DEL BOY ON RIGHT TRACK

'Cushty' point about away game SatNav

Lincolnshire cricket's very own Del Boy - Scunthorpe Town's Del Crabb - doesn't drive a yellow three-wheeler van, but he did make what the TV character might well call a "cushty" point about travelling to away matches during the Lincs League AGM in Market Rasen.
Our Del stressed the postcodes of all member clubs' grounds should be included in the 2010 league handbook - and be correctly listed - for the benefit of those Lincs League players using modern SatNav technology to get to away games.
During this summer, Lincs Cricket Latest reported how a SatNav-assisted contingent from Cleethorpes CC - heading for a ground in the Lincoln area - found themselves at the wrong location after a slight mix-up over the postcode.
League general secretary Mike Savage replied to Del's point by revealing some clubs had failed to update their handbook entries for up to three years, despite reminders. He urged everyone to check their entries and let him know any changes required.
Del's SatNav suggestion set me thinking about locating grounds under the old-fashioned system. Quite often, with Brigg having a young team of relative newcomers (plus one or two veteran exceptions), we'd meet up in the car park of the Black Bull and the designated car drivers would assume I knew the way. "We'll just follow Scoop," they'd say.
Sometimes it might have been 10, or even 20, years since I last visited a particular ground - but the lads still expected you to know the way.
I wonder how SatNav - clearly a wonderful invention - will cope with locating Brocklesby Park's ground. The nearest residence, with postcode, to that rural outpost will belong to a certain Peer of the Realm - the Earl of Yarborough, long-serving club president, who has made some appearances in friendly games (see their impressive website, administered by Richard Bedwell, for details).
Next season, if you play at Brocklesby, use SatNav for directions and find yourself drawing up outside a very impressive and historic mansion, don't disturb His Lordship - the ground's in the other direction!
Up to this season you might have had a little difficulty locating East Halton's home venue - past the silo, over the cattle grid, in a field at Townside Farm; but now the villagers have moved to play at Blossom Way, Immingham. So no problems there.
Whenever I go to Grimsby or Cleethorpes, I always remember the location of grounds while driving along. Like Carr Lane, once the home of Grimsby BRSA; Littlefields; Lucarly's/Findus/Club CC; Tioxide (near the big chimney). Plus what's now Stamford Homes, which many will remember in decades gone by as Laporte's and then SCM.
It's the same with Grimsby/Cleethorpes school grounds, some of which I'd have played on almost 40 years ago for Brigg Grammar.
Visits to an elderly relative on the outskirts of Lincoln take me within a few yards of Lincoln Lindum (where I covered so many Lincolnshire Minor Counties matches), and bring back memories of away games against Claytons, Southcliffe, St John's and Rustons. Auntie lives not far from Hykeham's ground, and back in the late 1970s Brigg had a trip or two round the outskirts of Lincoln to Waddington, when they were in Lincs div three.
Those of us on the Scunthorpe umpires' panel have to get ourselves to many locations, especially in the North Lindsey League, where our association covers almost all the matches in a 60-mile stretch from Grimsby Town and Cleethorpes on the east coast to Wheatley (near Retford) in the west.
I always like the drive across country from Brigg to Gainsborough, passing close to the grounds of Kirton Lindsey (no longer playing league cricket), and Blyton, who were stalwart members of this Sunday competition for many years.
Roses pulling out of the North Lindsey League this season was a shame, but Marshalls remain to fly the flag for Gainsborough, together with Morton, who have just enjoyed their first season in Lincs div three.
Occasionally, Scunthorpe umpires 'help out' neighbouring associations who are short of officials. So we may be offered unexpected games in the Bassetlaw League, or in the Lincoln area. In the latter category, two or three seasons ago, I went to Saxilby with Mick Walker, our fixture secretary, who fortunately was driving, as I'd never been there before, although they did have a team in the top half of the Lincs League back in the 1970s.
My biggest nightmare on the travel front to date has been trying to find Upton-Cum-Kexby (pictured here). AA Route Finder was little use once you got beyond Caenby Corner - it tries to send you by A-roads of motorways where possible. I covered mile after mile of single-track minor roads until finally - more by luck than good judgment - locating the ground.
Returning to the Lincs League, there was always a warm welcome and an enjoyable game to be had when visiting Skegness 2nds, when they were in the league, and Alford 2nds.
Both long drives south, but we never minded.
For a few years in the Humberside Alliance (now defunct) much interest was generated by the election of BP Aces and BP Chemicals, who shared a ground at Saltend on the far side of Hull and provided some very, very impressive cricket teas. Bridge tolls, for a time, were paid by Humberside County Council, under a sponsorship agreement, as the authority was keen to encourage integration of the North and South banks.