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MAD News & Occasional Blog

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“2024 Virtual Nets!”

An excellent opportunity for a winter social, catch-up and a few pints was the Sixes Cricket which opened recently at the Westgate in Oxford City Centre. Teams were split in two, with about an hour afforded to whacking the ball against scoring pads after being delivered by a virtual bowler. All good fun, with Messrs Reeves and Shorten the best of the best.

“2024 Nets!”

After the magnificent cricketing achievements of 2023, you are all cordially invited once more to rekindle your extraordinary abilities at Gosford Community Centre (OX5 2NU) in Kidlington in 2024. Nets will commence on Sunday, April 7 – running until the start of the season proper on April 28.

Nesting is likely to be £5+ per head with each session lasting approximately 90 minutes or until everyone is too shagged to continue. Dates and times are outlined below.

Date	Start	Finish
07 / 04 / 24	13:00	14:30
14 / 04 / 24	13:00	14:30
21 / 04 / 24	13:00	14:30

“2023 AGM!”

Another AGM, another trip to the Blue Room atop the St Aldates Tavern, and another chance for a good boozathon where the team celebrates themselves and those that have actually cut the mustard this season. Minutes and a report can be found at the footer of the relevant “Match Rambles” section of the website.

“2023 – MAD Return to Suffolk!”

Five years since sampling Suffolk hospitality and making a host of new friends, The MAD duly returned to reestablish acquaintances and get pissed in a variety of new pubs scattered around the county town of Ipswich. A memorable Tour featuring some very memorable weather, a great tribute to all those involved. We will return one day!

“2023 – Junior MAD Figure Skating Competition!”

After heavy recent rainfall and temperatures akin to those in the Ukraine, Brasenose College Sports Ground has moved quickly with preparations for Oxford’s purely fictional and often unreported Junior Figure Skating Competition. It is hoped ticket sales are good and the adjacent Tap Social pub can “tap” into a swell of hungry and thirsty punters.

“2022 – MAD Lose Rebranded Felix Roper Cup!”

After the tragic recent passing of Felix Roper (Isis CC) a rebranded Golf Cup was up for grabs. A summary of the day can be found at the footer of the “Match Rambles & Scorecards” as The MAD attempted to defend last year’s trophy.

“2022 – Tour to I-o-W a Sunkissed Bonanza!”

After many months in the planning, Team MAD made their way across the Solent to discover the hidden treasures of an Island where Gary Timms once lived and partied every weekend. The weather was great, the pastings were sublime, and The MAD even won a game of cricket which was nice. Top marks for all involved and who made it such a memorable experience.

“Some Batsmen Do Okay!”

Not since the mid-noughties have The MAD enjoyed a season of so many batting centurions, and two of these batters were actually playing for The MAD. Step forth James Bateman [subsequently buggered off to Australia] and Chris Williams [subsequently scored another one]. Reports of these astoundingly amazing deeds to the found amongst the “Match Rambles” as per usual.

“2021 MAD Win Golf Challenge Cup!”

After finally getting it on in at golf against neighbours Isis CC the previous year, a refigured FFTMCC ensemble caused shockwaves in amateur sport by going on to actually winning something under the banner “FFTMCC”. A summary of the day can be found at the footer of the “Match Rambles & Scorecards” of that year.

“2021 – Tour to Brighton Finally Happens!”

After a delay due to some bug spreading around the globe and killing everyone, The MAD finally got to Tour in Brighton. It was a revelatory affair where the team rediscovered drinking inside in groups and ordering at the bar. There was also some cricket and a write up of the matches and the obligatory ‘Player Ratings’ can be found in the usual “Match Rambles” section of the website.

“2020 Inaugural Golf Challenge Cup!”

After being muted for years, the Isis CC finally got in on at golf with the FFTMCC. The Golf Challenge Cup will hopefully roll on every year with the two teams taking it in turn to organise the day and nominate a charity to be the beneficiary of all surplus monies (The Maple Tree was this year’s recipient). A fun day out saw this year’s spoils going to the Isis CC, but next year…?

“2020 Season Finally Starts!”

Wednesday July 15 will forever be the date that was synonymous with the return of MAD cricket following the UK lockdown. With the ECB finally advancing their roadmap for cricket’s return in adapted form (Stage 3 to 4), those grumpy old men in their discoloured whites could finally get back out on those fields to bitch and moan.

