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Edgbaston Cricket Centre Report by Errol Simms, Centre Manager
The Edgbaston Cricket Centre as always provides a
home mostly during the winter for the Club’s professional
staff, Academy, Emerging players’ squads and
Warwickshire cricket Board, as well as on the second floor
we have the offices for the ECB Coaches Association.
We have a wide range of users from the local
community visiting for their weekly training sessions during
the winter months; these include Cricket Clubs, Schools,
Colleges and local businesses. From time to time we have
the ECB Disability and Blind squad’s regional training
sessions, as well as ECB meetings, seminars and training
courses.
The winter period is the busiest time for the cricket
centre and not only did we have the above mentioned
users, the following was offered by the centre to the
community at large – Mini bears coaching sessions
which covers the 5 to 7 years old age group, one to one
coaching for one and all across the age groups and was
delivered to various levels of abilities, all these activities
remain very popular with our customers and thanks to all
our coaches who deliver these session on behalf of the
Edgbaston Cricket Centre.
The summer months is obviously the slowest period for
the centre but we kept it open be it on demand and this
proved to be very much a success, especially when the
weather was not too great.
During the Ashes series and the ODI against New
Zealand we provided training facilities’ for all three
International teams – England, New Zealand and Australia;
they were all impressed with the service and nets.
The centre operations from day to day depends on
good reliable staff and I would like to thank Tom Galloway,
Ray Baker, John Chaplin and John Ruston for their help
and support with the smooth running of the centre;
although at the end of September Tom Galloway retired
after 17 years at Edgbaston working mainly in the cricket
centre; I would like to wish him all the very best in the
coming years, however looking ahead we have appointed
a new member of staff to replace Tom; he is Andy Owen
who’s role will be Administration and Marketing within the
cricket centre.
In general the centre is looking much better in terms of
cleaner and brighter especially in reception, there is still
some way to go to with a view of having a well presented
International World class centre – so we will constantly
continue to refurbish as and when we can do so.
In closing I would like to thank all the customers who
have used the Edgbaston Cricket Centre throughout the
last 12 months, we thank you for your support and at times
patience and we will endeavour to provide the same and
better level of service.
Tom Galloway
Getting ready for 2016
Andy Owen returns to Edgbaston
