grant to Sport England (SE), which Simon had identified as a grant source.

Now Simon is in London - he grew up near Bosham, hence the club link - while I am in south east Kent so from the start of our conversations Simon was fully aware that I had no local knowledge of the club. This was not a problem as obviously Simon has so he could fill in any gaps in my knowledge. No grant fundraiser can be asked to do all the work for a club especially when they are 78 miles away and this was understood from the start. Our relationship took the form of me asking lots of questions initially and asking Simon to provide evidence of need for the project first of all. The need had been evidenced very well from Simon’s community consultation, which as I have said before is the first step in establishing specifically what you need to be funded.

“...a community consultation is the first step in establishing what needs funding...” This will form the basis and is the most important part of any grant application. Without the groundwork being done you are doomed from the start and could

complete a lot of other good work for nothing. You must establish the need through community consultation with any project you would like funded. This was therefore a two way process between Simon and I. This also meant I could help him. Simon’s consultation involved the Parish Council, parents, existing players and management, sponsors and local businesses, in addition to local media who cover the club.

The club sponsors, among others, were consulted. Here is (from L to R): Club Chairman Alan Price, Berkeley Arms General Manager Steve Warne and Simon Jasinski

Once we had pinged a few emails to each other with lists of questions provided by me and answers provided by Simon we were in a position to write the bid. The SE Inspired Facilities application form is about eight out of ten in terms of grant forms – ten being the most difficult. Perhaps difficult is the wrong word but I mean this in terms of work you have to be put

into the overall application. The four main sections of the form are Need, Sustainability, Impact and Community Involvement. The grant also involved cash flow forecasts and a detailed specific Sports Development Plan (SDP). The SDP had to be very descriptive with named responsible people for each activity item and a timescale for delivery. Looking back you can’t just write this, you have to put in a lot of groundwork before you can create a SDP for your club. This was of course all done by Simon and his club and not by me. I did however have an input to writing the four main sections and provided Simon with some useful templates from my previous applications, and knowledge from my experiences.

“...Bosham FC and Simon Jasinski can serve as a role model to us all...” Now Bosham FC and Simon Jasinski can certainly serve as a role model to us all as not only have they applied for the SE grant they are looking into other grants and fundraising ideas. They are applying to become a Charter Standard Community Club and for Community Amateur Sports Club

status. These will all in turn raise revenue for the club. As the commercial manager, Simon, has also secured local business sponsorship for the club in addition to looking at ways in which they can make in-house savings, such as switching energy providers. They have a lot going on and are looking for more and this is how clubs can really improve there facilities in a short space of time with the drive of his committee and Simon prepared to put in the effort the future is looking good for Bosham FC. New under 12 and under 16 teams will provide the club with a new source of local talent for their two Senior teams which will provide a player progression route. This forms part of Simon’s second grant application to Grow the Game. This is a three year phased grant, that I have previously had experience with a similar phased grant with the basis of the application to increase participation. This is a great grant as it covers all start up costs of new teams including course fees, match fees, kit, training equipment, venue hire etc. This again will be a step in the right direction for Bosham F.C. and help raise their profile in the area further. They also have the advantage of a professionallooking and regularly updated website that Simon administers. You

need to check this out at www.BoshamFC.co.uk, as it really is very impressive and includes a club shop. Simon will find out on March 21st if he has been successful with his SE grant that will be used to renovate the clubhouse and improve the ground facilities and amenities. Having had an input I think it was a very good application that stands a great chance of being supported. There is a lot of work that has already been done at the club by Simon, his Chairman and committee. I do hope that the bid is backed by SE and that they fund the much needed and evidenced renovations and improvements. This really is a bid that should be supported if there is any justice, and would probably also cap the best month in Simon’s life, since his girlfriend is also due to give birth to their first child around the same time! The grant would really be the first step to set the club in the right direction, and I’m sure give everybody at the club a real lift. Good luck Simon.

If you know of a cricket or football club that you think could host our panels, please feel free to tell them about us and what we do. We are also on the look out for leagues that want to spread the word of Grassroot Media so again, if you know any then please ask them to get in touch, the more clubs we have on board, the easier it is to sell to advertisers and the more money we can make for each club. www.grassrootmedia.com Tel: 0800 8 20 21 22 Mob: 07795 49 59 69 Email: info@grassrootmedia.com

Bish bosh Bosham F.C. - come on England be a Sport and deliver please – they deserve it.

We make money for football and cricket clubs by putting frames up in changing rooms, selling the space and then paying a rent for you letting us do it. It is easy, does not cost the clubs a penny and all you have to do is take a photo each month of the posters once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve changed them (we send them out in the post to you).

If you would like to find out more about what we do at Grassroot Media: Go to our website www.grassrootmedia.com Call 0800 8 20 21 22 or 01992 27 44 27 Email info@grassrootmedia.com Be part of the team...

The Secret Non-League Footballer Each month we print an article from the excellent Secret Footballer website – you can see more at www.thesecretfootballer.com

Extra money? That’s a real bonus

and perhaps kickstart their season. However, it’s not quite that simple. The inexperienced owner hadn’t quite read the small print before presenting his players with such a large carrot. Tan had contravened the Premier League rules with his offer as the bonuses should have been outlined before the season had started.

This week has seen the revelation that Vincent Tan, the controversial owner of Cardiff City, offered his players £3.7 million in bonuses if the team managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

On the face of it, not a bad incentive for the players – one which could drive on a few of them

The Premier Leagues rule states: “Full details of a player’s remuneration, including all benefits to which he is entitled, whether in cash or in kind, shall be set out in his contract. The terms of a contract between a club and a player shall be strictly adhered to.” Clearly, the rules have been broken here. It comes as no surprise that the offer was soon withdrawn in order to avoid any

investigation, which could have resulted in a club fine or points deduction.

“...Firstly, there is the common bonus sheet, which is presented by the manager and passed around the changing room...” I have been involved with bonuses, with which a chairman entices players to the club or persuades them to stay. Firstly, there is the common bonus sheet, which is presented by the manager and passed around the changing-room. Players discuss whether the bonus is the right figure to accept. In between, there is some negotiation, which usually comes from the club captain via the gaffer. Then the bonuses are agreed. These are paid out either at Christmas, for the team night out, or at the end of the season. It is quite customary for players to receive the money on a pro-rata basis, based on how many appearances they have made. Some players say this is unfair.

