Northamptonshire CCC vote to become a limited company

[nat]

Shocking news. Expect other counties to examine this result and attempt a similar move.

ECCC members beware.

[Andy]

Shocking news. Expect other counties to examine this result and attempt a similar move.

ECCC members beware.

Well its happened in football. See you at The Emerites Chelmsford.

[LeedsExile]

I don't really see what the problem is. Does anyone seriously believe that members have any influence at counties these days?

[Valentines Park]

Aren't Northants down to about 1,000 members?

Which in terms of clout puts them on par with Dagenham & Redbridge fans. 

[nat]

I don't really see what the problem is. Does anyone seriously believe that members have any influence at counties these days?

Well yes they do. They own their club!

[Postman]

I don't really see what the problem is. Does anyone seriously believe that members have any influence at counties these days?

Well yes they do. They own their club!

Nat is right of course, but how much difference does that make in practice? When plenty of people who post here, me included, were keen to get an EGM together last year it became clear that the majority of members were not interested in calling the committee to account for the way things had been allowed to slide over the years. And at recent AGMs the attendance has been poor, the questions not very searching and the atmosphere that everyone's doing a grand job etc etc. Sadly I reached the conclusion some time ago that many members are not too bothered about whether the club is successful so long as they are enjoying their cricket as they would define enjoyment. And we have seen all too clearly that if the rules are drawn up loosely enough, as Essex's seem to be, the club can get away without consulting members even on major matters such as the (non) development plan. When a club is heavily in debt as Northants are, and people of substance are keen to invest, you can see the attraction, and 86% of members voted to become a plc. (I was at Beckenham on Thursday where they were playing Kent and some of their members left that match early to get back in time for the vote.) The key question of course, is can you trust outside investors not to asset strip the club at some future date and sell the ground for development. But it hasn't happened at Hampshire or Durham who have been plcs for some time.  The lesson surely is that if members do value the present status of a members club they should stir their stumps and turn up and hold the committee to account more often.

[Andy]

A really excellent post from that (Post)man. We see all sorts of ownership/governance models in sport. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, often they are not what they seem. E.g. We hear of certain Spanish giants being owned by the supporters, when in effect it's just a couple of big businessmen who call the shots.

Don't forget,without the foresight and resources of a certain Mr Green, we'd still be a Minor counties club playing at Brentwood...