Living in the past

ANDY BARTON: Upset at refusal to switch a league fixture.

Bamford seek new challenge

ANDY BARTON, the Bamford Fieldhouse captain, has accused the Armstrongs Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League of having an “archaic attitude”.

Barton’s blast was prompted by his side’s four-run defeat at Bootle in the regional final of the ECB National Knockout Cup.

He claimed the league’s refusal to switch the fixture against Greenfield, which meant Bamford had to give up home advantage against the Merseysiders, was the difference between winning and losing.

Bamford have made it known they are looking to join another league and have sent out more than a dozen letters to other competitions in Lancashire asking to be considered for entry if an opportunity arises.

Barton raged: “The league, because they refused to rearrange a game, cost us the tie.

“We would have beaten Bootle if the match had been on our ground.

“The ECB Knockout Cup is the most prestigious competition in local league cricket and I’ve spoken to a lot of people who have said it was a farce that the league didn’t allow us to change the fixture against Greenfield.

“Other leagues do it, so why can’t the Saddleworth League.

“It was an absolute disgrace and it’s about time the league moved into the real world.”

Bamford joined the league in 1994 and have won the title on four occasions, including three times in the last four years.

Leaders by 50 points, they are on course to claim the championship this season.

It is no surprise that Bamford are looking for new pastures as they applied to enter the Central Lancashire League in 2005 and 2006 but lost out to Monton and Weaste and Clifton, respectively.

A letter sent by Bamford to one league, said: “We have recently been disillusioned by the quality that we face week in week out in the Saddleworth League and would relish a sterner challenge”.

Barton went on: “Bamford are trying to enhance the league, but every time we take a step forward, the league knock us back and we’re getting fed up with it.

“We’ve provided the ground for an Inter-League game and also players for the side, but not any more. They’ll get nothing from us.

“We don’t want to move, but things have got to change. The league must move away from their archaic attitude.”

Reacting to Barton’s attack, league general secretary Trevor Harrison said: “There is no provision in the rules to change fixtures.

“We’ve also got to look after the interests of all the other clubs in the league, not just Bamford Fieldhouse, who enter the National Knockout Cup on a purely voluntary basis. It is not entered on merit.

“If Bamford want to make an issue of it, the correct procedure and place is to submit a rule-change proposal at the annual meeting where every club has a vote.

“The selection of players for the league team is actually done on merit and I don’t see how Bamford, as a club, can refuse permission for players to represent the league when the players are invited personally.

“Amateur players do not have a contract to play for Bamford, unless Mr Barton knows something I don’t.”