Just issued today:
https://edgbaston.com/news/new-masterplan-and-levelling-up-fund-bid-to-transform-edgbaston-stadium/
It says: " Building on the success of the Birmingham Bears and Birmingham Phoenix brands, the proposed redevelopment will help to make sport and its associated health and wellbeing benefits more visible and connected to the local community." No mention of Warwickshire there; and I'm not sure how the Phoenix Brand that promotes Butterkist sweet popcorn fits in with health and wellbeing. Even so, it's an interesting and ambitious project.

It is a shame that Warwickshire continues to be omitted. Is it because Birmingham now sits in the county of West Midlands and it's felt Warwickshire is somewhere else? Perhaps the club should rename itself as West Midlands County Cricket Club !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It took long enough for the club to actually get Warwickshire County Cricket Club put on the front of the building. If they omit it now, they will make a big mistake as no one around knows it as anything to do with Birmingham, even people who don't like cricket, refer to us as 'The Warwick' or just Warwick' and the lack of association with Birmingham for the last 140 years is obvious. Also, I do wish the media would quit with the word, 'Community', it's tedious and it never relates to anything in particular apart from lazy journalism.

I agree with you Paul. Over here in Leics friends/neighbour always refer to me following Warks. never Birmingham or indeed anything else. I just wish Birmingham could be dropped from the T20 team and go back to naming the Birmingham end after one of the Warwickshire past heroes.
Incidently, apart from commentators does anyone call it the Birmingham End?

To me, the issue here is less one of naming and phrasing, and one of financing.

I was reading a blog post of someone on this forum who is an accountant - perhaps Reabank?? - who went into forensic detail about how the pavilion end was paid for (or indeed how it wasn't) and how it led to the conclusion that Warwickshire wasn't a very well run club compared to, presumably, Lancashire, Hampshire and Surrey.

Personally, I think they can describe it how they want if it leads to the club being in a healthier financial state through a profitable project. Too many elite sporting organisations in the West Midlands aren't.

They never seem to take into account the members/supporters preferences. They should keep it as Warwickshire.

With the Club still owing the City Council £20 million which they have no realistic hope of ever re-paying, it's not surprising that the Council can call the shots, even though it's unlikely that they would ever put the Club out of business by calling in the loan, because of the loss of a facility that brings so much money into the City on big match days. Hence both parties dance around the debt, pretending that it will be repaid one day. It's like the patient in the dentist's chair who, when the dentist starts his drill, reaches out and gently grasps the dentist's private parts, saying: "Now, we're not going to hurt each other, are we?"

Ha. The dentists analogy is a good one. I'll use that again. But that's entirely it. I'd take any amount of crazy naming, on the assumption the club is basically the same thing, so long as a Worcester Warriors RFC situation doesn't come up.

GerryShedd wrote:

With the Club still owing the City Council £20 million which they have no realistic hope of ever re-paying, it's not surprising that the Council can call the shots, even though it's unlikely that they would ever put the Club out of business by calling in the loan, because of the loss of a facility that brings so much money into the City on big match days. Hence both parties dance around the debt, pretending that it will be repaid one day. It's like the patient in the dentist's chair who, when the dentist starts his drill, reaches out and gently grasps the dentist's private parts, saying: "Now, we're not going to hurt each other, are we?"

It needs one of us to win the lottery, I'm sure if we offered to club a £20M low interest loan they'd make us feel very welcome.
Must admit a private box for life and a large credit towards catering and bar purchases would be a fair return on investment. :-)

Tayls79 wrote:

To me, the issue here is less one of naming and phrasing, and one of financing.

I was reading a blog post of someone on this forum who is an accountant - perhaps Reabank?? - who went into forensic detail about how the pavilion end was paid for (or indeed how it wasn't) and how it led to the conclusion that Warwickshire wasn't a very well run club compared to, presumably, Lancashire, Hampshire and Surrey.

Personally, I think they can describe it how they want if it leads to the club being in a healthier financial state through a profitable project. Too many elite sporting organisations in the West Midlands aren't.

Interesting, where could one find this blog post?

Don't know. But it was fascinating. It was definitely by a member of this forum who is an accountant. Basically went through all the clubs and how financially well-run they were. Warks didn't sound that great from memory. I think it was Reabank but can't work out if I can tag him or not.

Andy wrote:

Tayls79 wrote:

To me, the issue here is less one of naming and phrasing, and one of financing.

I was reading a blog post of someone on this forum who is an accountant - perhaps Reabank?? - who went into forensic detail about how the pavilion end was paid for (or indeed how it wasn't) and how it led to the conclusion that Warwickshire wasn't a very well run club compared to, presumably, Lancashire, Hampshire and Surrey.

Personally, I think they can describe it how they want if it leads to the club being in a healthier financial state through a profitable project. Too many elite sporting organisations in the West Midlands aren't.

Interesting, where could one find this blog post?

Reabank's analysis is here:
http://sideoncricket.blogspot.com/2022/01/warwickshire-2021-accounts.html

Thanks!

Ambitious plans:
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/what-edgbaston-stadium-could-look-25679038
The short answer to "what the stadium could look like in ten years" is "even less like a cricket ground than it does now".

Might be on my own on this one, but I’m of the opinion they can do what they want to the outside really. It’s become such a jumbled mess, at this point I’d just like it to look nice, and that it all belongs together, even if it doesn’t look particularly like a cricket ground.
I would however, like them to be more delicate with how they do the seating and the stands, and that they don’t make it a featureless ground that could be anywhere like Cardiff, or a modern monstrosity like Old Trafford.

Doesn't look that different to what they showed before. Presumably just an attempt to get central government money.

It's not great that they are calling the County Ground, Edgbaston as Edgbaston Stadium and that they acknowledge Birmingham but not the rest of the County.

To be fair, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard anyone refer to it as the County Ground, Edgbaston.

You're just not old enough, Exiled Bear! When I was a little boy, catching the number 1 or 1A bus from the College Arms to the match, I would say "County Ground" to the conductor, hand over my penny fare and off we would go!

Blimey we must have been on the same bus many times - I caught the 1a at the first stop in college road by Springfield Rd. in the mid 50s. I must admit though I can't remember what I said to the bus conductor (does E B know what they are!) but it would not have been Edgbaston because the reply would have been "where in Edgbaston"!
Do you remember the turnstyles to get in and the wooden benches in the Rea Bank Stand - always getting splinters because we wore short trousers!!!
Ah the memories -

Yes, the Rea Bank Stand, long before it became the Hollies.