I have been at both ends of the spectrum. I have spent most of the season on the sidelines and finished the season with just ten appearances, resulting in only a few hundred quid, as opposed to those who cashed in a couple of grand after accumulating more than 40 appearances. On the other hand, depending on the bonus agreement, some players who are either out of favour or there for back-up – and may play only half a dozen games – may take home the same amount as someone who has played every minute of every game that season.

Call it harsh but, nonetheless, this is how it can work sometimes. In this instance, the dressing-room can be full of mixed emotions come the end of the campaign. Inevitably, a few players are upset.

“...If we were promoted, we would be whisked away to Las Vegas. All paid for, of course...”

At one of my former clubs, we had a team meeting and suggested an incentive for the chairman to give Web: thesecretfootballer.com Twitter: @tsfnonleague Facebook: /TSFootballer

us – if we reached the play-offs. We also had another – if we gained promotion. We decided that if we reached play-offs, we would be taken to Magaluf in the summer. And if we were promoted, we would be whisked away to Las Vegas. All paid for, of course. This is pretty much mandatory at most clubs, who set themselves targets and something to work towards. This incentive is agreed behind closed doors and not something that is leaked, unlike Tan’s recent antics.

Without the possible big payday, it means the players’ motivation can be reduced to just playing for a new contract. I know for a fact that if I was to walk into the changing-room tomorrow morning and the gaffer was there with the chairman to offer us a cash bonus for avoiding relegation, it would make players play an extra ten to 20 per cent better in every game until the last breath of the season. I genuinely believe the majority of players want to play at the highest level possible and win trophies.

His offer went straight into the tabloids, unsurprisingly.

Furthermore, playing at the highest level results in being paid more.

That said, the regulation introduced by the Premier League is designed purely to prevent owners operating financial inducements to motivate players and other staff outside of their existing agreements.

“...Playing at the highest level results in being paid more...”

Let’s set the record straight. As I have stated in previous articles, players are motivated by money. If there is no incentive to win silverware – in Cardiff’s latest case, it is a question solely of survival in the Premier League – then where is the focus?

But as soon as a player is given the opportunity to make additional money, subconsciously they will have that extra spring in their step, the bit between their teeth, to ultimately secure the points that are required to receive that bonus.

Web: thesecretfootballer.com Twitter: @tsfnonleague Facebook: /TSFootballer

It’s all money related, after all. There was one owner within the non-league game who gave huge incentives to the players … but never kept his promises. This owner would be hungry and desperate for FA Cup runs, as this is where he knew the money would be made. In addition, he would bring players in on loan approaching the big games and his instructions to the management staff would be, simply, shit or bust. I remember a rumour in the dressing-room a few years ago that he used most of the Cup money on gambling. A keen poker player, he would attend professional events and use the money made from the team’s Cup run.

“...a Tenerife trip was dashed when he said the club had in financial problems...” When his team suggested a teambonding day out at Cheltenham racecourse, he would dismiss the idea, explaining how he didn’t condone betting by his players.

It then came as no surprise that he sacked a member of staff after losing an FA Cup tie against a Championship club. He was so money hungry that he took his frustration out on one of the firstteam coaches for making the “wrong” substitution.

Needless to say, his reputation in non-league was bad and he had tarnished the club’s history and name. Unfortunately for that team, their incentive of a trip to Tenerife was dashed when he claimed that the club was in financial problems. Presumably from his gambling addiction, certainly not the famous Cup run that they had enjoyed that season. As for Vincent Tan in South Wales, it’s obvious that many of his controversial decisions may come back to bite him on the backside sooner or later. It’s clear to see that we have yet another inexperienced foreign owner blighting the game. Tan’s lack of football knowledge has been well publicised and the fans of Cardiff haven’t taken to him as he would of liked. Despite the huge money that he has thrown at the club, it has proved to be unsettling for the players and staff as the team hurtle towards relegation.

Web: thesecretfootballer.com Twitter: @tsfnonleague Facebook: /TSFootballer

Football First Aid

Sophie Hoskins from Physical Sports First Aid starts a new regular column giving us the lowdown on all things First Aid see more at www.physical-sports.co.uk

As you know, injuries are a fact of footballing life and adequate first aid provision is a key responsibility for all clubs. Every team should have access to first aid qualified personnel at games and training sessions and essential first aid equipment should be easily accessible. Of course prevention is better than cure and it is best to try to avoid injuries occurring in the first place. However, there will be occasions when a player requires first aid attention and for relatively minor injuries you can give very effective first aid if you know some basic principles. Proper first aid training is key and foundation courses are widely available in Basic Sports First Aid.

There are a few common injury types in football and most of these injuries are minor, such as muscle contusions (bruises) and sprains.

Fortunately, severe injuries are very rare, but it is important to have the right training to be able to recognise these and to get help quickly.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;...severe injuries are rare but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to recognise them and get help quickly...â&#x20AC;? Here is some basic information on the treatment of the most frequent injuries to occur in football: Bruises Treatment for minor bruises may include ice and elevation to limit internal bleeding. Immediately cooling and elevating the area will help to limit swelling by preventing fluid from collecting in the area.

Instant cold packs are a great way to provide rapid cold therapy to sports injuries. All you need to do is squeeze the bag, shake it up and the cold pack becomes very cold, very quickly. Instant cold packs are light, compact and require no refrigeration so they are ideal for use on the sideline – just keep them in your first aid kit or sports bag and pull one out when you need it.

The wound can be cleaned under running water or with a saline solution. Pat dry with a sterile dressing or clean lint-free cloth. If the cut or graze is bleeding heavily you should stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the area using a bandage or a dressing for about 20 minutes. If possible elevate the injury by propping the limb up so that it is above the level of the heart.

“...the best outcomes are achieved when an injury is cooled down immediately...”

Cover the cut temporarily while you clean the surrounding skin with soap and water and then pat dry the cleaned skin. Cover the cut completely with a sterile dressing or plaster to keep the wound clean.

