Andy and Lisa's Members' July Update - Zoom Forum

 

I'll try and summarise that Zoom Call later after some reflection, but for now 

For the Caesar character substitute the membership and county cricket, stabbed in the back by CEO and her puppet Chair hiding behind the name of the "Gee Cee".

24/07

Did you see slide 1?

The summary of the fiasco Forum during the Yorkshire game...

Did you actually look at it, not between the lines but behind the writing. Probably not if you were watching the zoom call through a phone.

A review of the MEN's domestic schedule with two of the Pursehouse Blaze featured. That was the only slide that featured the Blaze in picture form.

Alright, we're told that the Blaze are all part of the Trent Bridge family now and that is that, the decision is made and if you can see any conflicts of interest, problems or predicaments then you're just being a mysogynistic dinosaur. Move on.

However, with the argument about there being too much cricket in the MEN's domestic schedule, not holding any water with members, the women's card was used repeatedly as a reason to reduce the amount of men's cricket from 2026 [by all three of the panel].

Is 25% a small reduction in championship games since 2016? 

Who by her admission has had her hand in scheduling for the past 12 years?

The schedule is the problem and or the schedulers, not the amount of (forever decreasing) cricket!

I'm going to go on too much as there were several slides, so I'll put in all on another post.... here.

23/07

Hiding in plain sight on Zoom behind the name of the largely faceless General Committee, our baling CEO and her stooges: the appointed [by that same General Committee and a Nominations Panel] Chair and the Director of Cricket, having the audacity to call a zoom-call a forum, have requested questions ahead of the evening - so I suggest we let them have some.

Dear member,

We are writing with a reminder of our upcoming members' forum concerning the men's domestic schedule.

Last week, we wrote to you with the latest developments around the schedule, including a set of proposals distributed to county Chairs and Chief Executives.

These proposals explored ways to improve the game, protect the breadth and traditions of the cricket that we play and create a balanced schedule that works for all formats.

We also outlined which of the options were endorsed by our General Committee, following extensive debate.

If you would like to read last week’s update again, you can find it here…

Our members’ forum will be held via Zoom on Wednesday 23 July, providing you with an opportunity to discuss the proposals and our position in more detail.

The panel will consist of Chair Andy Hunt, Chief Executive Lisa Pursehouse and Director of Cricket Mick Newell.

The forum is scheduled to begin at 7pm, following conclusion of the second day’s play between Hampshire and Nottinghamshire at Utilita Bowl.

Register to attend the forum via Zoom here…

We will send full joining information to those who register ahead of the forum.

You will be able to access the forum via Zoom on any compatible internet-connected device, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Should you need to connect to WiFi in Southampton, free WiFi is available in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel at Utilita Bowl.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions on the night, or in advance, by sending a message to our dedicated members’ forum number: 07726 677032, or by emailing questions@trentbridge.co.uk.

Please include your name and membership number when submitting a question.

16/07

Thank you for your continued support and engagement in the ongoing discussions concerning the structure of men’s domestic cricket.

Our consultation process has garnered the views of our members, players and staff and deepened our understanding of their experience of all formats of the game at Trent Bridge and further afield.

We have heard repeatedly that the current schedule is not fit for purpose. From that starting point, we have examined the merits of alternative proposals which can improve the game, protect the breadth and traditions of the cricket that we play and create a compelling schedule that works for all formats.

The Domestic Playing Programme (DPP) Steering Group, was tasked with considering means of improving the schedule with three guiding principles:


1. Safeguarding player health and enhancing match quality

2. Rebuilding audiences through more engaging, competitive cricket

3. Respecting traditions and ensuring members’ voices remain central

Since our most recent members’ forum, a set of proposals were distributed to county Chairs and Chief Executives on Wednesday 9 July for consideration. These proposals, listed below, have now been considered by our Cricket Sub-Committee and by our General Committee on Monday 14 July where extensive debate tested the potential impacts of changes to our three domestic competitions.

The discussions sought to consider the views of the whole game with a desire to support positive change that would serve to protect the integrity and longevity of any proposed new schedule.

Metro Bank One Day Cup

Both proposals relating to the One Day Cup involve only slight tweaks to the current schedule.

One option adds two extra group-stage games, making 10 in total and leading straight to semi-finals. The other maintains the current 8 group matches and introduces a full round of quarter-finals.

We feel that the One Day Cup works well in its current slot, as a self-contained competition during The Hundred competition window. It plays a crucial role in developing young players and is well-suited to being played at outgrounds.

We, therefore, support the recommendation which retains an eight-game group stage, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final. We believe this reduces the number of ‘dead rubbers’ and gives more teams the opportunity to reach the knock-out stages.

