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Club faces a walkout

20/11/2002

SEVEN Thornham cricket club first team players are threatening to walk out on the club after a fall out with the club committee.

The seven, including first team captain Steve Grey, are protesting at the treatment of players by the committee.

The group of players also alleges that last season's club professional Nigel Doyle has not been contacted by the committee about a new contract.

Thornham chairman Dr Tony Crook said he was bitterly disappointed by the players' action.

He added: "The problem arises because Thornham took disciplinary action against one of the club's first team players who had an appalling record of offensive behaviour on the cricket field.

"Just before the end of the season the committee decided to cancel his membership. He's had a very up and down career at Thornham, but his behaviour got so offensive that there were several complaints made about him to the league management committee.

"His behaviour got so offensive that the chairman of Prestwich, who was also the chairman of the league disciplinary committee, resigned from that committee and the league management committee because he felt this fellow's behaviour towards his 16-year-old son was so disgusting.

"Consequently Thornham cancelled the player's membership, and these seven players are objecting to that."

Doctor Crook will be sorry to see the players go, if they do go.

Many of them have been at the club since their junior days.

But he said: "Thornham has always been a family club, and players must have high standards of behaviour on the field. I must say the seven players threatening to leave have all behaved immaculately. How they have managed to put up with this chap I can't understand."

The Thornham chairman also refuted the allegation that Doyle had not been offered a new contract.

He said: "We offered Nigel new and improved terms for next season around the second week in October. There was no intention of him not being offered a new contract. I believe Nigel has been approached by Middleton to replace Lee Wolstenholme who is leaving them to become professional for Clifton in the Bolton Association, and so far we have had no response to our offer."