The best outcomes are achieved when an injury is cooled down immediately – so the speed and convenience of an instant cold pack make them the best way to provide sideline cold therapy. Rest and preventing re-injury is essential for rapid recovery from bruising. Bleeding (cut, graze or scratch wounds) Proper care is essential to avoid infection or other complications when treating bleeding cuts. Wash and dry your hands then cover any cuts on your own hands and put on disposable gloves before treating the injury.

Muscle and joint injuries (strains and sprains) In the case of a muscle or joint injury on the field use the PRICE protocol as quickly as possible to minimise the effects of the injury. P.R.I.C.E. is an acronym for the most important elements in first aid of many injuries. P is for Protection – Prevent further damage by using padding and protection, such as crutches to avoid bearing weight on the injury, or splints to immobilise and support the injury. If a fracture or dislocation is suspected, try to stabilise and protect in the current position. R is for Rest - Allow the injury time

to heal, which is important even in the case of a minor injury, by ensuring that the injured body part is rested as soon as the injury has taken place. Continued exercise or other activity could cause further injury and stimulate bleeding, which will delay healing and may cause increased pain. I is for Ice - Applying cold to an injury will limit swelling, bleeding and tissue damage, which can improve recovery and reduce loss of function in the injured limb. Cold also has the welcome effect of numbing pain. Most first aid guidelines suggest using an ice pack for about 20 minutes at a time. After this time allow the skin to warm for 15 minutes then the ice can be reapplied. The pack may sit directly on the injured part, or it may be wrapped in place. C is for Compression Compression of the injury site will help to reduce the swelling by slowing bleeding and accumulation of fluid around the injury. Use a stretch bandage, such as cohesive or crepe, and begin wrapping below the injured area and extend above the injured area. Be careful not to wrap the area so tightly that the blood supply is impaired and check this every few minutes, because continued swelling can quickly cause excessive tightening of the compression.

E is for Elevation - Elevate the iced, compressed area in whatever way is most convenient to decrease swelling and pain at the injury site. An injured leg can be propped on solid objects or pillows. Elevate an injured arm by placing pillows under the arm, or placing them on the chest with the arm folded across. Tackle Injuries with stocked First Aid Kit

fully

Hopefully your club first aid kits will not see much action through the season, but if a situation ever arises where one is needed, being prepared will really come in handy. Being able to treat a player immediately is vital to ensure the best outcome from injury. Having a fully stocked first aid kit will help the team first aider safely treat minor injuries effectively and this helps to minimise the effects of injury.

Typically, the minimum recommended football first aid kit would contain:

• • • • • • •

Looking for:

TROPHIES AWARDS MEDALS SHIELDS SALVERS And want 30-40% off RRP? And free engraving? And free centre caps? Go to grassroottrophies.com Or email Mat at Grassroot Media on mcourt@grassrootmedia.com

• • • • • • • • • •

1 x Medium Dressing 1 x Large Dressing 2 x Triangular Bandage 1 x Eye Pad with Bandage 2 x Crepe Bandage 5cm x 4.5m 1 x Low Adherent Dressing 5cm x 5cm 1 x Low Adherent Dressing 10cm x 10cm 20 x Washproof Plasters 1 x Microporous Tape 2.5cm 6 x Safety Pins 1 x Instant Cold Pack 2 x Eye Wash Pod 20ml 2 x Clinical Waste Bag 1 x Foil Blanket 10 x Antiseptic Wipes 2 x Pair of Medical Gloves 1 x Pair of Scissors

Waiting until an injury occurs on the pitch is not the best time to discover you don’t have all the first aid items you need, so it’s important to be prepared with the right kit. The coach, or those responsible for the provision of first aid, should routinely inspect the first aid kits to ensure that they are fully stocked.

Club Sustainability With Andy Carmichael

Andy Carmichael from www.sustainablecricket.com gives us more food for thought on sustainability and grassroots sport.

How do you measure the environmental impact of a sport? The standard for environmental management, ISO14001, requires identification of an organisation's 'significant impacts', yet an American study that interviewed facility managers in 2010 (Mallen et al) yielded comments such as the impracticability of measuring these factors in the sports industry. Why? Hosting sport involves use of water, energy, fuel, chemicals, in fact the noted turfgrass author James Beard highlights the disproportionate use of such things along with disruption of the landscape and the unnecessary consumption of time, funds and resources. He was clearly doing so to emphasise how sport has no divine right to exist regardless of the world around it, even more so given recent climatic developments. That is why major

events now have associated plans for negating their environmental impact. I'm looking at the London 2012 sustainability plan now, it has 103 pages (electronically of course, why waste paper...). So it's simple then, just don't bother playing this year, instead spend the time writing hundred page reports....well obviously not, at the scale most of us operate there's no need to produce that volume of words (no matter how appealing compared with watching some of the painfully slow batsmen I know...). Instead I would look to apply some of the guiding elements of environmental auditing with a degree of realism towards the pressures we are all under in a mainly volunteer environment. If I was on the committee of Old Grassrootians FC, for example, what I would do is walk round the facility, inside and out, looking at things, prodding stuff and

generally poking my nose in, particularly in the vicinity of anything that attracts comments such as 'there's nothing much to see in there'. Writing down the main themes of environmental sustainability; water, energy, fuel, chemicals, waste, recycling et al and then noting findings next to each is a good way of staying organised, as is a plan of the facility, some older style cricket clubhouses have odd little rooms with long forgotten purposes.

“...look at everything and ask “what is this doing?...” I would look at everything and ask myself; what is this doing? is it being wasteful? (dripping taps, lights on all day in toilet blocks, televisions on permanent standby, etc) is it doing anything that pollutes? (washing turf machinery next to a public drain, oily rags in the general waste bins) and is this illegal? Whilst we want sustainability action to be positive and to make the club more profitable it has to be acknowledged that there might be one or two things going on that are, shall we say, not quite complying with the correct

procedure. You may be completely unaware of this, as a number of clubs found out when visited a few years ago by inspectors regarding the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and ordered to install measures preventing backflow. Obviously if it pollutes and/or is illegal (and the two are usually synonymous) you need to stop it. Saving a few hundred pounds by carefully managing your water use could easily be wiped out by being fined a few thousand pounds for tipping something nasty down the drain and making life unpleasant for the rest of us. For everything else consider the scale and the potential impact of what is going on, that will help you determine whether action is necessary. That is why the data from your meters is invaluable.