Vitality Blast

The sole proposal made in relation to the Vitality Blast was to reduce the number of group-stage fixtures from 14 to 12 and for the Quarter Finals and Finals Day to be completed before the start of the Hundred.

3 regional groups of 6 teams would each play 5 home and 5 away matches played against the teams within its own group plus 2 additional matches (1 home & 1 away) against teams from another group.

It was proposed that the make-up of the groups would rotate after two seasons (2028), moving it away from a regional model.

Our initial view was that the number of group-stage fixtures should be reduced to 10, in order to create sufficient time for players to travel, train and recover, and to ease the pressure on facilities and support staff.

A reduction to five home games should also create better space for fixtures to be scheduled more consistently in the popular weekend slots, creating ‘appointment to view’ matchdays for members and supporters.

However, support for a 10-game Blast group stage was tempered by collective recognition that non-Test Match venues were more heavily reliant on the format and that we should unite around a more modest cut to the group stage.

We also oppose de-regionalisation of the group stage from 2028 to protect traditional rivalries and minimise the impact of away match travel for players and members and supporters.

County Championship

Five ideas were put forward for the future shape of the County Championship. One option featuring three conferences of six teams gained little support and has since been withdrawn. The four remaining proposals are summarised here.

Our members’ forums have demonstrated deep feeling and impassioned support for the County Championship with some focus on a link between the importance of the format and the number of games played.

In our General Committee discussions, it was made clear that any reduction in the number of County Championship matches would not affect the manner in which we allocate resources to give ourselves the best possible chance of competing for the division one trophy.

It will remain the competition by which we are judged and the trophy most coveted by those in our dressing room. We will continue to invest our time and energy in red ball cricket and develop and recruit players that can further our ambition to capture another County Championship.

General Committee members and executive staff united behind the principle that a small reduction in fixtures as requested by our players and their representative body to allow for more preparation, manageable travel and periods of rest between games was reasonable.

It was deemed necessary for a balanced fixture list and that such a change would still preserve the primacy and prestige of the County Championship.

Beyond seeking a view on the number of matches to be played, counties have also been asked to align behind a preferred alternative structure from a series of options.

Our General Committee expressed a preference for ‘Option B’ which proposes a two divisional structure with 10 teams in division one. Each county would play 12 matches with a two up, two down system for promotion and relegation. The team at the top of division one would be crowned the champion county.

Having taken feedback from all parties into account, we feel that this small reduction in the volume of red-ball cricket is the right path to take and the only means of lightening the load in a congested calendar.

We support these recommendations on the basis that they remain in place until at least 2031 (2028 for the One Day Cup).


Our organisational view

The General Committee endorsed the following:

- Retention of an eight-game Metro Bank One-Day Cup group stage

- A reduction in Vitality Blast group stage matches from 14 to 12

- A reduction in Specsavers County Championship matches from 14 to 12

To discuss more about our position in relation to the proposals, we will be hosting a members’ forum via Zoom on Wednesday 23 July, following the conclusion of the second day’s play between Nottinghamshire and Hampshire at Utilita Bowl.

The forum is scheduled to begin at 7pm, with Director of Cricket Mick Newell joining us on the panel.

Register to attend the forum via Zoom here…

CEO Ms Pursehouse and Chair Hunt Lord Charles

05/06

If county chiefs want to get this all sorted by the end of this month see here

why have Nottinghamshire only started their so called consultation process today?

Dear member,

We hope that you are well, and have enjoyed the opening months of the cricketing summer.

flannel

Prior to our Men’s Test between England and Zimbabwe, we wrote to you with an update on discussions around the shape of the domestic schedule – and confirmed that we would begin a period of consultation with you following the Test.

yes we've been waiting

Although we have not yet received any formal proposals to share with you, we have been informed that a second round of meetings between Professional County Clubs, the PCA and the ECB will take place across the weeks of 16 and 23 June.

We have all been through our fair share of domestic schedule reviews in the past decade – and the only thing on which the game has been able to agree so far is that the current schedule does not satisfy all parties.

and in over a decade you have to get one right

Whilst there are a variety of views and a focus on the volume of red-ball cricket, we believe the discussion is much wider than that.

we don't want the focus to be on the format that we intend to cut down

We are now more than a men’s county club – whilst men’s domestic cricket remains at the heart of our club, we are home to a professional women’s team, two teams in The Hundred and every international format of the game.

neither the Hundred nor women's team grew organically and have been invited to the venue by the CEO and her Chair.

Each of these teams and formats is crucial to our ongoing viability as a leading venue and thriving members’ club, and we want to have an open and constructive debate with our membership.

how many people buy a Notts CCC membership just so they can get into The Blaze games at Trent Bridge, a figure closer to zero than to 3, I would suggest.

