Previously a cornerstone of village cricket life, many clubs have witnessed a gradual disintegration of the family atmosphere that the recreational game was known for. How many clubs can now genuinely claim to be one of the leading social hubs in their community?

There are some great clubs who attract family supporters, have a thriving junior section, a busy social calendar and provide an all-inclusive second home, but many have ailing engagement levels. The most connected with their immediate environment are often the smaller village clubs off the beaten track, but many face a fight for survival. Junior matches are often well-supported, but it doesn’t always transcend to the seniors on a Saturday, owing in part to the alarming teenage drop-off rate. Last month’s Club Debate centred on how we can placate the modern player in club cricket’s ever-changing landscape. This month, it’s about the collective: Where have the families gone, how vital are they and how can we reengage the community?   

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Paying players, bigger clubs gobbling up smaller ones, a booming marketplace that breeds disloyalty, Premier Leagues and organisational restructures, dwindling participation figures, hectic lifestyles, societal and behavioural shifts – these factors have reshaped club cricket. “All these things eat away at the kind of family, community club environment, that used to be more prevalent,” says Simon Prodger, managing director of the National Cricket Conference. “It’s undoubtedly the case [that there’s a decline of family atmosphere] in a very large number of clubs.

“If you compare the memberships of clubs from 30 years ago to today, the make-up of the playing membership is entirely different. Many clubs do a remarkable job just keeping themselves tenable. There are many clubs who offer a strong family-based environment, but the tradition of grandad, dad and son playing for the same club is drying up.”

Michael Brown, president of Burnley CC, believes families must remain the heartbeat of any club. “Quite a lot of clubs inevitably revolve around families, but there’s less families around and involved in the spine of the club. Clubs aren’t seen as the social place they once were and there are all sort of societal reasons connected to that, including the changing roles of women and the tightening of drink-driving rules.”

A cricketing family can be extended beyond bloodlines, and a good club makes you feel part of a community. The junior section at my club has forged a tight-knit group; uniting the junior and senior section is less straightforward but the club has tried to foster cohesion and a clear pathway for young players. The rise of league cricket, declining on-field behaviour and societal shifts have caused dissensions among the cricketing family, but with many clubs and leagues set to merge over the next few years, a bitter divorce could swiftly be followed by a marriage of convenience. Our family must pull together in these uncertain times.

An ironic twist in the tale is that many fathers who had previously fallen through the cracks are returning to cricket because their sons are playing – a bi-product of flourishing junior sections, which never used to be on the same scale. The regeneration of club cricket is not just a daydream, but it must have family and community at its very heart.   

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Previous club debates:

https://www.wisden.com/stories/your-game/club-cricket/how-can-we-placate-the-modern-club-cricketer-club-debate

https://www.wisden.com/stories/your-game/club-cricket/club-debate-time-clubs-embraced-t20

https://www.wisden.com/stories/your-game/club-cricket/overseas-players-in-club-cricket-are-they-worth-the-risk-in-2018

https://www.wisden.com/stories/your-game/club-cricket/is-the-admin-burden-pushing-clubs-and-leagues-to-breaking-point