The Forums

Here we go again
By Grockle
October 3 2006

It's forum season, first the regionals and then the biggy - December comes so quick. The Taunton faithful tend to turn out for the main one but we don't get big crowds at the regional ones so if you have that burning question then the regionals are where to air it.

We spend our summers debating all those knotty questions about the county's perfromance or under-performance. The messageboard sings to demands for this that and the other.  Then around comes the opportunity to ask some of those vital questions to the people in positions of power face to face and ........no-one turns up.  For some this has been the worst season in 30 years. Will it be evident by the number of concerned supporters who come to ask why at the regional meetings I wonder?  Or will we have to wait until the membership numbers are reported for the 2007 season and see how many voeted with their feet and went off grumbling?  Well it's time to find out.

The regional meetings take place as follows;

Mid Somerset - The Elms Inn, Somerton Road, Street - 9 October - 8:00pm

Weston - W-S-M CC, Devonshire Road - 12 October - 7:30pm

Bath - Bath CC - 17 October - 7:45pm

Devon and Cornwall - The Devon Hotel, Exeter - 19 October - 7:30pm

North Somerset - Grove Sports Centre, St Mary's Grove, Nailsea - 23 October - 8:00pm

Taunton - SCCC - 24 October - 7:30pm

Bridgwater - The Rose and Crown, Nether Stowey - 31 October - 7:30pm

South Somerset - Yeovil Town FC, Yeovil - 2 November - 7:30

One way to get the attention of the men in charge is to show up with pertinent questions and require answers.  It shows you are unhappy and it shows you may consider your position.  The answers usually come and are usually frank and honest - at least in Taunton (but they've had a bit of practice by the time they get back to here).  The county does tour it's heartland and the least we could do is go and talk things through with them rather than leaving it to the odd committee man (and some are very) and members who sometimes are so dies in the wool they ask questions that stretch back a decade or more (although gone are the days of the persistent question about players moving the side screen).

Maybe it is time to become Peter Finch in the film "Network" - "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more"

Or maybe it's just time to ask the guys in charge why things went horribly wrong.  Or even if they believe they did.

You can't ask anything if you don't turn up and as the Aussies see it, maybe you don't deserve to question the decisions if you don't participate in the debate whenever possible?

I'll be there at the Taunton show and my open offer is there again.  If, because of location, you can't table a questiona dn you want it asking.  I'll try and table it or ask it at the Taunton event if you let me know what it is.

If you go to one of the regional AGM's and want to let us know what was said then please post on the forum and I'll report on the Taunton one at the end of the month and then the main AGM in late November/early Decmber.