Matt Summerhill stands down as chair at the League AGM

The first YCSPL Annual General Meeting took place on Monday 15 November at the Phoenix Sports & Social Club, Rotherham. 

 

At the meeting, it was announced that the League’s first chairman, Matt Summerhill, would be standing down from the position due to family reasons. Matt took on the role when the clubs voted to merge the YSPL and the SYSCL last autumn. Bringing together the two leagues, with their different cultures, against a background of Covid-19, which meant that Zoom calls replaced the more preferable face-to-face meetings, was a difficult task, but Matt undertook it with dignity, integrity and vision. It was not a position that he had sought, but the successful start to our league in 2021 is due in a large part to his leadership. We thank him for his huge contribution, and we are delighted that he has decided to carry on in his role as Competitions Manager. The League will continue to benefit from his enormous expertise in fixture arrangement, as well as his strategic thinking as a member of the League Executive Board. We wish him all the very best in what we know are very difficult times from his personal perspective. 

 

League Ambassador Terry Bentham informed the meeting that Senior Section Head David Ward had been proposed by the LEB as his replacement, and this was agreed by club delegates. David will combine the roles of League chairman and Senior Section Head, with the support of an otherwise unchanged LEB and the cricket committees. 

 

In other business, Premier Section Head Mark Beardshall presented a comprehensive report in which he highlighted improvement of facilities and continuing to increase participation through junior and womens’ and girls’ cricket as future priorities; David Ward reviewed the first season of the Senior Section, welcoming new clubs Ackworth, Hatfield Town, Sheffield University Staff and Stocksbridge; treasurer Ashley Boothman presented a very satisfactory first year’s accounts; and Equity & Diversity representative Nelson Windle gave a short summary of the group’s progress so far. A package of relatively minor rule amendments was agreed en bloc. 

 

The full notes of the meeting can be found here.