|
|
|
| Since
the ECGCF Inter-County Competition is based upon Real Counties, it is
important that there should be an understanding of the meaning and
importance of the term. The Real Counties have existed as such for around one thousand years, and longer in some cases. England was first divided into Counties by Alfred the Great, and until as recently as 1965 and 1974, these Counties were used as the main administrative units for local government. However, in these years, Acts of Parliament were passed which changed the local government boundaries so that in many cases they no longer coincided with the true and traditional County boundaries. Large administrative units such as "Greater Manchester", "Avon", "Humberside" etc. were set up. The government even tried (but mostly failed) to get us to call these silly units "counties". If we need to refer to these units, we shall do so as "keg counties" to indicate that they are not really counties at all, any more than "keg beer" is really beer. It is a matter of some significance that all but one of these keg counties have since been discontinued, all their functions having been taken over by Unitary authorities based on boroughs. Some of the Real Counties lost all function as administrative units in 1965 or 1974. But it is quite incorrect to say that Middlesex, Huntingdonshire, Westmorland or Rutland were "abolished". They remained, and always will remain, as particular parts of England, with their own boundaries, people, customs and culture. References 1. Book "The Real Counties of Britain" by Russell Grant, published by Virgin Press, ISBN 1_85227_479_4 2. Internet website of the Association of British Counties. 3. Map of the Real Counties of England, also those of Wales and Scotland. To play for a particular County in the ECGCF Inter-County competition, you must be qualified to do so. That means, essentially, that you must live, or have been born, within the boundaries of that County. Hopefully we shall eventually get teams from all or almost all of the Counties playing in our Competition. The table below is intended to give a little information about the Real Counties, (of which there are 40 including Monmouthshire) and how our ECGCF organisation is developing in each. Scroll down and click on the Real County that interests you. |