It’s that time of year again – time to pay your annual subs.

 The good thing is – it means that the cricket season is almost here!

 During this off season we have been giving a lot of thought to how to implement the fairest system of payment that takes into account the individual circumstances of all our members.

 You will be pleased to know that we have been able to freeze the subs prices at the same level as last year and are offering an early bird discount to those who pay promptly.

 We have also introduced a number of different payment options that we hope will suit everybody who wants to play cricket for the club this year.

 One major change for the 2017 season is the removal of the ‘pay as you play’ option. This simply hasn’t worked in recent years. Some members have complained that it is prohibitively expensive and it is has also become an administrative burden for captains who have faced a number of issues collecting those payments.

 Instead there are now four options for you to consider as follows:

• All inclusive - £290 subs, no match fees (most economical for 16+ matches)
• Standard - £130 subs, £10/match (most economical for 11-15 matches)
• Reduced - £80 subs, £15/match (most economical for 6-10 matches)
• Casual - £50 subs, £20/match (most economical for 1-5 matches)

And please note - all of the above rates are halved for students/unemployed. Therefore, if you are in full time education or currently not working there will be a 50% reduction in these subs and match fees.

Please note - Juniors participating in adult matches will pay a flat fee of £5 per match in addition to their junior subscription as a contribution towards the cost of teas.

It is also important to note that if you do take the ‘reduced’ or ‘casual’ option initially and end up playing more than the allocated matches for that particular band you will then be automatically transferred onto the most economical option for you. We will be keeping a record of all matches played by members and will ensure that you are notified when you reach the threshold of your subscription.

Again, please remember there is no ‘pay as you play’ option this year – if you do not pay one of these subs options detailed above you will not be able to participate in any matches.

In recent years we have been fairly casual about collecting subs and match fees. However, given the pressing need for us to keep our club finances in good shape we are going be much stricter about keeping on top of things this season.

Captains will be instructed not to select players who have not paid their subs and players who do not pay their match fees on the day of a game will not be permitted to participate in future games until they have paid all outstanding fees.

Over the last few years we have seen the club’s finances reduce to a level that is concerning. You will have seen the efforts we have made in recent months to fundraise, which have been very successful, but we cannot get complacent – running an operation of this size is an expensive business and we are duty bound to protect our club not just for our current member’s enjoyment but for all the future generations of St Albans cricketers.

The payment platform to pay your subs is open now.  Please sign in to the website at www.stalbanscc.com with your log in details and the subs payment page will open automatically.

If for any reason the subs payment page does not open automatically please click on ‘pay subs’ on the right-hand side the top menu. There you will find all the payment options available to you and will be able to pay online.

The deadline for paying your subs if you want to be considered for selection from the start of the season is:  Sunday 30^th April 2017. 

An early bird discount of £10 will apply if you pay your subscriptions by 15^th April 2017

 For students/unemployed this early bird discount will be £5.

 Remember - If you do not pay your subs you will not be considered for selection.

I hope this is all clear but if you have any questions or need clarification please contact John Webber on herrwebber@gmail.com or on 07753 621020.

If you would like to discuss the possibility of spreading your payments over a number of months please contact John on the email or number above.

Thank you for your continued membership. Our club cannot exist without you and we are very grateful for your ongoing support.