Essex Outfielder : The Unofficial Essex CCC Forum
Club Administration => Club Administration => Topic started by: essexfan548 on July 29, 2020, 12:31:22 PM
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Another forum tomorrow - questions invited.
"You are invited to join us ahead of the new 2020 campaign for a special pre-season Forum, alongside members of the Club Committee, Head Coach Anthony McGrath and Captain, Tom Westley.
This will be a chance to hear further information on Membership for 2020/21 seasons, plus find out the latest updates from the playing squad before the opening match of the season this weekend."
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Main Points .
Still no entry to Red or White ball games at Chelmsford , taking Goverment and ECB guidance , no guarantee to Heath and Safety at present .
Bob Willis Trophy final date - 1st week Oct possibly Lords .
No refunds -Memberships packs going out with options.
Live streaming this season plus Blast tickets / Guest tickets for next / shop vouchers .
20% discount on next seasons membership .
Membership 3,889 - 5th highest so refund puts severe hole finances .
Contact details released if in severe difficulties .
Cannot donate this season membership for gift aid has not charity status .
Players training condensed from 6 to 4 weeks , opportunity knocks for youngers to get places.
Simon Harmer requires ten years to qualify for England .
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Desperately poor "offer" ; hope the Committee are going to be held to account come re-election time!
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So basically for a normal member £197 this year for no cricket and( if no increase) with 20% discount it will be £157 for next season.
In effect members are expected to shell out £354 for a seasons cricket ..(if we are allowed to attend in 2021). Hmmm.
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There are also the Premier and Corporate members who not only have had no cricket they have paid £250 more with no chance of the hospitality and use of their facilities.
I would describe this as a rip off and the management need to be brought to account by EGM.
Anyone with me, or is everyone spineless.
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There are also the Premier and Corporate members who not only have had no cricket they have paid £250 more with no chance of the hospitality and use of their facilities.
I would describe this as a rip off and the management need to be brought to account by EGM.
Anyone with me, or is everyone spineless.
Take them to the (small claims) court. You're certain to win.
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And don't listen to any claims from the club that they can't afford it. The club can easily afford it but choose not to.
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I thought about the small claims court. I then thought just forget and walk away and do not come back until there are major changes in who is running the club.
This recent shutdown has proved what I said in the past that it would not take a very long time to forget about the club and all the personalities.
Has the club now seen how many Yearbooks were returned by Royal Mail?
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In my innocence i assumed with no live cricket to watch this year my membership will be carried over to next. So basically i have given the club £165 of my money for nothing other than a pin and an on line link. This is outrageous. if I had waited to renew in March i wouldn't have bothered due to the prevailing circumstances and I would be quids iin. Surely this is taking our money under false pretences. Is it even legal ? I'm speechless.
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Anyone with me, or is everyone spineless.
I'd be in ; how many do we need?
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I believe that it is at least 5% of the voting membership. Any organisation if it looks anyway likely to succeed would buy the membership off. An EGM does cost money. There have been threats in the past usually over playing and coaching performances. On this subject it may well have legs.
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How many members won't join next year out of principle. Members must be offered a refund or choice of 2021 membership.
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Absolutely not. ECCC is not run badly, it I know from personal experience that it is run by people who care and worry about ECCC, and it has been hit by a catastrophe not of its own making. It needs money. I am content for my subscription to count as a donation to keep my county cricket club functioning, so that it can continue to employ decent cricketers and indeed just exist. I am unlikely to watch Essex live this season but I do not mind. I am a pensioner and not wealthy. I was also born in the county and so I care profoundly whether ECCC survives. Gentlemen, please reconsider, and desist from this destructive hostility.
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I've trawled through other counties websites to see what they are doing - not complete but the best I can do. Please post corrections or updates:
Derbyshire: refund if they notify club by 14th August
Durham: options range from a full refund, to donation of the membership fee
Essex: no refund
Glamorgan: membership asked if they would prefer to donate their subscription to the club or receive a refund, with nearly 90% of respondents so far generously donating their 2020 fees to the Club.
