LCCC and LRCB write to local MPs

Date: Thursday 25 February 2010

Leicestershire County Cricket Club and the Leicestershire and Rutland Cricket Board have contacted local MPs to let them know our concern at the threat to continued investment in cricket in Leicestershire.

Ben Bradshaw MP, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, is currently holding a consultation which could see sporting events become Listed Events. It is known as the ‘Davies Review’ and could see events such as The Ashes being preserved for free-to-air television (i.e. the BBC) without having an open bidding market for rights.

The outcome could mean an income loss to cricket in England and Wales of at least £100m during a four-year period, which would have a massive effect on all levels of cricket across the county.

Leicestershire are proud to have provided the England youth set-ups with a number of players in recent years, such as James Taylor, Nathan Buck, Greg Smith, Josh Cobb, Shiv Thakor, Tom Wells and Ben Collins.

This has been aided by funding generated from an open broadcast market, which has allowed a successful performance pathway to be developed. This pathway starts with local schools and clubs and runs through to the Academy and first team at Grace Road, and also on to England set-ups.

As well as this, at Leicestershire, we have felt the positive effects of increased investment at all levels of the game. There has been an increase in levels of participation over the years and an increase in the number of people generally getting involved in the game; whether it be volunteeting, or coaching.

There has also been great success at national level in recent times and this has been helped by the funding.

The England men's, women's and disability teams all won their respective Ashes series in recent times, and last year, the England Women's team - which included Leicester Mercury sportswoman of the year Nicky Shaw - won both the ICC World Cup and the ICC World Twenty20.

In the past, the ECB has been able to negotiate a fair market price for cricket with broadcasters who have demonstrated a desire and commitment to our sport.

Sky Sports, for example, have invested heavily into the game and broadcast the last Ashes series in 2009. The ability of LRCB, with massive support from Leicestershire County Cricket Club, to invest into grass roots and the communities across the county has been down to this funding.

Accepting recommendations by the Davies Review to list the home Ashes Test Series would mean the ECB loses money. That would have a knock-on effect across the county. It would affect certain schemes that are in place, which have a large number of participants.

Good examples of this are the 40 clubs who register for NatWest CricketForce, the 27 clubs with ClubMark status, the 15 clubs making nominations for Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards (OSCAs) and 80 schools entering the ASDA Kwik Cricket competition.

These schemes relies on funding, and the ECB provide it. However, if they do not receive the levels of funding that they currently do from broadcasting, then some of these schemes may not be possible in the future.

Currently, the ECB’s investement yields ‘bottom up’ results. This ensures better players, facilities, coaches and volunteers – and better cricket.

David Smith, CEO of Leicestershire County Cricket Club and Chairman of the Leicestershire and Cricket Board, feels the current levels of ECB funding are critical to the future of cricket across the county.

He said: “With losses of this magnitude, the impact will be felt at all levels of the game from Team England down to grassroots cricket and it would be disastrous if a populist move, unsupported by financial impact studies or broadcasters, was to undermine the entire structure of the game.

“In cricket, as in all sports, there is a close pathway between participation, community sport, and the various tiers of competitive sport leading through the First Class County structure to International.

“All depend on the other and the impact that these proposals would have would impact at every level of the game and be a major impediment to get more people playing, watching and enjoying cricket.

“Cricket in Leicestershire and Rutland, with its clubs often the centre of community or village life, has benefited hugely from the ECB investment. It is an investment programme we wish to continue in the next five years.”

David Collier, the former Leicestershire CEO who now has that role at the ECB, shares his concerns.

He said: "We are extremely concerned that, should the government choose to accept the recommendations in the Davies Review, the entire structure of the game in this country could be undermined.

“Cricket is currently thriving across the country with more coaches, improved stadia, cricket returning to State schools through the Chance to Shine programme and world-class support structures for the men's, women's and disabled teams.

“A loss of millions in income over four years would have a devastating impact on our ability to maintain and improve cricket in this country and we would urge the Government to consider these wider implications before making any decisions."

The consultation period is now well underway. In November, Ben Bradshaw said: "Sport is a key element in our national identity, part of the glue that binds us together as a society.

"We want to ensure that everyone has access to the sports events that matter most to the nation, as well as a strong financial footing for our leading sports."