By Tyler Lewis
Dandenong District Cricket Association powerhouses Springvale South and Buckley Ridges have met to respectfully settle its indiscretions of recent seasons.
The two clubs have always been competitive and shared a healthy rivalry, but in recent times, the rivalry has toyed and then fallen across the line.
The Bloods and the Bucks have had a plethora of differences in the past, but have trickled over the boundary in recent years.
The clubs released a statement via its social media channels on Tuesday morning:
“Dear Supporters, on behalf of Buckley Ridges Cricket Club and Springvale South Cricket Club committees, we are addressing all club supports jointly to advice that we have met together as club representatives to discuss the several issues that have occurred between the two clubs over the past seasons, and how we can move forward together without incidence,” the statement read.
“The two clubs have jointly agreed that it is important that we provide a safer and more inclusive environment without incidents moving forward, and that whilst we respect the competitiveness of the players, that we also ensure that we remain respectful of each other off the ground.
“We are committed to change, and we are asking all supporters and players to adhere to some simple guidelines that will ensure that our club’s games will be competitive but enjoyable for all involved and that we can build an improved relationship moving forward”.
The requested guidelines are as follows:
“Ensure that there are no derogatory comments on social media regarding players and/or supporters of either clubs,” the statement read.
“Take responsibility for your own actions at the game and ensure that you behave in a respectful manner towards the opposition club, supporters and umpires.
“If you see your mate moving outside the guidelines, take a moment to pull him up and remind him of the required behaviour”.
The statement then concluded by encouraging the clubs to meet in unity after games for a cold drink and celebrate the talent both clubs have to offer on the field.
“We also encourage our supporters and players to support the opposition when you are a guest at their ground by enjoying a cold drink after the game and celebrating the game of cricket and the exciting players that we both have”.
Buckley Ridges president Sonny De Silva spoke to the Gazette after the statement was released on Tuesday morning, admitting it was time the two clubs ironed out its differences.
“Things have not been going well, there were some issues last year and then again this year,” De Silva said.
“At the start of the game (this year), I went up to ‘Quirky’ (Jason Quirk) and wished him well and said ‘let’s move forward’.
“They contacted us post that game because there was an incident that happened, they said let’s put out a joint statement, they came up with some ideas and we met,” he said.
De Silva was pleased the meeting occurred, and commended Springvale South for taking the first action to smooth things over.
“It should never be anything more than playing hard on the ground,” he said.
“Cricket is just a game, you come off and at the end of the day you have to respect each and every person no matter of what team they represent.
“You have to have fun and it is crazy that some of these boundaries have been crossed, I for one as president of Buckley won’t tolerate it (poor behaviour), there is historical issues and people just lose it.
“I feel I need to lead and take control from our end as much as possible, it was great that Springy South initiated this meeting and we have now joined in this to stand together.
“It’s great for cricket I think,” De Silva said.
Springvale South committee chairman Tim Cockayne also spoke to the Gazette and was in the process for both clubs joining arms in a smoother off-field relationship.
“Over a number of years there have been a number of incidents between more the supporters of the clubs,” he said.
“The relationship had deteriorated over a period of time and we just felt it was time it was corrected.
“They (Buckley Ridges) accepted the approach gleefully and agreed that it would be a great thing to sit down and correct that behaviour and make it better for all supporters.
“We moved positively together from that moment, it was actually a really simple exercise (because) we all wanted the same thing.
“We have a great respect for each other on the ground and we want to have a better respect for each other off the ground, both clubs are looking for the same thing.
“The guys at Buckley were fantastic, we agreed on a couple actions, one of them was to write that letter, the next was to speak to all our players about it, and the third was to put actions in place of words at the games,” Cockayne said.
Cockayne revealed the games are still ‘highly anticipated’ between the two clubs and – despite the issues – have still been enjoyable, but the clubs are just now working in arms to create a better off-field environment.
“They were always fun, always exciting and highly anticipated,” he said.
“Unfortunately there were always those side comments that were negative around the way those supporters spoke of the other club.
“We want to have a really strong and competitive game every time we play Buckley Ridges, we want to give them no quarter, but we can do that with respect.
“Both our clubs want to welcome families, wives and females to the games and this is just a step we need to take,” Cockayne said.
The Bucks and the Bloods are set to play this Sunday in the rescheduled opening round of the DDCA season.
