Club Focus – Managing a Merger, by the White Cliffs of Dover!

It can be hard to remember the days when Dover was a town which boasted one of the county cricket grounds – ‘The Crabble’. Famously the ground where Bill Ashdown scored 305* in 1935 and last used for first class cricket by Kent in 1976 in a County Championship match vs. Derbyshire.

Since the late ‘90s cricket has seen a decline across the Dover district, with access to facilities becoming increasingly difficult. Up until that point, Dover and Dover Rangers dominated the local scene for many years. The town club twice won the Kent Cricket League in the 1980s, with sides including overseas stars such as Lawrence Seeff and Eldine Baptiste, as well as Kent players Chris Penn and Derek Aslett. Justin Langer (Australia) also played at Crabble in the early 1990s.

In 2020, only a handful of clubs are now still going across the district with many based nearer to Deal. The last of the ‘town’ clubs, Dover Cosmopolitan merged with St Margaret’s in 2019. They hope to buck the trend and keep cricket going in Dover and the surrounding villages with the new club vision of bringing through youngsters to secure the local future of the game

We caught up with Ritchie Hulks (Chairman) to get some insights to how the merger has benefitted both sets of players, and some helpful hints for any clubs in similar positions.

Could you give us a brief overview of the main reasons the clubs decided to merge?

The main reason for the merger was to ensure that both clubs were in a stronger position than if they stayed separate.  Dover Cosmos were in danger of folding due to a lack of players, and whilst  St Margaret’s were not in as bad a situation, they could see a lack of players willing to play regularly as a big problem in the near future.

By merging, it was hoped that the players from both sides would play in stronger and more competitive teams, whether that be in the league or in a friendly.

The final reason for merging was to ensure the long-term survival of cricket in the town of Dover.  There is not one club in the town itself anymore.  There is only St Margaret’s, East Langdon and Shepherdswell within the immediate vicinity.

Who were the key members of each club that managed the merger?

Initially, Myself (RH), Tom Bird and John Stokes met informally to discuss initial ideas and a way forward.  John produced a document that set out the aims and objectives of the merger.  This was shared with members of both clubs before being voted on at respective AGMs.  It was a surprisingly straight forward venture.  When we formed the new committee, we ensured that it was a mix of members from both clubs.  Likewise, when thinking about captains, ensuring you appointed people that you knew would include all players from both clubs.

There were some members, who had been playing for their clubs for a very long time, that were wary about losing the identity of the clubs that they had known and loved for so long.  All of us agreed with what they were saying.  However, the alternative was possibly to not have any club left at all.

Were there any major issues with the merger and how were they resolved?

There were no real major issues.  Because of the open and frank discussions held at the very beginning, and the fact that members from each club had known each other for years, it helped build up the element of trust that is needed when doing something like this.  We also conducted a poll of the membership midway through our first season and the response of the members was overwhelmingly positive.

How has the merger benefitted the Club(s)?

Firstly, the merger has stabilised the club in the short term.  We have been able to continue to field two league teams on a Saturday and have more than enough players for a team on a Sunday.  Indeed, this year, in slightly unusual circumstances, we managed to field two sides on a Sunday.

Secondly, it has helped the club plan for the future.  We now have an U17, U11 and U9 team.  We host All Stars and will have Dynamos Cricket when it launches in 2021.  There is a clear pathway for youngsters to move up through the age levels before progressing to adult cricket if they wish to.

Finally, it has seen us have a greater number of volunteers.  There are more people assisting with ground maintenance, more coaches wishing to be involved in junior matches and more supporters at matches.

 What advice would you give to any other clubs that are thinking of or attempting to merge?

• Be clear in what you want to achieve. It really helped us by drawing up a document that stated what we would do around the main points
• Don’t get bogged down by small matters that stop the club from losing focus on what it is there to do – provide games of cricket!

• Get the right people with the correct personalities to hold key positions
• Know that at some point you will need to compromise
• Know that there will be issues that will need solving
• Also accept the fact that you will never please everyone!