I made my feelings clear, that it was totally inappropriate for Mickey Arthur to use such words in any situation, but I was told, categorically, that these comments were not directed at loyal members and supporters, nor at those who express their considered and intelligent observations on here.
It was agreed that the wording was both unfortunate and inappropriate and this was tackled with Mickey straight away. In the heat of the moment he referred to individuals he knows who feel they have 'influence' and made unsubstantiated claims about certain topics. It was made clear by Tom that this was not aimed at me, at members nor contributors to this blog.
This is going to be the first item on next week's forum and the aim is to encourage an open dialogue with supporters, as Ryan Duckett said in his recent interview.
I think it is fair to say that if they did not want such a dialogue, they are under no obligation to hold the forum and might just wait for time to wash things away, which it may or may not do.
If you are going to that forum then feel free to make your thoughts known, but I can only speak for myself and say that I accept the explanation. Mickey was silly to air the comments and I hope that he has learned from the unfortunate, souring episode.
He is naturally bullish, but the time for that is when he has done something worthy of note. He hasn't done that yet at this level, so perhaps a touch more restraint and humility would go a long way, moving forward.
Despite what appeared in The Cricketer end of season review, which suggested that he is only contracted until the end of next year, I can confirm that he is tied to Derbyshire until the end of 2028. Unless something else happens which forces the issue, of course...
Anyway, moving on, the story from earlier in the week has now been confirmed and Aneurin Donald will play in the Big Bash this winter with Perth Scorchers.
I hope he does well and, like other Derbyshire supporters, will look out for their scores. Their first game is the tournament opener which is being held in... Chennai. No doubt hoping to capitalise on the massive interest in the game in India, but I hope that it is never replicated in the English game. It was a hard enough sell for Derbyshire to play a T20 game in Birmingham and I doubt they will run buses to Chennai...
Nye's game could be suited to the historically fast, bouncy pitches in Perth, once he gets used to them and he will be a strong addition to the side that won last year's competition and has the best overall record in the Big Bash, winning it six times.
I wish him well, as I am sure you all do.
This week I concluded my interview with Daryn Smit, which was absolutely fascinating. I am now in the process of transcribing it and look forward to publishing it in the not too distant future. I think you will find it every bit as interesting and enjoyable as I did.
Finally today, I was delighted to receive an email from Feedspot to say that the blog is ranked number seven in their assessment of UK-based cricket resources.
Apparently their lists are curated based on factors such as relevance to the category, content quality, activity, and overall influence. They consider a range of sources, including independent blogs, publications, and official websites, where relevant to the topic.
You can see the list here and I am pleased to be regarded in this kind of company, especially being a one-man operation and only writing about one county.
That's enough for today. This morning saw my big winter coat on for the first time, so the cricket season seems as far away as ever right now.
On the other hand, this week will see me playing walking cricket twice weekly until Christmas, which keeps me fit and ensures cricket remains in my life.
And it won't be long until the fixtures are out...
Have a good week!
I don't buy the explanation around ignorantgate for a second. And I think it telling that with MA jetting off with no apology forthcoming it's been left to the club to try and spin it less negatively. MA won't care in the slightest, clear a couple times now he has no respect for the club's fans. He'll be back next year to continue picking up his payslip despite on pitch mediocrity at best
ReplyDeleteChapel Guy
ReplyDeleteIn view of the strong views expressed on here about "Ignorantgate" , Steve, is it possible for you to repeat MA'S exact words? I think this would help us all to decide whether to accept this latest explanation or not.
He said 'In terms of the white noise outside, that doesn't bother me one iota... the criticism of the team and myself is ignored because it often comes from ignorant people who are unaware of the internal operations of our setup.'
DeleteWhilst I agree it’s probably not worth talking about anymore the clubs comments haven’t made it any better and reading his exact words he can only really be talking about supporters. Also to say he never takes notice of criticism is pretty dumb anyway. If I lived closer to Derby I still wouldn’t hand any money over to the club while a clown like him was in charge
DeleteFor me, officials in the club can say all that they want by way of an explanation or apology of the “ignorant” comment. But it is meaningless until MA explains or apologises. The fact that the club do not seem able to manage him to do so is very worrying.
ReplyDeleteMarkb
I do think that he needs to apologise for the whole saga at the member meeting. It was one entirely of his making, regardless of the intended target
DeletePersonally, I feel he should have come out and apologised himself. He made the situation and he should have managed it, not leave it to others to sort out his own mess.
ReplyDeleteI don’t buy it either; it’s not the first time he’s been so abrasive and - ultimately - rude in his comments. Leopards and spots spring to mind.
Chris in Shropshire.
Tom Skinner or anyone else at the club should not be having to explain MA's comments, he should have done it himself. If he felt it unnecessary to explain them, or didn't want to, they should have made it very clear he needed to....
ReplyDeleteGreat opportunity for Nye, and I look forward to seeing how he fares. Perth ought to suit him, a good showing there and some good performances for England, and you never know, the riches of the IPL might come calling.
Looking forward to the Smit interview, and rest assured we don't need Feedspot to remind us how good this blog is Steve! 😉
Tom Skinner's careful words - "the wording was both unfortunate and inappropriate" are what you would expect from a Marketing and Communications professional, and are probably as far as he can go if Mickey Arthur is not prepared to use the single word "Sorry". If he cannot be persuaded to apologise, it will continue to be a festering sore.
ReplyDeleteJust out of interest, did Tom Skinner reach out to you, or did you approach him?
Bit of both, David. I had got in touch to ask a couple of questions re the work ongoing at the ground and then we started to discuss the MA issue. He's a good bloke, as are the all the Media guys there and they certainly didn't need this additional work
DeleteIndeed - it reminds me of a politicians team attempting to "clarify" the politicians words when they say something ridiculous, or as in this case, insulting.
DeleteThank you Peakfan for this update. I’m afraid like other correspondents, I do not accept the response from the club. It is down to MA himself to stand up and apologise for his outrageous comment. The approach taken by the club is wrong and shows in my view that there is only one dominant voice that no one dares to challenge. No doubt this is the same scenario in the dressing room!! There is nothing wrong with a dominant voice by the way (Brian Clough & Alex Ferguson in football circles), however you need many other skills to be a leader of that calibre. They are not evident at Derbyshire!! Let’s home the Forum isn’t stage managed and a really open and honest debate ensues. Finally good luck Nye Donald.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear that the tail wags the dog at Derbyshire. 2 more years.
ReplyDeleteStill reminds me of a certain American president.
I hope that Donald does well for his own sake. I can't help thinking that success for him might mean him being poached from Derbyshire.
This blog is the best thing about DCCC. The club certainly give you plenty to talk about Peakfan!