The Yorkshire Evening Press cricket writer DAVID WARNER reflects on the year that swung Yorkshire County Cricket Club from kings to paupers...

Yorkshire chairman Geoff Cope insisted that he was offering no excuses for the team's dramatic plunge from county champions to relegation dunces in the space of one season.

But Cope did admit that he thought a player-protest early in the season over the late arrival of kit had contributed to the dreadful start which Yorkshire had made to their campaign.

When Yorkshire did not receive their new coloured clothing kit until the eve of the first Norwich Union League match at Taunton in May, several members of the side protested by going unshaven for a few days.

They were also upset that their original batch of 'whites' was not of the usual standard and that there was a delay in receiving county caps and sweaters.

Yorkshire's marketing department was in chaos early in the season, which was one of the factors behind the financial mess which led to last month's take-over of the club's affairs by 'The Gang of Four' and the extraordinary general meeting which increased the borrowing ceiling from £5million to £10m.

Now Yorkshire have a new chief executive in Costcutter chairman Colin Graves and a new financial boss in Ilkley-based Brian Bouttell, and the pair are actively engaged with president Robin Smith and Cope on putting the club on a fresh footing.

But it is Cope who is in charge of making sure that Yorkshire achieve instant promotion next season and he is spending the first few days of this week in private talks with the players over contracts.

Cope has already seen Darren Gough and acting captain Richard Blakey and he hopes to be able to announce the retained list before the weekend.

Although Cope is having to work to a budget approved by Graves and Bouttell, I understand that the cuts he will have to make to the playing staff may not be as deep as envisaged before the new regime took over.

It is appreciated that Yorkshire cannot prune too savagely if they are serious about an immediate return to Division One status in the Championship, particularly as several of their star names will again be absent for most of next season on Test duty.

Examining the reasons for Yorkshire's plummeting fortunes this season, Cope said: "After losing heavily to Surrey in the first match we went to Taunton where we lost the toss on a damp pitch and were put in and it was really a case of whoever batted first lost the game.

"At around this time the players made their own protests about the kit situation and this had the effect of them not concentrating solely on the cricket.

"Suddenly, we had lost two or three games and were then having to play 'catch up cricket' and we were not good enough early doors to succeed in doing that.

"I am convinced that if we had played as well in the first third of the season as we have done in the last third then there would have been no problem but other teams didn't give us a sniff and we didn't deserve one.

"It is quite true that relegation is hurting me greatly but we have no divine right to stay in Division One and now we must restore our Yorkshire pride by coming straight back up.

"One season in the lower flight is not too bad but the difference in standards in the two divisions is widening all the time and I am not prepared to let us go on languishing with the lesser county clubs for too long."

Cope said that new lines of communication now existed in the club and the players were being made fully aware of these.

"A good spirit exists within the club and those of us who are running it are determined that everyone understands the work which others are doing, whether they are players or on the office staff.

"Next March we intend to speak to all the players collectively and individually and tell them what we expect as well as listening carefully to any suggestions which they care to make."

Having reported on Yorkshire throughout the summer, it seems clear to me that at the start of the season the players missed the influence and discipline of sacked captain David Byas, who was pensioned off immediately after the team had won the Championship a year ago.

Byas, who went on to join Lancashire, was also missed for his runs contribution, but there were several other reasons why Yorkshire found it too hard to perform like County Champions should.

England's demands on their top players meant they were almost permanently without Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard, plus Craig White for much of the time.

Darren Gough played in half a Championship match before limping out with a recurrence of knee trouble and Yorkshire were also plagued by regular injuries to their other fast bowlers.

Matthew Wood's form fell apart so badly that Yorkshire rarely got their innings off to a good start and young openers Chris Taylor and Scott Richardson did nothing to demand a permanent place.

But the team did improve as the season wore on and coach Wayne Clark was finally able to afford a smile or two when Yorkshire came home from Lord's with the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

Updated: 11:37 Thursday, September 19, 2002