mad
Member
Malc wrote:
I’ve got 15 signatures at the game today.
Nice one Malc. Looks like they took notice of the growing surge of resentment at this.
Hi Andy
Please read this leaflet:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/1LLH_hmJymiMn_kgx62pJOSO7p-M-nNCo/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword
To sign the Warwickshire SGM request: please print and complete the form here
https://docs.google.com/file/d/10QtoMHr1YDFuHzDEMf9y8omTKpRd2ESx/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msword7
We need 250 signatures to call the meeting. Please take some spare copies to the ground if you are going to an event or at the county game on 12-15 September. Most members are not online. Many will not know about the threat to county cricket. Please take every chance to speak to people at the ground.
I will be at the ground on 12th September and encourage people to sign the petition that day before or after the members forum or you can complete it in advance and post it to Stuart Cain the CEO at Warwickshire. Alan will have a more strategic update to give in due course
Several people have copies of the forms now and they are available online we should easily reach 300 I reckon which will help if there has been any duplication. keep telling folks and get them signed. I was doing 10 signatures per sheet
This weeks grumbler is required reading everybody. A rallying cry if you will...
https://countycricket.substack.com/p/no-64-aug-24-the-grumblers-county
Especially concur with the following;
The Campaign to Save County Cricket
The ECB have lost sight of county cricket's loyal support (Cricketer)
Paul Edwards’ pieces always have a special poignancy.
In this one, he laments the deep division in the game at the moment. As do I, but at the same time, it is very galling that those who have treated the county game with such disrespect, and show no signs of stopping until it is stone dead, are now calling for calm.
We remember the original announcement, then the silence, the confusion, then the string of confused announcements, the people saying 'it's not for us' then the stories of a boardroom 'ambush' and NDAs. Then, of course, the realisation this year that we were right to be so fearful.
But, alas, such pieces, don't matter. The self-proclaimed ‘disruptors’ justify their carnage as a 'cost of business'. They sell the sizzle and then, like Teflon Tom Harrison, are out the door and banking their bonus before the price is truly paid.
It's not just cricket, it's business and, shamefully, it’s Britain.
We used to be better than this.
Well worth a listen to this podcast with Annie Chave and David Griffin - great hours worth of chewing the fat and clarifies a few things. According to David, the Derbyshire chairman will carry the will of the members to the ECB board as will the other chairs of the 15 member owned counties
Need to keep the pressure up though. Keep writing. Get those SGM's signed just in case
https://podvine.com/podcast/stumpsumpsandbeerpumps/chave-and-dave-a-county-cricket-special?time=3313
What many supporters are desperate for is a season that has a friendly, familiar rhythm and doesn’t change from year to year with competitions ripped up here and inserted there. It was only in 2017 that the number of Championship games fell from 16 to 14, and there has been recent tinkering with the size of the divisions and the number of teams promoted and relegated. The B&H Cup died in 2002, T20 began in 2003, the 40-over competition played its last in 2013, replaced by the Royal London Cup, which now runs in the shadow of the Hundred, which was born in 2021
Hallelujah
Anyone who hasn't yet signed the SGM forms will surely be there to sign it on the way into the forum on September 12th. The club must realise by the time the meeting starts we'll have around 350-400 signatures by then
Since there's a big gap now until the next game how about any recommendations for good reads on county cricket especially championship cricket.
Simon Chalke's Summers Crown from several years ago is very good
Here's another one which was reviewed earlier this summer I've not got round to reading yet
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/cricket/amateur-cricket/cricket-paul-edwards-30-years-24431674
Since there's a big gap now until the next game how about any recommendations for good reads on county cricket especially championship cricket.
Stephen Chalke's Summers Crown from several years ago is very good
Here's another one which was reviewed earlier this summer I've not got round to reading yet
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/cricket/amateur-cricket/cricket-paul-edwards-30-years-24431674
Warwickshire must reject these rushed proposals and instigate a proper 2 year consultation process.
Change must not be rushed through
Thanks for the link
Possibly my naivity but I have slightly more confidence in the committee acting in members interests
What needs to happen is Warwickshire reject the Strauss proposals and lead calls for a proper two-year consultation timeline starting now
This would necessitate no change for season 2023 and 2024
By close of season 2023 a decision needs to be reached as nobody is satisfied with the schedule - not members with the lack of summer / weekend cricket and not players with the uncertainty
Any changes can then be instigated in time for the start of the 2025 season - this would be the right and proper timescale for anything like this not just blindly following the mood music or panicking because of IPL etc...
At least that way there will have been the necessary time and emphasis on consultation and time for the counties to properly prepare sort contracts out etc... Instead of something cack handed being rushed through
Overall I enjoyed last year's campaign in this more 4 wins 4 defeats than this year 4 wins 1 tie 3 losses.
