Heyside start on minus points

HEYSIDE’S first and second teams will start the 2009 Saddleworth and District Cricket League season on minus 20 points.

The Little Hey Street outfit have also been hit by a £250 fine after they were found guilty of failing to control their players and spectators.

The money must be paid before Sunday, April 26, otherwise they will be prevented from starting the season and will also incur costs for failing to fulfil a fixture.

Heyside have had another £250 fine, as well as a 20-point penalty for both first and second teams, suspended until the end of season 2010.

The league have also withdrawn the club’s nomination for this season’s Barclays Wealth LCB Cup. They were due to play Edenfield in round one.

The league’s executive committee called Heyside officials to a disciplinary meeting to answer charges following events at last year’s Tanner and Moore Cup finals.

Heyside have also been threatened with expulsion and the league has recommended they put in place a stringent membership vetting procedure.

They have also been told to erect signs around the ground, which tells players and spectators that bad behaviour will not be tolerated.

The league have reserved the right to take further action on three Heyside players for items posted on the internet in the lead-up to the Tanner Cup final.

It was the second time that Heyside had been summoned before the league in relation to incidents at last season’s cup finals, both of which they won.

They were initially thrown out of the Tanner and Moore Cups and handed a £200 fine and points deduction, both of which were suspended until the end of the season. They were also withdrawn from the LCB Cup.

But Heyside, in their appeal, said there was no mention of a disciplinary hearing in the letter which called the club to appear in front of the league committee on December 17.

As a result, the league decided to convene a fresh hearing.