“...buying brand new efficient shower heads is not particularly sensible if the boiler doesn’t work...” Buying brand new efficient shower heads for the changing rooms is not particularly sensible if the last

time a shower was taken was ten years ago because the boiler's been playing up since then (can you get a grant for a new boiler though?). If the lights use pennies worth of electricity do you really need the clubhouse rewired?

Purchasing a push tap for the area the juniors use, and their unintentional tendency to leave things turned on however, might be a choice that pays for itself in hours. Facility improvements will cost you some money, and most clubs have to make choices, not everything can be done. A relatively simple audit can tell you where the best savings are to be made. Waste less by knowing more. You can find out more about Andyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in sustainability on his website www. sustainablecricket.com

The Grassroot Football & Cricket Groundsman

Ian Avery, Head of Grounds at Sutton Valence School talks you through what can be done to your football & cricket playing surfaces in March

Cricket: March Madness As I write this the sun is out and the hedges are beginning to leaf up and it feels like spring hopefully the worse of the weather is behind us and we can look forward to working on our grounds. With this warm and very wet winter we have suffered more from moss and worms and yes before the gardeners shout out on fine turf especially cricket squares casting worms are a pest. Although worms do a great job in the soil their casts can cause real problems on the square especially if you haven’t managed to brush regularly this year you may have mounds all over. Rolling them in is not a great solution as they smear

flattening the grass plant and producing the ideal seed bed for weeds. So on a dry day when the casts have dried out either use a drag mat or rake them off without damaging the playing surface keep the casts and dry out to use for repairs during the season.

If you’re left with bald patches lightly fork the area and over seed don’t forget to cover the seed with loam without leaving a hump.

“...with moss the best course is to treat with iron...” With moss the best course is to treat with iron either in a fertiliser as stated in last month’s article or treat with sulphate of iron just be careful as it can burn once it’s turned black rake it out and over

seed if needed. Once the grass is back to full strength this will help fight the moss. Once the ground temperature increases and the soil starts to firm up now is the time to start preseason rolling and like most clubs you only have the one roller that can’t be ballasted then either start by using a large cylinder mower without the blades engaged or by using your roller at its top safe speed with preseason rolling go across the playing direction. If when you start to roll you bring up water or the soil turns black come off and leave it to dry. Don’t panic if you can’t get on with the roller your do more harm rolling in poor conditions than delaying rolling until the ground is dry enough.

“...don’t roll on newly seeded areas... This will reduce germination...” One word of caution don’t roll on newly seeded areas as this will reduce germination and may cause shallow rooting once the grass has come through then gently roll the area the old style garden roller is best before moving onto mechanical rollers.

Football: Lines As with cricket guys hopefully the warmer and drier days are starting. As soon as you can, spike your pitch and do this once or twice a month depending on usage (this will open the surface, improve drainage & encourage growth). The other job that encourages growth and helps level the surface is harrowing, either with a chain harrow or if you lucky enough to a have one, a groomer. A couple of passes after a match saves forking back divots. If the grass has grown well don’t hesitate to mow at your normal height as this encourages growth and thickens the sward. It’s always a good idea to re-string the pitch after the winter just to check the lines are straight and measurements correct. If your pitch is used as a cricket outfield spread grass seed after the last few matches over the warn areas will give you a head start especially as the football season is likely to be extended this year. No doubt over the last few months you’ve had refs giving the go ahead on unfit pitches and having to repair damage but still leaving a pitch so much worse. If you have them, print off before and after pictures & frame them. If you have one put it in the refs room as a gentle reminder...

Get Your Players’ Nodgers Out We talk to Asher Nathan from Back Nodger on why it works and how this innovative new product can benefit your players.

If you’re one of our member football clubs you will have heard about Back Nodger through the posters you have up in your changing rooms. What we wanted to do here is show you a bit more detail on the product and why it should be in every kit bag.

After going to my first winter cricket net at the weekend (I know it’s late for my first one, I’ve been told off already), the day after I had incredibly sore shoulders and neck. I got my Back Nodger out and used it to good effect to get rid of the tension, aches and knots I had in all the places I’d normally not reach (and therefore would have ignored). And I was surprised by this genius invention; how simple it was to use and how noone has made it before! I definitely felt looser and less achey, but I was also surprised that it has a genuine cricket application. If I get any meaningful time in the middle this

season, I’ll definitely be using it the day after and if I was a bowler I’d imagine I would have even more use for it. Anyway, let’s get on with the chat with Asher.

Mat Court: What’s Nodging your knots all about? Asher Nathan: Back Nodger is a highly effective self-massager that helps you relax all those niggling knots that you can never quite get to with your own hands. We think it’s perfect for reaching around to massage aching shoulders, neck and back whilst sitting at your desk, infront of the TV or after a session at the gym. Massaging yourself has never been this easy...or addictive!

Looking for:

TROPHIES AWARDS MEDALS SHIELDS SALVERS And want 30-40% off RRP? And free engraving? And free centre caps? Go to grassroottrophies.com Or email Mat at Grassroot Media on mcourt@grassrootmedia.com

MC: What’s the background? AN: I actually designed it after slipping a disc in my lower back. It has been refined with the help of top sports physios to be a simple and effective method of at-home trigger point release; a technique used by therapists to release muscle tension in athletes. It’s had amazing endorsement from the trade and is now used by some of the most elite trainers in the world: "As a sports-physiotherapist working with some of the world's top tennis players, I find the Back Nodger great for releasing overworked shoulders and tight zones in the spine“ Stefan Duell (Professional Physio to tennis pros, Janko Tipsarevic, Mikhail Youzhny and the Serbian Davis Cup Team). "I am so impressed with this equipment I have been recommending it to help alleviate any aches or pains to come following our sessions. I also use it in between sessions to iron out knots“ Neil Johnson (Senior Trainer at Chelsea FC). You can find more testimonials from people in the business of keeping people fit on our website www.backnodger.com. MC: How do you use it? AN: Simply hook Back Nodger around your back or over your shoulder and find those tight spots you know you need to get to. Then relax, take a deep breath and apply some deep targeted pressure right into your knots for instant relief in just the right place.