Gloucestershire: Donate or rollover to next season
Kent: tbd
Lancashire: asking members to donate their 2020 fee
Leicestershire: Donate your 2020 membership or Defer your 2020 Membership or Receive a Refund on your 2020 Membership
Middlesex: tbd
Northamptonshire: Donate, roll over or refund [also option to put toward upgrade to Lifetime season ticket]
Nottinghamshire: tbd
Somerset: No refund
Surrey: tbd
Sussex: tbd
Warwickshire: donate or refund
Worcestershire: offering a digital subscription, roll over or refund
Yorkshire: tbd
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I thought we would just get the membership carried over to next season.
They have had the membership money in the bank, saved on wages by having the Government pay under the furlough scheme and perhaps the small business payments, and not had to pay out for stewards or free lunches for the committee.
I would not expect to get a refund this season, but only 20% off next season seems to be taking the ........mickey.
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Absolutely not. ECCC is not run badly, it I know from personal experience that it is run by people who care and worry about ECCC, and it has been hit by a catastrophe not of its own making. It needs money. I am content for my subscription to count as a donation to keep my county cricket club functioning, so that it can continue to employ decent cricketers and indeed just exist. I am unlikely to watch Essex live this season but I do not mind. I am a pensioner and not wealthy. I was also born in the county and so I care profoundly whether ECCC survives. Gentlemen, please reconsider, and desist from this destructive hostility.
I'm afraid you are defending the indefensible. You are free to donate money to the club but equally other members should be entitled to a refund if they want it. Also it's just plain bad PR from the club and ultimately self defeating. f the club had done the right thing then in future years many members would be more inclined to support the club financially.
A stupid decision.
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I thought that the Counties were going to have a common approach following their meeting today. There appears to be wide variation in what is being offered.
Essex CCC are no doubt pleased with themselves. Lets see how pleased they are when no one renews next season. Another option to Court action or an EGM, is to all have a (Geoff) boycott.
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No one cares more about the club than I do either and I would have been prepared to donate some or all of this year's membership but the 'compensation package' is derisory - pin badge anyone- and i am sure that in law there has to be an option for a refund. This is a desperately poor show all round. If Durham and Leicester - both in dire straights financially- can offer a refund why can't we?
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Steady on folks. The guest ticket offer for every day of the CC and 50 over means that a couple (or two friends or whatever) can just take out one membership for next season (with discount) and the other person gets in free. (Admittedly only one of them gets a free lunch...)
I don't blame people for feeling aggrieved, but we have to be realistic. This is an existential threat to the kind of county cricket we have all known for years. We have been told that to refund everyone this year would cost £450k, so those asking for a rollover are asking for that kind of cost to be incurred next year instead. The committee are trying to cope with an impossible situation over which they have no control.
I do however think they could offer some additional incentive to renew by direct debit, say an extra 10% off, because things could still look very uncertain by January when the d/ds fall due.
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Steady on folks. The guest ticket offer for every day of the CC and 50 over means that a couple (or two friends or whatever) can just take out one membership for next season (with discount) and the other person gets in free. (Admittedly only one of them gets a free lunch...)
I don't blame people for feeling aggrieved, but we have to be realistic. This is an existential threat to the kind of county cricket we have all known for years. We have been told that to refund everyone this year would cost £450k, so those asking for a rollover are asking for that kind of cost to be incurred next year instead. The committee are trying to cope with an impossible situation over which they have no control.
I do however think they could offer some additional incentive to renew by direct debit, say an extra 10% off, because things could still look very uncertain by January when the d/ds fall due.
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sorry but you are missing the point. The club had a choice, do the right thing by members...or do the wrong thing. They chose the latter. The club can afford £450k. They have financial reserves of more than £2m.
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So renew next January by direct debit and if it is the same situation get shafted again. There are a lot of people who have been left in a difficult financial situation and why should they be taken advantage of.
I look forward to the stream from the one fixed camera when if someone is caught in the deep you have no idea what has happened. Also if a six is hit you have to wait until the Umpire shows you.
I have no sympathy for the club by the way that they have acted.
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I anticipated that I would be banging my head against a brick wall. I notice we are not the only county not to be offering full refunds. My point of view is defensible and does not require to be patronised. As a member continuously for 54 years I am very glad and indeed relieved if the Club has £2m in reserve, and I am happy to add to that. I feel that someone has to contradict the negativity and bile of so many of these posts.