For the game to come up with the best possible solution, it is important for all parties – including members – to understand the wider challenges of the modern cricketing landscape as we seek a more suitable calendar in the summers to come.

to give members context as to why they will be ignored

We have put together a summary and background information to provide context on factors ranging from major matches to the player pathway and facilities. Browse the summary in full here…

We will also hold a members’ forum on during the lunch interval of Nottinghamshire vs Yorkshire on Sunday 22 June (scheduled for 1pm), in the Radcliffe Road Stand's Sobers or Hadlee Hall. 

this is only part of what was promised at the previous members' forum - I would suggest that the Chair and CEO would have said anything to get away from the succession of questions that were being asked at that forum.

The forum will focus entirely on the topic of the domestic schedule; we will provide you with the latest update and give you the opportunity to raise any questions you may have at this stage.

Tell you that the decision has already been made by other counties and any complaints are too late

In the meantime, to help us to fully understand the issues which are of most importance to you, we have put together a short survey in which you can outline your cricketing preferences. Complete the survey found in your own Email as the coding has embedded my details (when I share the link). 

You will note the errors in some multiple choice answers and that much of the questions indicate a cut in the amount of cricket is on the cards.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Supporting the team in no way implies support for the CEO or Chair on this matter

Lisa and Andy

02/06

Another week on...

.... and still waiting.

Are they running down the clock?

"We will begin this process in the days following the conclusion of the Test, and will offer a range of avenues through which you will be able to give your views – including in-person forums and opportunities to share your opinions with us online through a dedicated portal."

29/05

Apparently:

If this is what the Chair and CEO have to offer, then they need to be told their opinion.

Solution? Popular? Division of 10 but only 8 games?

Time to sign

27/05

Still looking forward to your plans Andy and Lisa....

Last week they said:

We will begin this process in the days following the conclusion of the Test, and will offer a range of avenues through which you will be able to give your views – including in-person forums and opportunities to share your opinions with us online through a dedicated portal.

We’ll be in touch with further details, and we look forward to hearing your views.

20/05

Dear member,

Thank you for your continued, committed support during the opening exchanges of the season.


This week, we have the honour of hosting the opening Test of the English summer, with England facing Zimbabwe in a four-day fixture from Thursday.

This will be an historic fixture for the visitors, as they compete in their first Test on these shores since June 2000, when we played host to a highly competitive encounter.

We have enjoyed a fruitful association with Zimbabwean cricket in the years that have followed – with Brendan Taylor at the heart of our side for three summers, and with Andy Flower enjoying success at our venue as Head Coach of England and Trent Rockets.

We look forward to giving both sides a traditional Trent Bridge welcome this week. If you haven’t secured your tickets yet, you can still do so either via the Ticket Office or by purchasing online here...

If you are joining us this week, you’ll notice continued progress with our Pavilion redevelopment. This includes the removal of the roof, as we prepare to build the additional floors that will enable us to provide the facilities required to meet the demands of the international and domestic calendar.

Discussions around the shape of the domestic schedule, meanwhile, are underway. Over the past few weeks, the first round of discussions between the ECB and professional county clubs has taken place, with the last meetings with counties being held yesterday. We hope to receive information following up on these discussions in the next few weeks.

At our recent members’ forum, we spoke at length about how we expect the process to work as discussions around the schedule continue. If you attended, we hope you found the opportunity for open debate useful.

Pushing against a locked door, sprang to mind actually...

What was apparent in the forum was that many of you are keen to understand the challenges we face as we seek to remain a home for all formats of cricket.

Scheduling is complex, and we must acknowledge the evolving nature of our sport, our teams and our venues. While hosting all forms of international cricket remains crucial to helping us thrive as a venue, we must also embrace the rapid growth of the women’s game, the advent of The Hundred, and the need to protect traditional formats.

We’re sure most would agree that the present schedule is less than perfect, 

and we know who has been present at previous, imperfect schedule discussions, as "she has more experience than anyone else in these matters", to paraphrase the the Chair at the forum

but there are conflicting views on the best way forwards. There are a number of groups whose opinions will be crucial as any potential changes are discussed – including members, supporters, players, coaches and support staff.

At the forum, we committed to a period of consultation and the launch of channels of feedback to allow all voices to be heard.

We will begin this process in the days following the conclusion of the Test, and will offer a range of avenues through which you will be able to give your views – including in-person forums and opportunities to share your opinions with us online through a dedicated portal.

We’ll be in touch with further details, and we look forward to hearing your views.


Warm regards,

Lisa and Lord Charles aka Andy

So they plan to schedule meetings or whatever around the hectic Blast fixtures!

Clearly they don't want anyone to turn up.

17/04

Dear member

We trust that you are well, and have enjoyed the opening exchanges of the County Championship season either via our live stream or at Trent Bridge in the spring sunshine.