Player Fitness Isaiah Barratt In his player fitness column this month, Isaiah Barratt looks at Vo2max, what it is, what it means and how players can train to increase it.

This month we are going to cover the subject of Vo2Max, what it is and how can we train to increase this and even test our own. Vo2 or Vo2max (the maximum rate of oxygen consumption) are important in the context of exercise because they are the measure of your body’s ability to generate ATP. ATP stands for the Adenosine Triphosphate that our bodies use at cellular level, ATP is the energy source allows your muscles to continue working while you are exercising. Vo2max is simply the maximum possible vo2 that any given person can achieve. Vo2max therefore measurement is ultimately a measure of your cardio respiratory fitness level. When exercising our ATP system can be generated without oxygen but only for short periods of time. There are certain tests we can do to measure this but we will cover this

subject later on in the article.

“...as exercise intensifies your vo2 increases...” As exercise intensifies your vo2 increases and if you continue to increase the intensity you will at some point, depending on how good your fitness is, will reach a point of maximal exertion. This is basically the point where you can no longer work harder than you already are. This point when you reach the point of maximal exertion is called your maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) and this is the volume of oxygen that your body is capable of consuming and converting to energy for your working muscles. There are factors that affect V02

Max and the limitations that restrict the rate in which your energy can be released aerobically, the chemical ability of the muscular cellular tissue system to use oxygen in breaking down fuels and the combined ability of cardiovascular and pulmonary systems to transport the oxygen to the muscles tissue system.

“...just because someone has a larger vo2max doesn’t mean they can automatically beat another person in a race...” A person who is fit and whose cardiorespiratory fitness level are high will have a higher vo2max than someone who is less fit. But it is important to realise that just because someone has a larger VO2max than someone else doesn’t mean that they can in theory beat them in, for example a Marathon. It does mean your body is more able to absorb and use oxygen to generate energy for your muscles and will therefore give you a greater edge though.

Here are a few ways you can improve you own VO2max fitness if you feel you are lagging behind everyone else round the pitch: 1. Run at maximum speed for 5 minutes. Note the distance covered in that time. Let us assume that the distance achieved is 1900 metres. Rest for 5 minutes, and then run the distance (1900 metres) 20% slower, in other words in 6 minutes, with 30 seconds rest, repeated many times. This is equal to your 10 Km pace. 2. Run at maximum speed for 4 minutes. Note the distance covered in that time. Rest for 4 minutes. In this case, we will assume you run a distance of 1500 metres. Now run the same distance 15% slower, in other words in 4 minutes 36 seconds, with 45 seconds rest, repeated several times. This approximates to a time between the athlete's 5 Km and 10 Km time. 3. Run at maximum effort for 3 minutes. Note the distance covered in that time. The distance covered is, say 1000 metres. Successive runs at that distance are taken 10% slower or at 3 minutes 18 seconds, with 60 seconds rest, repeated several times. This approximates to your 5 Km time.

4. Run at maximum effort for 5 minutes. Note the distance covered in that time. The distance covered is 1900 metres. Rest 5 minutes. The distance is now covered 5% slower with 1½ minutes rest. This is approximately 3K pace for you, i.e., 5 minutes 15 seconds/1900 metres. 5. Run at maximum effort for 3 minutes. The distance covered is 1100 metres. When recovered, the athlete then runs the same distance 5% slower, i.e., 3 minutes 9 seconds/1100 metres, with a minute rest, repeated several times. This is at 3 Km pace.

Here are some different ways to test what your current VO2max levels are, you can do a quick web search to find out more on each of them: • 2.4km Run Test • Astrand Treadmill test - VO2 max test running on a treadmill • Astrand 6 minute Cycle test VO2 max test on a static bike • Balke VO2 max test - suitable for endurance sports • Balke Incremental treadmill protocol test- VO2 max test on a treadmill (male and female tests) • Bruce Incremental treadmill protocol test- VO2 max test on a treadmill (male and female tests)

• Cooper VO2 max test - suitable for endurance sports • Conconi test • Critical Swim Speed - measure of a swimmers aerobic capacity • Home Step Test - a step test you can conduct at home • Harvard Step Test - measure of cardiovascular fitness • Multistage Fitness Test or Bleep test - VO2 max test for endurance sports • Queens College Step Test - VO2 max test • Rockport Fitness walking test VO2 max test • Tecumseh Step Test - measure of cardiovascular fitness • Treadmill VO2max test - VO2 max test • VO2 max from non-exercise data • VO2 max from a one mile jog • VO2 max from a race result (time for a distance) • VO2 max Step Test • Wheelchair VO2 max Test Thank you for taking a time to read my article and hope that you do find this information useful and helps with improving your performances in your chosen sport.

Best Regards Isaiah Barratt Personal Trainer

Sports psychology David Harrison from Pinnacle Performance looks at why talking to yourself isn’t necessarily the first sign of madness...

Self-Talk You’re not mad... Everyone talks to themselves! When you talk to yourself these are your conscious thoughts! So every athlete does it! These thoughts or self-talk can control the unconscious of the brain. This self-talk can be +ve or –ve (see Burton and Raedeke, 2008, chp.7). If self-talk is used correctly it can be very powerful as it can tap into your sub conscious and the beliefs you have because What is your head influences how you react and behave in sporting situations. How it works Negative thoughts lead to unproductive consequences so positive thoughts lead to productive consequences! The ABC model of Self Talk A = Activating Event (The situation you find yourself in, e.g. taking the

deciding penalty in a Playoff final) B = Beliefs about the event or what you think about between A and C. C = Emotional and Behavioural Consequences. What you would do in that situation? (e.g. blasting the penalty over the bar!) So be an Optimist, not a Pessimist. Remain realistic and objective and focus on the present. Make sure you see problems as challenges rather than threats and view successes as replicable and failures as feedback that will increase the chance of success next time. Make sure you concentrate on the process, not the end result and most of all Control the Controllables.

“...concentrate on the process, not the end result, and control the controllables...”