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Absolutely not. ECCC is not run badly, it I know from personal experience that it is run by people who care and worry about ECCC, and it has been hit by a catastrophe not of its own making. It needs money. I am content for my subscription to count as a donation to keep my county cricket club functioning, so that it can continue to employ decent cricketers and indeed just exist. I am unlikely to watch Essex live this season but I do not mind. I am a pensioner and not wealthy. I was also born in the county and so I care profoundly whether ECCC survives. Gentlemen, please reconsider, and desist from this destructive hostility.
I agree with you. Watching Essex has given me a lot of pleasure over the years and for me the important thing is that the club gets through this and can continue to play for years to come. I am quite happy to donate my membership. However I am reasonably well off and the membership fee is not even equal to one months saving on my over priced greater anglia season ticket. I realise others are not so fortunate.
However I do think it wrong that the club have not offered a choice. I think if they had followed Glamorgan’s example they would have had a similar response of 90% donations despite the evidence of the relatively small sample size of this forum.
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It is nice to see that people care about the club, shame that the club could not care about them.
Is there something more to this course of action? Is anything still hanging over the club regarding the ground development? Or is there some other financial black hole which is only known about in the committee room?
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It is nice to see that people care about the club, shame that the club could not care about them.
Is there something more to this course of action? Is anything still hanging over the club regarding the ground development? Or is there some other financial black hole which is only known about in the committee room?
I may not agree with Vim about refunds/discounts etc, but he does touch on a relevant point because nothing was said last night about the AGM and we have not seen the accounts. My guess would be that this may be because there is a debate about what sort of provision is needed to reflect the expected losses due to the virus. I agree we need to have a full picture of the finances, and this should happen in the normal way by a presentation of the accounts at the (no doubt virtual) AGM.
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Absolutely not. ECCC is not run badly, it I know from personal experience that it is run by people who care and worry about ECCC, and it has been hit by a catastrophe not of its own making. It needs money. I am content for my subscription to count as a donation to keep my county cricket club functioning, so that it can continue to employ decent cricketers and indeed just exist. I am unlikely to watch Essex live this season but I do not mind. I am a pensioner and not wealthy. I was also born in the county and so I care profoundly whether ECCC survives. Gentlemen, please reconsider, and desist from this destructive hostility.
Well said.
If any member can't afford to donate this year's subscription to the club all they have to do is send an email and they will get it back.
I have no problem with adding to the club's financial reserves at this time and will be renewing as soon as 2021 membership becomes available even if there is still a good chance of not getting in the ground in 2021.
I want the club to exist in 2030, 2040, 2050 etc and I am not bothered in the slightest about the club retaining my membership money for this year if that helps one tiny little bit, well that's money well spent as far as I'm concerned.
If you think otherwise fair enough I respect your opinion and would think nothing bad of you if you were to send that email to ask for your money back.
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I anticipated that I would be banging my head against a brick wall. I notice we are not the only county not to be offering full refunds. My point of view is defensible and does not require to be patronised. As a member continuously for 54 years I am very glad and indeed relieved if the Club has £2m in reserve, and I am happy to add to that. I feel that someone has to contradict the negativity and bile of so many of these posts.
Agree with you 100% I am very happy to do all I can to support a club who has especially over the last few years given me so much enjoyment I do not normally post but feel I must to counter some of the moaners on here
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This is No Change Essex encapsulated perfectly. As has been said by plenty, if you choose to donate your membership fee, that's fine, but it is your choice.
What ECCC have done is take away any choice, delivering a fait accompli. Unfortunately, it is how they operate. They do so due to inaction or any concerted response by members to a whole host of issues over a rather long period of time. On every occasion that members have collectively done nothing, the Club feel a little bit more emboldened.
Because ECCC have had a couple of years' of success on the field, should absolutely not absolve the Club from any blame for their policies and operations off of it.
I believe BBC Essex have their Cricket themed show on tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps those who feel strongly, either way should publicise this and perhaps get the Club to justify their policy.
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My circumstances is that as a Premier member I am more affected that most of the members. I have however received a letter from the club today advising that the additional fee that we pay to use the suite which is not part of the members enclosure will be refunded.
