2008 News
Friday March 2008 - PRESS RELEASE: Tricia Heard's Retirement
NIDDERDALE League Secretary Tricia Heard is looking forward to another busy summer of cricket, but after 16 years in charge the search for her successor has officially begun.
At the beginning of next year’s 2009 season, Tricia will begin her ‘phased and orderly retirement’, and hand over the reins to a new League Secretary before taking up a smaller role of Assistant Secretary.
The Nidderdale League are now on the hunt for someone who can take on the crucial role of making sure the League’s correspondence runs like clockwork.
At present, Tricia oversees virtually every administrative element of the league herself, but from next year her current job is to be divided between her replacement and her new role of Assistant Secretary.
In 2009 the new League Secretary will take on responsibility for general correspondence, minutes of Management Committees, Annual General Meetings and Pre-Season Meeting for captains, umpires and Management Committee as well as the preparation of agendas for such meetings.
Meanwhile, Tricia herself will continue to be responsible for all other secretarial duties such as player registrations including overseas players, Chairman’s undertakings, transfers and the match fixtures and results.
Another change in preparation for Tricia’s retirement is that this year the responsibility for the League Handbook and the compiling the averages for 2008 onwards have already been handed to a new Handbook Secretary.
But it is important that plans are in place as soon as possible to find the Secretary to take up the post in a year’s time and applications are invited from now onwards.
Since she took over the post in 1993, Tricia’s role has grown immeasurably.
As the first female league secretary and first female management committee member, she has overseen some incredible and pioneering changes to the League which has expanded from 46 clubs to 54, five divisions to eight and from 72 teams to 96.
It is also a virtually paper-free League, since switching to an on-line results and news service in 2005.
While she is ready to drop down her level of work, Tricia is determined to maintain her strong working relationships with every club.
“I don’t want the clubs to think that they can’t ring me because they still can, and that’s why I’m going to be the assistant secretary,” she said.
“I know people were worried that they might not be able to reach me but I’m still here to handle the results, answer questions and help if I can.
“It’s just time to start gradually dropping down the work until it’s time to finish.”
Current Assistant Secretary Erik Thompson added: “As far as the League is concerned the number of officials has grown and we’ve had to create new positions to reflect the changes as the years have gone on.
“In addition to that the League itself has grown very substantially and with every expansion the administration increases each time and needs to be kept under control.
“It works extremely well, and Tricia has done a fantastic job.
“The League management committee is 20 people and nearly all of them have a responsibility of some sort, be it child welfare, disciplinary panel - which is an indication of the amount of work that goes on but everybody does their bit.
“The job of the League Secretary is not a full time position, but it is quite a demanding amount of work.”
The ideal candidate would be someone who has retired from full time employment, but anyone who can balance a job and the workload of the Secretary would be more than welcome.
Although there is a certain amount of work involved, Tricia keen to stress the fun side to the job, which will be the perfect way for someone actively involved in Nidderdale cricket to continue their association with the league and keep in touch with old friends and adversaries, as well as keeping abreast of local developments in the game.
So what will Tricia do with all this extra time on her hands? Well, she won’t be putting her feet up that’s for sure.
As well as continuing to assist the new Secretary, and playing for new Nidderdale Domino League champions Half Moon, Tricia will remain very much a part of Nidderdale League life.
“I’ll continue to score for Pateley Bridge as that was how I first got into cricket,” she said.
“It’s a great way of getting out there and meeting the teams and different personalities. I’ve made an awful lot of good friends doing the job and it really is a great deal of fun.”
Anyone keen to be considered for the League Secretary’s job should contact Tricia Heard on (01423) 711488 or Erik Thompson on (01423) 564249.