Negative thought patterns include: • • • • • • • • • •

Distorted Thinking Catastrophising Overgeneralisation Blaming Polarised thinking Irrational Beliefs Perfectionism Fear of failure Social approval Social comparison

All the above can be debilitating to an athlete's performance so to optimise self-talk we need to: Identify where you are now? So keep a diary or log of your thoughts and support this through observations in training and competition. Keep a count of your negative thoughts and then programme these and change them into positive thoughts. This is known as reframing where you change negative thoughts to positive thoughts. This can take a long time and requires practice. So when you get a negative thought record it and write it down. Look at this thought and rewrite in a positive way. Repeat it to yourself 10 times. Reference: Burton, D. and Raedeke, T. D. (2008) Sport Psychology for Coaches. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics.

We are performance enhancement company based in South Yorkshire, UK who specialise in team building and working with individuals and teams to maximise performance and chances of winning in sport, business, education and performing arts. Read our blog and get in touch by clicking one of the links below: Website Twitter Facebook

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List your clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Twitter account in here so everyone else can get following you. Only those clubs that are members of the network like yours are allowed on this list. To get listed just drop Mat a note at mcourt@grassrootmedia .com or on Twitter @grassrootmedia Grassroot Media recommends: @birminghamfa @fvhtweets @sussexcountyfa @meadonscricket @4grants @chance2shine @vscricketsn

Help players look after their skin while making money for your club We’ve found out about a new entrant to the sun block market, called Block Shop – and they’re keen to be stocked in your clubs – and you can make money out of it

I came across a company called Block Shop on LinkedIn – if you’re not on LinkedIn I’d recommend it, especially if you’re involved on the coaching side of things, yes there’s a lot of rubbish but every now and then you see something that’s incredibly useful. But I digress. I ended up having a chat with a new company called Block Shop about their zinc sun block and whether we could get it stocked in some of our clubs. Well James was already ahead of me and had already got the product in a few cricket clubs and the model was working well.

We all know the damage the sun can do to our and our kids’ skin, and it should work well being stocked behind your bars or elsewhere in your clubhouse; I remember constantly having to borrow other people’s when I’d forgotten to pick some up on the way to a match.

So I’ve agreed to promote the product to you, our clubs.

You can see a bit more detail on the page advert we’ve put in towards the front of the magazine, but you can always take a look at their website here: www.blockshop.co.uk or drop James an email on james@blockshop.co.uk or give him a call on 07900338863. They are also on Twitter @blockshop01

Being mostly blokes we are mostly pretty rubbish at remembering to buy things, especially products like sun block so I think that clubs stocking this is very much making the right product available to the right people at the right time.

The deal for you guys is quite simple, if you want to stock the product, you buy it at £2.50 per tub and then sell it to your players at the RRP of £5.95, or whatever other price you want.

Use grassrootmedia.com to showcase your sponsorship opportunities A quick update on an idea I’ve had to help you sell sponsorship and advertising in your clubs to local firms. I’ve imaginatively called it ‘Sponsor A Local Club’...

Just a quick reminder on the new “Sponsor A Local Club” page on the website we launched last month. We’ve got a few opportunities up on there but space for plenty more. What we’re trying to do is build up a portfolio of sponsorable opportunities that businesses can have a look through and hopefully find something they want to buy. I’ve no idea if it’s going to work but it feels like a good idea. I don’t want Grassroot Media to make anything out of it and all we’ll do is effectively put the idea in the shop window and then market the shop window. You guys will still need to talk directly with the companies that show an interest but my plan is that if we can get plenty of ideas on there I can go to organisations such as the Federation of Small Businesses, the Chamber of Commerce and other small business organisations and try to

get them spreading among their members.

the

word

So if you want to get your club listed up on there just drop me a line with what you want (try to keep it as short/punchy as possible) and one or two images and we’ll get you listed. We’ll never charge for it and will never look to take a cut of anything you end up selling off the back of it - that’s not what this is about. Instead it’s about promoting the fact that small businesses can really benefit from getting involved commercially with the one of the most important hubs of their local community, their sports clubs. If you’ve got any questions/comments/concerns please give me a shout in the usual way, you can see the page itself here: http://www.grassrootmedia.com/s ponsor-a-local-club

Club Funding News Each month we look at a scheme, grant, competition or anything else that we think could benefit our clubs and write about it.

Biffa Award, not a load of rubbish While I was walking Grassroot Media Dog I noticed a little logo on the village map – from ‘Biffa Award’. I thought nothing of it, just thinking it was another sponsorship deal from a company with a presence nearby and moved on to do my duties as a dog owner. Then I saw the same logo pop up on Twitter and thought I’d delve a little deeper. And it turns up it isn’t just a company doing a few little sponsorships, it’s a company that has a scheme, called Biffa Award, that I think our clubs could benefit from. So I had a chat with Gillian French, Programme Manager for Biffa Award for the award. This is what she had to say...

Biffa Award is a multi-million pound fund which awards grants to community and environmental projects across the UK. The fund's money comes from landfill tax credits donated by Biffa Waste Services. Biffa Award is managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) and has been awarding grants since 1997. To date, we have awarded more than £145 million to thousands of worthy projects. Often groups only need a small amount of money to make a difference to a local facility, be it a community building, nature reserve, cultural facility or outdoor space. The Small Grants Scheme offers quicker access to lower levels of funding to make these projects happen. Over the years, Biffa Award has supported hundreds of projects under the Small Grants Scheme. A continuously high number of

applications are received, resulting in strong competition when awarding funding.

“...we look to award grants to projects that provide or improve, among others, outdoor recreation...” Under the Main Grants scheme, we look to award grants to projects that provide or improve biodiversity, community spaces, cultural facilities, and places for outdoor recreation. You may have a building that needs improvement in order to increase the range of services on offer to the local community. You could have a sitebased project that is working to protect and enhance a species or habitat. Or maybe it’s an open space such as a park, play area or woodland that needs transforming to benefit local people of all ages. In a nutshell, we want to make sure that everyone has access to high quality local community facilities. The Small Grants Scheme allows groups to apply for between £250 and £10,000, (for projects with a total cost of less than £30,000) for their community projects. Over the years we have supported hundreds

of projects under the Small Grants Scheme, allowing groups relatively quick access to lower levels of funding. Our Main Grants Scheme offers grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 (for projects with a total cost of less than £200,000).