Todays announcement may have changed matters, but I wonder could Garon Park have been used for the BWT. There is enough room to get plenty of spaced out chairs in. Playing there would make the 20% discount appear to be more reasonable. For next season I feel it should be 80% discount 20% fee not the other way round.
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Message on the club website and FAQ. Doesn't get any better I'm afraid.
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Link to the article nat mentions: https://www.essexcricket.org.uk/2020/07/31/membership-update-for-2020-season/
It begins:
"Following the Pre-Season Forum with members of the Club’s Committee and Playing Staff that was held on Thursday 30 July, the Club have confirmed that blanket refunds on Memberships for the 2020 season are unable to be offered at this current time because of the damaging financial impact this would present to the future of the Club.
Despite making use of various government small business schemes, including placing a large proportion of staff on furlough, the Club is set to experience a financial loss during the remainder of 2020 and is also currently forecast to make a deficit in 2021.
With Membership income accounting for an additional £440,000 of Club Revenue, it is imperative that further potential losses and leakages are reduced to protect the long-term welfare of our Club."
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https://www.essexcricket.org.uk/2020/07/31/membership-update-for-2020-season
The club realise that some members will have been unduly affected by the pandemic and could have personal circumstances that would benefit a refund .
Please note the above link has a refund request form which must be completed and returned by 31st August.
Can understand the club not wanting to give a blanket refund, but individual circumstances should be reviewed, a good PR stance for its members and club.
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https://www.essexcricket.org.uk/2020/07/31/membership-update-for-2020-season
The club realise that some members will have been unduly affected by the pandemic and could have personal circumstances that would benefit a refund .
Please note the above link has a refund request form which must be completed and returned by 31st August.
So let's hear how you get on .
The impertinence of the club to require a 'good reason' to offer a refund, decided by someone in the club. The club badly needs to come into the 21st century.
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Presumably one would have to undertake some kind of means test to get our own money back. As i've said previously this is ethically dubious and legally untenable. Let me be clear i would have donated my membership monies if asked to do so but resent not being given the option that much poorer counties seem to have being willing to offer.
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I believe not having the choice is the most annoying aspect.
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Any suggestions for ‘good reasons to get my dosh back’?
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All member circumstances are different, but to deny a member the option of a refund seems like a empty promise, given the valued support the club has stated it has received on recent members forums.
Yes, unpresented times with financial diffuclties, but members are more likely to return given the option than not, even if incentives of vouchers, discounts are presented or not for the future.
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As I’ve said I’m happy to donate my membership fee but would rather it was donated than taken. However I am a little ticked off that the live stream is free to all. Not ticked off that it’s free, I think it should be, the more people that can watch the better, but ticked off that the club are presenting the ability to view as a member benefit.
I write this before logging on so it’s possible there may be extras only available on entry of your membership number. A soundtrack of some middle aged men discussing the non league fixtures perhaps.
Actually I’d give anything to be in the river end watching cricket and listening to that..if only we were allowed to go...if only there were some non league fixtures to discuss.
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I have just had my Premier fee refunded back into my credit card account. With the discount next season and one chance to stuff my face for free in the Executive Suite at those prices, it is not looking that bad.
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I have just had my Premier fee refunded back into my credit card account. With the discount next season and one chance to stuff my face for free in the Executive Suite at those prices, it is not looking that bad.
take a doggy bag and fill to the brim.
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Sussex now offering members a refund, just Somerset and Essex screwing their members over.
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Sussex now offering members a refund, just Somerset and Essex screwing their members over.
It will come back to bite them.
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I have applied for a refund of my Yorkshire Membership but have had to resign to do so!
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Does it no occur to the Yorkshire heirarchy that, once resigned, ex-members might not bother to apply to re-join?
Words fail.
Lynda
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Sussex now offering members a refund, just Somerset and Essex screwing their members over.
Kent members also have to apply with a reason to the committee for a refund. Some counties - see my list - are still to update websites with what they are doing. Some still have 2020 membership available to buy!
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Whether someone has to provide details to be means tested in none of the club's business. I hope that they keep the information safe, We do not want a GDPR breach do we. That can be very expensive, it would be cheaper to give everyone their money back.