Messrs Faragher, Northfield and Bowden plus about 100 members, not surprisingly in celebratory mood.
Main topics were:
Players: The Bopara situation is "ongoing" and no more comment can be made. Siddle is signed for the whole of next season as are Delport and Zampa for the T20. Re Harmer, the biggest laugh of the evening was when he was said to be "transitioning",but this doesn't mean next season he will be known as Simone, but that the club are helping him acquire the appropriate visa to prolong his stay and (presumably) eventually qualify for England. (Nothing asked or said about RTD).
Fixture pattern for 2020: As expected, the CC will be crammed into the extremes of the season apart from one round in the middle (like the Kent game this year). After the first phase of the CC will come the T20 qualifiers, then a 6 week period for the 100 plus the 50 over comp, then the final phases of the T20 and the 100 and finally the last 3 or 4 rounds of the CC. We are considering outgrounds for the 50 over comp if as expected the County Ground hosts several womens' 100 and/or Womens ODI/T20 internationals. Very unlikely that we will have a mens' tourist match. No clarity yet how seeding in the CC will work but the better your recent results the harder your fixtures are likely to be.
The 100: JF tried to dispel fears about the reduction of counties from 18 to 10/8 as a long term ECB aim by saying that a 2/3rds majority of existing counties would be required for that to happen. The club is concerned about the balance between the 100 and T20 but JF thinks the ECB are still committed to the latter and aren't trying to wreck it. The broadcasting deal for the 100 is for 5 years and be split between Sky and BBC2 (the latter probably showing Friday night matches). Success would be gauged by advertising revenue (Sky) and ratings (BBC) as well as attendances. No limit on number of players a county could lose while the 100 is on, but we see it as a chance for younger players (eg R Patel) to come through in the 50 over matches. Although we will get £1.3m pa from the 100 that is gross, and DB thought the effect could be to turn a likely operating loss into perhaps £0.5m profit.
Next season's Champion county v MCC fixture will be in Galle, Sri Lanka starting on 24 March, our squad prior to that will be in Abu Dhabi.
Likely 50 over warm ups will be v Cambs and Suffolk.
Total prize money to the club (as distinct from the players) from the CC and T20 should be about £350K. The losses from home T20 washouts were covered by insurance.
Development/ground isssues: Biggest groan of the evening greeted the news that the substantial parts of this are off yet again, till the winter of 2021/2, because of the need to bid for ECB funds, but this current close season should see the replacement of the floodlights, the remodelling of the River entrance and refurb of the loos starting with the pavilion, and installation of two hybrid pitches. Seating at the River End to be cleaned. Not possible to put seats in front of the Sky platform at the other end (safety and camera angles were cited). Looking into special area for kids on the pavilion boundary for T20. No apologies for security inspections at the gates, these will continue but no reason for discourtesy by staff.
Promotion of the game in schools etc: work going on re the Leyton Hub (all counties are supposed to be developing these by we are the first to get one up and running) and working with local authorities to raise our profile in East London.
Essex as a "little" club (Simon Harmer's tongue in cheek remark quoted)-the response was, look at the record and the size of our membership and especially CC crowds. We are little in terms of a ground but that's all. JF ended with a vote of thanks to the members for their support.
I hope that's all, but no others will add to/correct the above as necessary.