Competition is fierce as we continue to receive high numbers of applications for fantastic projects across the UK. The Small and Main Grants Scheme are rolling programmes, with applications invited throughout the year and no deadlines. Roehampton Cricket Club in southwest London received a £50,000 grant under Biffa Award’s Community Buildings theme, which will include the installation of a heating and insulation system to a timber framed and clad structure dating from 1919, and bring the existing changing facilities up to England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) standards. These changes will enable the club, which was established in 1842, to serve the current and future needs of its members and local community groups in a modern, warm and welcoming environment, for many years to come. Mark Boag, Roehampton Cricket

Club, Secretary, said: “The grant from Biffa Award to refurbish the clubhouse will provide players and members alike with a superb facility and will provide a modern and comfortable amenity for community based use.” At the 2013 Biffa Awards Crewe United Football and Social Club was named as winner of the ‘Recreation’ category for its ‘Crewe United Sports Zone’ project. In addition to winning a category prize, and having impressed Biffa Award’s independent judges, the project fought off tough competition from the winners of the other four categories to be crowned the overall winner for 2013. Crewe United is synonymous with football in Northern Ireland and the club name is now widely recognised both at home and abroad. The club based near Lisburn in Co Antrim has risen from humble beginnings and is now considered one of Ireland’s most progressive football clubs. Throughout the troubled history of Northern Ireland, Crewe has been a leading light in showing that sport can bring a commonality and shared interest that no other medium, and very few other clubs, could provide.

Over the past 30 years the club has worked hard to encourage more local people to take up sports, but due to limited facilities began to find itself unable to meet the growing demand. In 2011 the club was gifted a piece of land adjacent to the main facility with the remit to build a second multi-use sports pitch to be dedicated specifically to use by schools, youth clubs and sports clubs. With funding from Biffa Award, the club constructed a new sports pitch that has enhanced sporting activity and resulted in weekly user numbers topping 950, and an additional 20 groups now using the club. Below, images from Crewe Utd’s work resulting from their Biffa Award

The main criteria for applying for a Biffa Award grant are: • The project's site is within 10 miles of a Biffa operation (Check your project's postcode using the 'Postcode Checker' tab) • The project's site is also within 10 miles of a landfill site (To find your nearest landfill site, visit the Environment Agency website) • The project is eligible to be registered with ENTRUST under categories D, DA, and E • There will be a minimum of 104 days of full public access to the project per year

• Biffa Award is unable to fund retrospectively, so you should only apply for money for work that will take place in the future Please read all of the information on the About Our Funding pages for additional information and confirmation of what Biffa Award cannot fund.

If you have a project in mind, then please visit our website first to determine your eligibility, and read our Guidance Notes. You can now apply online via the Get Involved link: http://www.biffaaward.org/get-involved. If you need any further advice please contact our team – you can find contact details for the Grants Officer responsible for your region on our Contact Us page: http://www.biffaaward.org/contact-us. For inspiration, please visit the Projects page on our website: http://www.biffaaward.org/projects, where you can search for projects by theme or location. You can also visit the Extraordinary Stories page (http://www.biffaaward.org/rebuilding-biodiversitystory-1), where there are short films about some of our most outstanding projects.

Struggling to tweet live match updates from a mobile phone? The Match Minutes FC app helps insert hashtags, match time, score and player names. Fast, professional-looking match commentary during the game, clean records for writing match reports after the game. Available at http://matchminutesfc.com/the-app.html

Diary of a Flood Defence Officer (me) A regular feature from Mat Court on preparing for what are probably the worst kind of weather events to hit sports clubs: floods.

So, we actually had a game last night at Hertford Town. Great news. The pitch was still very heavy in places but it was good to see the pitch actually being used. So what have I done this month in my capacity as Flood Defence Officer? The most obvious thing I’ve done is to start building a permanent sandbag wall protecting the back of the club house - the issue is there are ventilation blocks underneath some decking which give water an easy way in to the clubhouse. As it is round the back of the club house we’ve agreed that a permanent wall could be kept there to save people time (and their backs) the next time the water comes as it’s going to take a minimum of 100 sandbags to build.

It’s not the Great Sandbag Wall of China I’m building, it just needs to be a foot tall and about 15 feet long

but now I’ve learned what makes a good sandbag wall (mainly having the sandbags laid out so one of the ends faces the water, not the sides).

Anyway, I’m about half way there (above) and will spend a couple more hours on it one evening this month to finish it off. The plan is to have a stockpile of sandbags on top of the wall that can be quickly laid out to join the end of the wall and come across the ramp to the clubhouse. Also stockpiled on top of the wall will be the required number of sandbags to cover up the other ventilation blocks around the club house (three per block

and a plastic bag. I also had a chat with a local builders merchant who came down to the club and had a look around to sanity check some of my plans. We have very old plumbing and drains and all that but we’ve come up with a creative & cheap way to stop water coming back up the pipes and in to the changing room area when we flood again. I’ll go in to more detail on this when I get the bits and bobs for it next month.

Other than that it’s all about building up the stockpile of sandbags. The big thing I’ve learned about filling sandbags is use the right scoop. I found a spade was too cumbersome and wore me out too quickly. An old dustpan did the job better but wasn’t particularly efficient due to sand sometimes spilling out when I was trying to get it in the bag. Then I came across the perfect solution: the scoop from my road’s salt/grit box. Using this I was able to put 1000kg of sand in sandbags in under two hours. Once you get the right tool and hit a rhythm you can do it very quickly so experiment a bit with getting the sand in and you’ll find you can actually start to enjoy it. Lily certainly did... (see picture)

So this month is all about filling up the remaining sandbags, and completing the Great Sandbag Wall of Hertford. I could do more on it, but why risk turning this project in to a chore? What I want to do is protect the club & ground from flooding from just one afternoon or evening’s worth of work a month. I can already see the progress and even with this small amount of work that’s been done so far we would have had less damage now if we were to be flooded again. But let’s hope it doesn’t happen for a while yet.

Andrew Beaven

This month Andrew Beaven, Coach at Oakfield Parkonians Cricket Club in Barkingside, Essex gives us his insight in to the culture of grassroots

Team building numbers and culture

Just eight. And Smith gives examples of teams that have been successful with contributions from an even smaller proportion of their players.

