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BCK, Olympic Stadium authorities, DCB and BFV pool resources to build 2 brand new Notts pitches on the Maifeld!
Copyright © 2012 Grafik-Sektor UG
After long and strenuous negotiations which lasted over twelve months, the DCB and the Berliner Cricket Kommittee have reached agreement with the Berlin sport authorities about the location where cricket will be played in future in Germany’s capital city.
Cricket has been played on Körnerplatz, near the Olympic Stadium, since the 1950s. The ground didn’t just have history, it also had character and a perfect cricketing ambience. It was only right that there was an outcry when the local Berlin government decided to stop cricket being played there last spring. The authorities claimed that the ground was too small and that it was dangerous for passers by or parked cars but the Berliners didn’t give up and they won their initial fight and could continue to play cricket there last summer. It was however clear that the long term future of Körnerplatz as a cricketing venue was in danger.
At the end of last summer a compromise was made. The Berlin authorities made the offer to the DCB and BCK to build two brand new pitches on the iconic Maifeld next to the Olympic Stadium. This offer gives Berlin cricket the chance to expand, offering more opportunities to local clubs to play cricket and also for themto offer programmes for young players and women.
In early April, just in time for the new season, ICC Europe’s sponsors, Notts Sport, will install two brand new pitches on the Maifeld. The Maifeld is famous for a number of reasons, primarily as the venue for the equestrian sports at the 1936 Olympic Games as well as being the press centre at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The atmosphere is also unique, with a view into the Olympic Stadium itself.
Berlin CC, the DCB and the BCK are delighted about this new development which gives us all a perspective to grow in the future.
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Young cricketers get into the swing of cricket
Young cricketers show off their winners' medals
Berlin CC teamed up with kids from the Quentin Blake School at the end of last year to get younger players involved in the game. After several months of training and indoor games, they were ready to venture out on to Körnerplatz, the home of cricket in Berlin.
Thanks to committed parent, Louise Tweedale, and trainers Hans and Martin (pictured above), 25 regular cricket players from the bilingual school in Dahlem took the field to practice what they'd learned throughout the winter. The opposition was a formidable but inexperienced team of parents whose strategy seemed to be filling the kids up with scones, cream cakes, biscuits, tea, orange juice and various other delicacies, until they weren't unable to run between the wickets.
After two hours of hard-fought cricket, the kids finally won by a seemingly tampered margin of 43 runs. Louise said afterwards, "Well, despite the score line I think everyone has had a lot of fun and hopefully we can make this a regular fixture with another youth team in Berlin." For the kids' team, demon opening bowler and modest top-5 batsman Mark noted, "If it hadn't been for my dad digging out all those yorkers I bowled - we would have won by at least an innings!"
Many thanks go to the parents who made the event so enjoyable and for your continued support for cricket at Quentin Blake and, of course, to Louise for coming up with the idea in the first place, and to Hans for his commitment in getting cricket into Berlin schools. Hopefully this will be the first of many such games eventually leading to a youth league with some of these players then going on to represent Berlin or even Germany! |
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After hours of meetings and a hugely successful media campaign that saw BCC featured prominently in major publications both in the UK and in Germany, the club is delighted to announce there will be cricket at Koernerplatz this season.
The fixture list has been rejigged and our season will start on 7th May in Dresden.
Huge thanks are due to several club members who gave up massive chunks of their spare time for the cause, as well as to those who turned out to pose for photos on the ground for journalists.
The club is also indebted to hundreds of cricket lovers from around the world who offered support online to the campaign, which had a huge impact on achieving an outcome acceptable to all sides.
Despite the unexpected shock to the system, the club remains in fine fettle and players have been working hard in winter nets to build on the momentum of last year's record season and successful tour to Australia.
Backed by new sponsors Qatar International Electrical Co., BCC is looking forward to defending its title as Berlin and German national champions.
We are always on the lookout for new players. We pride ourselves on playing a competitive but fun game of cricket, always followed by a couple of beers and a friendly chat.
If you are looking for a game, please contact us here |
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Berlin Cricket Club members are in shock at hearing the news that the city's only cricket pitch has been removed by the authorities. The dismantling began on Thursday of last week, shortly before the World Cup Cricket final, and means this season's matches on Körnerplatz are now in doubt.
 
(Photos: A. Wood)
As current German Champions, BCC sees it as its responsibility to play a role in fighting for the return of this ground to its rightful custodians, Berlin's cricket players. The club also fully supports the BCK in its efforts on the issue.
The Olympic Stadium authorities are trying to control entrance to the grounds by making people buy tickets. This is the real reason behind removing the pitch. It is sad that a sporting facility so stooped in history and so attractive to Berlin's tourism industry should be used for profit.
Martin Haynes, chairman of the Berlin Cricket Club says: "This is simply not cricket. When Germany is wrestling with its multi-culturalism debate, destroying a game enjoyed by hundreds of Berliners from all over the world, is a disastrous decision. Berliners and sports lovers from all over Germany should join us in trying to fight this decision and promote a crucial bastion of multi-kulti in Berlin."
Ashwin Prakash, member of the Berlin Cricket Club (2010 National Champions) and recent selection for the German National side, was particularly devastated by the news: "As the national sport of many countries, including India, England, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, cricket at Koernerplatz has been a real focal point for the multicultural community in Berlin. I find it particularly cruel that news that our beloved and only cricket ground has been ripped up on the eve of the World Cup final.
For more information - or for interview opportunities - please contact the Berlin Cricket Club committee here. |
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After yet another harsh Berlin winter, interspersed with a quick sojourn down under, the 2011 season is finally upon us. We are pleased, proud and prescient to announce that BCC will have a major sponsor for the 2011 season. The Qatar International Electrical Co. has been kind enough to support BCC throughout its first season as defending Berlin and German champions.
For more information about the company and its services, please visit: www.qiecoqatar.com
The 2011 fixture list has now been published and can be found in the latest fixtures section here on the front page. So, it's time to sand off those red marks from the edge of your bat, rehouse the hibernating hamsters from your cricket boots and start training for the 2011 season!
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Berlin CC are due to set off soon for their cricket tour of Australia - just in time to catch the final Ashes Test Match live in Sydney. For the 2010 German Club Champions it marks the second major international tour in two years, after the club headed to India at the start of 2009.
Over the past weeks, BCC players have been busy in winter training, getting ready for what promises to be a tough tour. While the Ashes has been enthralling viewing so far, the players are now hoping for some tough tussles themselves in their eight matches in Australia's eastern states.
The tour begins on the 3rd of January in Sydney and finishes in Melbourne on 19th January. There are four fixtures in Sydney, against district and sub-district clubs such as Mosman and Roseville, as well as a social game against I Zingari. In Melbourne the matches will be similar - the current German champions will take on social and regional clubs, such as Crusaders, Sunshine CC, Clifton Hill and Brunswick.
To stay up to date with the tour, feel free to look at our blog or join up to our Facebook fan site, which will regularly update from the tour. |
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