“2020 Tour and Brasenose Sports Ground Cancelled!”

A double whammy of bad news for the FFTMCC on 24 June, as firstly news breaks about the cancellation of their much-maligned Tour to Brighton followed by the Oxford colleges deciding to cancel the use of their grounds for cricket for the remainder of the summer. So, no home games at Brasenose and no fun by the seaside… at least for this year.

“2020 Virtuality!”

Has it really come to this? A month into lockdown and Team MAD are now playing cricket… virtually, or at least having their skipper Mr Timms, devise cunning quizzes to occupy their shallow minds using the power of computers and an app called Zoom. This new cricketing format looks to continue into the year….

“2020 Season Suspended Indefinitely!”

2020 is shaping up to the worst season in the Club’s history with the ECB (England Wales Cricket Board) announcing on March 18 all recreational cricket to be suspended indefinitely due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Worse was to follow with the closure of pubs and restaurants on the evening of March 20, soon to be followed by the eventual lockdown of the UK on March 23. Then PM Boris Johnson got ill, very ill, recovered (just) and had a baby….

There are no defining dates in the calendar as to when things may return to normal or if the cricket season may be revived, so it looks like Mike Reeves gets to keep his Player of the Season trophy a little longer….

Elsewhere, David Emerson is holed up in Wallingford with all the necessary gear and protection for a protracted fight against the killer virus…. But just remember, club mates….

STAY SAFE!!! STAY MAD!!!

“2020 Floods!”

After a series of storms to blight the turn of the decade, the groundsman is now officially taking bookings for carp fishing down at Brasenose this season. There are various package deals available and equipment rental for those not yet established in the sport.

“2019 – Tour to Minehead!”

A fifth Tour of Duty to one of Somerset’s more iconic seaside resorts. The weather stayed great on the most part, the beer and cider flowed – and – The MAD won a game of cricket. Notable for people sleeping rough and putting most their alcohol on Jake Hotson’s hotel room, a write up of the matches and the obligatory ‘Player Ratings’ can be found in the usual “Match Rambles” section of the website.

“2018 AGM!”

The Far from the MCC’s 2018 Annual General Meeting was once again held in the refined quarters of the Blue Room, atop the St. Aldates Tavern in the centre of Oxford. It was the usual fare, whereby the club’s future and prosperity was mapped out diligently over the course of the evening as the team got plastered.

To read up on the minutes of an extremely well attended meeting, please navigate to the “2018 Match Reports” section of the website (footer), where you will find a link the details along with various photos from the evening.

“2018 – MAD Lose Another Friendly Cup Final!”

As the sands of cricketing time run out and knees become increasingly knackered, the FFTMCC reached and lost another Friendly Cup Final this time to Moreton CC. Kindly hosted by Horspath CC who had plenty of beer to sell, The MAD failed to chase down a wholly implausible total whilst the action was beamed around the world live on YouTube. A great day out nonetheless and played in excellent spirit throughout.

“2018 – Tour to Felixstowe!”

One of the most gloriously sunny MAD Tours in living memory, the sojourn to Suffolk’s famous town of Felixstowe was a belter. Nobody won yet everybody won with new friendships forged along the way. Notable for Delia Smith and a drone, a write up of the matches and the obligatory ‘Player Ratings’ can be found in the usual “Match Rambles” section of the website.

“2018 – Second MAD Book Launch!”

The Far from the MCC officially launched their second MAD book on Friday, July 6. Ten years after the previous incarnation lit up Oxfordshire in 2008, the Marsh Harrier pub once again played host as copies of ‘Never at This Level’ literally flew out the door (along with Gary Timms). A guaranteed best seller (at least within the team itself), the book charts the meteoric rise of a disparate pub team in 1998 to present day. Featuring full colour photos throughout and written contributions from several hands (some of it interesting), it can be yours for the paltry sum of just £10 + P&P. Details are on this website… somewhere….

“Bairstow Gets Batting Tips!”

Mike Ashley likes looking down on people, so here he is doing just that with help of some guy who is the spitting image of the guy who plays for England who is pretty good across all formats of the game.