A BIG THANK-YOU FROM THE CHAIRMAN

A huge thank you to all members of our great club who helped me celebrate my final Presentation Evening as Chairman on Friday at Roundwood and to those of you who contributed to the amazing gifts of a garden bench – with a cricketing theme – and a framed (and signed) Melton shirt. Thank you, also to Steve Clarke, Chris & Joey Greenslade and Chris Wright for your tributes on the night and to Maxine Rushton and Celia who did much of the organising.

Now I've had a couple of days to process everything and read all the tributes written in the card I feel really humbled and certainly most appreciated. As I said on the night, stepping aside after 39 years as Chairman, is going to be tough but the time is right and I'm pleased to hand the baton to others, particularly Chris Wright, to continue to take the club forward. It was certainly an emotional evening. Thanks again everybody.

Aside from me of course, there were lots of other presentations. Unfortunately Hugh Paterson was unable to attend to receive his two awards following an outstanding season that included 718 runs, including 3 centuries, and 15 wickets. Hugh won the First Team Player-of-the-Year Shield and the Aldous Special Award for the outstanding performance. A Team Player of the Year was Martyn Cook for his 473 runs and 18 wickets while the B Team Shield went to Imaad Khalid for the second successive season for his 659 runs and 19 catches/stumpings. Skipper Duncan Greenslade took the C Team Award for his 34 wickets while daughter Alice Greenslade was Woman & Senior Girls Player of the Year.

Another two of the club's most promising youngsters were also rewarded. Sam Davey‘s 173 runs, including 2 fifties made him Sunday Player of the Year while George Woodcock was the recipient of two awards, the Young (U17) Player of the Year Shield and the Most Improved Player Award. George started the season in the B Team but, after taking 10 wickets in just 40 overs for the As, he finished the season in the First Team taking a further 11 wickets for a final tally of 25.

Plaques for 300 appearances went to George Bunn and Ben Mann while Richard Wood passed the 200 milestone.

Kyle Weston received the Aldous Volunteer Shield for his work with the All Stars and Dynamos while Volunteer of the Year was Vice-Chairman Chris Wright who stood in for me when I was ill earlier this year and has really made his mark helping manage the pavilion project, assisting in attracting new sponsors and taking a leading role in the management of the bar as well as a host of other jobs.

Great Melton is such a big club and we are heavily dependant on our volunteers. Particular thanks are due to Groundsmen, Mike Phoenix and Grenville Ireland and my wife, Celia, all of whom have been with me all the way during my long tenure as Chairman. As well as Chris, special thanks are also due to the Rushton's, Matt and Maxine, new Club Captain Chris Greenslade, Treasurer Carl Fawkes and Fixture Secretary Chris McKay plus all the Committee Members, Captains and Managers for ensuring a very busy season of 179 matches played by 21 teams, was completed successfully.

Several officers are stepping down at the AGM. Thank you Richard Wood, Chris McKay, Celia (who's completed 14 years as Welfare Officer), Leo DeSalis and Trish Ellse for your hard work. So, we've got a few spaces to fill. Anybody interested in taking on the roles of Secretary, Fixture Secretary, Welfare Officer, Bar/Pavilion Manager, Women's Team Manager or Volunteer Coordinator, please get in touch with Chris or me.

Finally, a big thank you to our sponsors and Vice-Presidents for their continued support, especially our main sponsors Yellow Brick Mortgages and Alan Boswell Group. It was great that Lee and Chrissie Boswell were able to attend the evening and Lee presented the awards along with Chris Wright and Vice-President Barry Johnson.

If anybody took any other photo's on the night, especially of the presentations made to me, I would be very grateful if you could let me have them.

Thank you again.

Steve