Your pre-season planning will be well in hand, now, I'm sure. Winter nets coming to a close, working parties planned to spruce up the pavilion and repair the sight screens.

Which is not to say that Sir Alex would ever have sent a team onto the pitch with only eight players, nor that the other three simply stood around for 90 minutes and did nothing.

Time to think about selecting the team for the first fixtures. How many players do you need? The obvious answer is 11, of course. But how many of them do you need to be in form and making a contribution each week?

We do definitely need 11 players. But what should we expect from the three or four who won't be scoring runs or taking wickets, and how do we prepare them to play that role?

In a typically insightful article [1], Ed Smith has investigated the numbers game. He quotes Sir Alex Ferguson as saying that he needed only eight players performing well to win a game.

Off-season practice, and preseason, should largely take care of technical preparation, perhaps supplemented by a friendly or two before competitive matches start (pitch availability, fixture list, and weather allowing).

The player who pulls off a stop on the boundary (or who simply stands still and lets the ball hit him, rather than jumping out of the way), or who stays at the crease long enough for someone else to make the winning runs, will be making just as important a contribution as the in-form player. Don't neglect your “bit part” players – they could win you more matches than you think!

“...‘bit-part’ players can win you more matches than you think...” And that is where a club's “culture” comes into play... Culture: the ideas, customs or social behaviour of a particular people or society Every club, every team, will have its own distinct culture, be it positive or negative, thriving or decidedly unhealthy. For the Club Captain, or the Chairman, or Committee, getting that culture right matters. Because it is culture that defines what a Club expects from its players, and what they expect from each other.

Culture can't be top-down. “This week, we will all play with a smile on our face...” - sorry, only if we are happy! But by agreeing standards of behaviour beforehand, you can avoid a lot of heartache as the season develops. What time to players turn up before the game? How often do they practice? (Do they practice at all?) Do you apply Aussie-style mental disintegration tactics, or something more subtle? Want your no. 11 to hold up an end in a tight finish? Will it help to pair up with a specialist batsman to work on technique and confidence? A team's culture will define this type of interaction, if you want it to. When culture goes wrong – buyin vs. compliance

There is a fascinating insight into team culture on the latest edition of the ECB Coaches Association Wings to Fly DVD [2]. Recorded before Andy Flower stood down as England Team Director, and the fall-out over Kevin Pietersen, the England management team for the recent Ashes tour (Flower, Ashley Giles, and Alistair Cook) all emphasise the importance of buyin to team culture – that everyone can contribute to establishing the

culture, but that once it has been agreed it is non-negotiable. Everyone toes the line, and begrudging compliance is not good enough – players are expected to “own” the culture. This level of engagement and ownership is itself a part of the culture, perhaps, and even successful teams might not achieve it, all the time.

Looking for:

TROPHIES AWARDS MEDALS SHIELDS SALVERS And want 30-40% off RRP? And free engraving? And free centre caps? Go to grassroottrophies.com Or email Mat at Grassroot Media on mcourt@grassrootmedia.com

According to Casey Stengel, longterm manager of the various New York baseball franchises: "The secret to success is keeping the guys who hate you away from the guys who haven't made up their minds yet.“ Clearly, Stengel did not expect buy-in...he just hoped to be able to find enough clear air for the players and coaching staff to get on with playing the game. What is good enough for your club? PS - I hope to publish some practical ideas on pre- and early season practice in the next issue [1] How Teams Really Work, Smith, Intelligent Life, Jan/Feb 2014 http://moreintelligentlife.co.uk/content /ideas/anonymous/sports-golden-mean [2] Wings to Fly, XI: Culture Matters (DVD - ECB Coaches Association, 2014). Best to speak to your club coach about this – he should be a member of ECB CA, and the DVD was sent to all members.

VS Cricket is a new social media service to cricket clubs, players and fans giving them the chance to discuss all things cricket from international level to local teams

Remember when Channel 4 broadcast the cricket and mambo no5 was what we listened to prior to start of play? Remember the ground breaking graphics and analysis that accompanied the telecasts? Well the company behind those stats and graphics has just launched a social network devoted to cricket and grass roots cricket clubs in particular. Virtual Spectator is an Australian based sports graphics company with offices in the UK and USA and is well placed to develop VSCricket.com, the cricket social network.

revenue share any advertising income back to the grass roots clubs that participate on the network. "The idea is obvious, most local clubs have strong links to their local communities and VSCricket.com now gives businesses in those communities a vehicle by which they can support their local clubs financially" said Peter Lamb, CEO VS Europe Ltd.

It is early days but it is hoped that VSCricket.com will become the Facebook of cricket. A welcome twist from a multinational company is that a core element of the network is to

A screen shot of a club page on vscricket.com

“... a core element of the network is to revenue share any advertising income back to the participating clubs...” Each club that wishes to can have their own page on VSCricket.com where people can interact, post photos, videos and links related to the club. On each club page there are advertising spots available and for just £10 per month, local businesses can sponsor their club. The business gets their ad seen by all who visit and use the page and the club gets much needed additional revenue (50%). The more people use the network, the greater value it will be to a sponsor. In addition, all clubs that are on VSCricket.com will automatically be entitled to a FREE Ipad based scoring system developed exclusively by Virtual Spectator for VSCricket.com.

If clubs score their games using this app, the scores will be

uploaded to the network and displayed in the form of batting and bowling cards on a clubs page. This has a number of benefits: .It means every team can see their results in professionally produced digital content .More people will visit the page every week to check stats .Sponsors will get their ad seen by a bigger audience .It gives the smallest of clubs the same scoring capabilities as broadcast TV The scoring app is due for release in April 2014. In addition to club pages, major series will be covered. For instance in the current Ashes series, Virtual Spectator has a pundit at every game who is posting match summaries and photos through the day. Feel free to go over to www.vscricket.com and have a look around and see what it could do for your club.

Flexible payment plans, spread the cost across the season or use your end of season Grassroot Media payments to pay for your kit - email or call Mat Court for details Long and short sleeves available Quotes from our product testers:

...the quality is excellent... ...comfortable, lightweight and look good... NOW IN SHORT SLEEVE TOO!!! Call: 0800 8 20 21 22

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