Fair point!

I was probably being unnecessarily kind!

From tonights E&S. One very interesting paragraph....

Meanwhile, Worcestershire have this week started benefiting from the new facilities at Malvern College. The club reported back for training this week, using the school's excellent new sports complex as their base. An impressive development it is, too.

At the risk of sounding churlish, however, it's not the same as an on-site indoor school. While players at similar-sized clubs - the likes of Northants or Leicestershire - are able to utilise their on-ground facilities whenever they like, Worcestershire's players need to work around the needs of the school's pupils and travel to Malvern five days a week.

Though the club point out - with some logic - that it's the sort of off-site facility used my most major football clubs, there's probably no substitute for an on-site gym and indoor centre. Sadly it remains probable that Worcestershire would need to leave New Road for that to become a reality. Sooner or later, such a scenario seems inevitable.

Still, the Malvern option is a vast improvement on last year. Then the team were bussed around the midlands to a variety of different venues. This is a step in the right direction.

It was also good to note the relaxed good humour of the team. There was no obvious hangover from the end of the season. and the squad appeared friendly and positive with one another. Kabir Ali, it should be noted, was not present as he is the only one of the squad not on a 12-month contract. It remains unclear whether he will ever play for Worcestershire again.

One man who certainly will is Vikram Solanki. Despite a chastening season, Solanki has confirmed his decision to remain as captain and will provide some much needed stability and experience on the field next season. "Yes, I had to think whether I wanted to carry on as captain," Solanki admitted, "but it wasn't actually that tough a decision.

"Look, last season was dire. I'm not going to deny it. But it's gone and there's nothing we can do about it.

"There were also some positives. Youngsters came in and took their opportunities and that excites me. These guys are, inevitably, the future of the club and I want to help them achieve their ambitions.

"When I thought about that, it wasn't such a difficult decision to carry on. I don't doubt that it will be hard, but anything worth having is hard and I'm really looking forward to it.”

Thanks Mick.

I do wish people will forget about this 'onsite' facility and move on. The football analogy is good. But more than that, surely it depends on where you live ? If all the players live in Worcester then yes, it might be a hassle going to Malvern. But some players might actually find Malvern is easier/quicker to get to. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Batty live Malvern way ?

Sadly it remains probable that Worcestershire would need to leave New Road for that to become a reality. Sooner or later, such a scenario seems inevitable.

Codswallop.

Agreed !!

This " indoor facilities " nonsense is a myth peddled by underperforming players last season, to attempt to disguise their woeful efforts. Not my fault boss !
Just think how many more Hicky could have got if only we'd had an " indoor facility " ?

Browsing in the newsagents, I came across the November issue of " SPIN ". With one of the cover headlines being " Why are Worcester so bad ? ", at £ 3.95, I had to find out ! Not that I felt that I was short of a few ideas !
GD's 3 page article seemed fair and balanced enough to me as he went through basically all the things that get mentioned on here. He may upset one or two though with his views, such as under topic no. 9 " Cosiness ", GD states " The sense persists of a club that could lose every game, but so long as tea were served on time in the Ladies' Pavilion, all would be forgiven " .

All in all though, I thought it was an informative and very good magazine.

But Dobel is sort of right. Several times last season I went to the Ladies Pavilion for Tea and Cake (yum yum) on a day when all had been disastrous. I would say to the lady or gent in front of me something like 'isn't this dreadful' and all I would get in reply was 'oh' it isn't too bad really' or 'I'm sure that we will do better in the second innings'.

I think that you have to accept that there are a lot of people who just go to snooze, do the Telegraph crossword, get away from their other half for a few hours, or just to eat cake. You can tell from the stampede when the doors open what they have been waiting for!

I think that one of the good things about us from my perspective is what others think is a bad thing- the ambience means that you aren't that upset at not winning.

I am currently selling the New Road experience to LadyWBB as a day of sun, breeze, blue skies, lager or shorts and lovely tea and cake in the afternoon...now, you may have noticed I left a little something out there... I've even told her to bring a sunhat and good book....

I think that that is a good point- that it 'never rains' on what we can offer. But others may think that that way breeds complacency- I can see what George wrote what he did.

....mind you, that's because the Bearpit is so irredeemably ugly that you need wins to take away your thoughts on the ground and the atmosphere- loudhailer required to talk to the bloke next to you on a Championship day in April or May!

WBB, you've hit the nail on the head there. Can there possibly be any ground in the world which can offer both players and spectators absolutely everything ? A cricket ground might 'lack' an indoor centre on site but there are so many other factors involved. And we have a lot of other positives that other clubs don't have which compensate.

As one of the ten most popular-to-visit grounds in the world there must be something people want to see at NR. Even if it isn't the home team..!

It's all very well rhapdodising about the ground, but surely the main point in WCCCs existence is to play competitive cricket, not to be a sideshow at a tourist attraction?

Erm- isn't that similar to what Derbyshire said after they lost their Grandstand?