I think some of the youngsters burst onto the scene last year whereas I think some are just a bit too young this year. I have seen quite a bit of Hamza, Amir Khan, George Maddy and Kai Smith of late in B'ham league and 2nds fixs so maybe it's that
Today felt a bit more exciting being a crunch must win game and our fielding looked sharp especially early on. I think there are certain senior players in that middle order (not that old either) that look like they're in the final stages of their Bears careers - and it's showing in their carelessness in getting out - slapping to point when we just needed to go at 4's for ten overs not really what was wanted at that stage
Garrett still raw but maybe OHD moving (if at all true) may open up a slot for him
Several around collecting them today. Ought to be pretty close to 200 now plus the ones that'll be posted to the club.
Need to smash past 250 in case of any duplicates they'll check for. Should be do-able by the time of the Somerset championship game Day 1 by lunchtime when that forum starts.
I wonder if the club will alter it's posture like Lancs were forced to. Notts members have over 400 signed up to force the issue there. Warks won't want to be left the only ones not respecting member interests although that wouldn't surprise me much the way membership no's have fallen here since Dennis Amiss used to walk round chatting to the members engaging with them canvassing opinion. Nothing like that these days just a faux forum when they have something they've been hiding to finally reveal
Thanks
Just read sales of Blast tickets this year totalled 494,828 and was 481,113 lower than was achieved in 2019.
The 16.4 with all the marketing sucked up from other areas of the sport and the advantage of free to air and its near exclusive August slot has in 2022 sold / given away for free a total reported to be 500,000
The outrageous hype around a new format that hasn't developed a new audience, doesn't fill grounds to any degree but merely consolidates an existing audience around a smaller number of more easily controlled corporate entities.
Makes the SGM request imperative. It's one way of pressuring the board to act in members interests.
If 250 is the golden number it should be achievable maybe not tomorrow but within a week or so.
An entire sport being cannibalised in front of us. I wonder the ECB/Sky even slightly appreciate how toxic this is. l'd be very surprised if critical voices on this matter get airtime. The cats cradle of conflicting interests across cricket's governance and media is truly insane.
Needs government intervention but it's as bad in that place frankly
Several familiar faces are on that committee. It is still imperative we hold the club to account even at this late stage.
I can see a number of counties responding to members "it wasn't us they made us do it" type of response but that simply will not wash.
Such an underhand sneaky deceptive way to procede by the ECB this is and it ought to be brought to the attention of criminal barristers.
On the Somerset forum a member made the following point which I feel is very pertinent;
_~~Ultimately?
There may need to be another set of votes .. a vote to put the ECB back in its box as the servant of the counties, not their bosses.
If the ECB lose the vote on the Strauss changes, they will throw an epic tantrum and threaten to cut the central grant. At that point, it would be time for the counties to take back control - by voting to remove such powers from the ECB - to make it a purely distributive body without such executive power.
The ECB is supposed to be an administrative body, empowered by the counties to do things like arrange fixtures, provide umpires, set up a framework for administering the rules etc.
Of course, before the vote on the Strauss changes the ECB Will inevitably try to offer a bribe to get the vote through. If, however, multiple counties have been bound by their members to vote against, then the bribe may fail.
Realistically, the members of the various counties have probably acted 4 or so years too late. They needed to bind their counties to have voted against the franchise garbage and, if that had succeeded? We wouldn’t be in this mess now, plus the ECB~~ would be much better off financially._
What the ECB did to Durham given who was in charge at the ECB and based on his involvement at a rival northern county for hosting test matches was nothing short of a scandal and one which needs to be investigated.
Durham without whom England never have that rare position as no 1 test nation in the world around 2010-2012
Sad to see what has become of Durham. Pale shadow of their former selves. ECB largely responsible. Used to be a right old bogey team for Warks once they found their feet in the 1990's. The Warwickshire innings looked a bit too comfortable Sibley enjoying a net basically which hopefully bodes well for his last three games hurrah in the championship for him.
I've pretty much had my fill of white ball cricket now all very formulaic albeit good to see Hamza, Kai and George come in and not look out of place also Ethan to kick on now. Might get a bit more exciting if it's a must win do or die game next
So lancs CCC cancel the SGM and commit to giving their members the final say before they meet the ECB on September 20th. Have to say I don't trust them one bit nor the ECB
When and how do we as members get an opportunity to force Warwickshire to act in our interests on this and vote this blatant power grab down???
Lancs have also now updated via twitter
'The Club can confirm that one of the options on which Members may vote will be to retain the status quo. The vote will be recorded by Lancashire Cricket’s independent auditors.'
Game 4 - The u18's finally got a championship win today. After rain affecting Days 1+2 and beginning the day declaring Warwicks overnight 151-0 score Somerset were re-inserted and made 64-5 in 10 overs setting Warwickshire 366 to win in the remaining 85 overs.
They then piled up 367-4 in 79.2 overs winning by 6 wickets. Kidderminster opener Daniyal Khan carried his bat for 144. K&D's Amir Khan ahead of his call up to the squad traveling to Radlett tomorrow hit 82 and fellow clubman George Maddy 49
They now sit 4th on 41 points with one 3-day game still to play away to Worcestershire at Barnt Green August 30th to September 1st
There is also an EPP 2-day game next week at Portland Rd expected to be a Tuesday start tbc