Our home may have felt a little unfamiliar in places as our Pavilion development continues, but it has been good to see that the replacement facilities in The Clubhouse, located in the Derek Randall Suite, have been warmly received and used by many of you.

Behind the sheets and barriers which surround the building, our Pavilion development remains on track, and we look forward to progressing this important project throughout the year.

As the season hits its stride, there are two off-field matters affecting the wider game – both of which we will keep you informed of in the months to come.

Firstly, the process of finalising the sale of stakes in the eight competing teams in The Hundred is ongoing, and while this stage has continued beyond the initial eight-week window which was allocated, it is important that a task of this complexity is not rushed.

All parties continue to work together to complete the transactions and we look forward to reaching a positive outcome, and to the opportunities this injection of investment and expertise will bring to the whole game.

Secondly, it has recently been announced that a review into the men’s domestic playing programme will be undertaken. This will be led by the Professional Game Committee and will look at options around how to optimise the men’s domestic structure to ensure the best competitions.

At this stage we have not been given any proposals or details to share with you, but initial meetings with the Chairs and Chief Executives of the Professional Cricket Clubs are expected to commence within the next three weeks.

The review will, no doubt, be a complex process – the task of balancing the concerns of members and supporters with operational issues and the welfare of players will not be simple.

This is not, of course, the first attempt that has been made to improve the men's domestic structure, but given all parties agree that improvements are required, it is being approached in a collaborative spirit.

It is important that we all contribute to this discussion and consider any options that emerge. We will keep you informed and updated as we receive information, and will seek your feedback on any proposals.

Finally, we can confirm that the first members' forum of 2025 will take place on Friday 9 May, during the lunch interval on day one of Notts' County Championship fixture with Hampshire.

With the Derek Randall Suite remaining in use as a members' facility, the forum will instead take place in the Hadlee Hall, on the second floor of the Radcliffe Road Stand.

Our Director of Cricket Mick Newell and Head Coach Peter Moores will join us on the panel to answer your questions. There is no need to register your attendance in advance.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the forum – and we thank you, as ever, for your continued support.

Lisa and Andy

13/02

Dear member

I trust that you have wintered well and are looking forward, as we all are, to the return of county cricket in a few weeks' time.

While our players’ preparations are well underway for the new season, off the field, we have commenced 2025 with two major strategic items at the very forefront of our minds.

Firstly, the redevelopment of the Trent Bridge Pavilion is now underway - and as we have previously shared with you, this project is vital in securing our future as a Test Match venue. We will be able to provide you with a more detailed update at the upcoming AGM on Monday 24 February.

Secondly, the ECB-led process to secure private investment into the eight teams competing in The Hundred yesterday reached a crucial stage, as the sale of a stake in Southern Brave signalled the conclusion of the auction process.

Throughout the process, there has been significant interest in all teams from a range of prospective investors, with eight bidders now entering an exclusivity period.

We thought that it would be useful to share the ECB’s summary of the process to date, which has been released this morning, and is available here…

ECB Chair Richard Thompson, meanwhile, has written a message to the whole game, which is available here…

The ECB have also compiled answers to a series of frequently asked questions on the process, which can be found here…

First question, and one everyone who sees the numbers that have been bid, WHAT ARE THEY BUYING FOR THEIR £40 M stakes? What influence does £40M get you? They only want to answer what that sum of money doesn't get not what Cain and ARE want in return.

Throughout this process, our overarching principle has been to seek the best partner for Trent Rockets; one which shares our ambition for growing the reach of the team, but that also respects the heritage and tradition of our club, and shares our love for all formats of the game.

With that in mind, we can confirm that Cain International and Ares Management are to be our partners in owning Trent Rockets, when ownership of the team transfers to us later this year.

You can read more about Cain and Ares here...

We now enter an eight-week period of exclusivity, and there remains much work to be done during this period. Following the satisfactory conclusion of the exclusivity period, Cain and Ares will acquire the ECB’s 49% stake in Trent Rockets, while we will retain the majority 51% stake.

We look forward to delivering our reports at AGM and providing you with further updates on these key developments.

Thank you for your support as we’ve worked through this critically important period for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, and for the wider professional and recreational game.

Lisa Pursehouse

Chief Executive

Andy Hunt

Chair

29/01

And still not a dickie bird out those two

28/01

As Lancashire CCC have now rearranged a Members' Forum for 12 February

where the 

"Key items on the agenda will include the nature of our preferred partner in The Hundred investment process, the potential financial outcome and most importantly the potential use of any funds generated."

Why hasn't anyone from NCCC followed-up with their promise to keep our  membership informed? 

Are they waiting a little longer to present a done deal, once the deal is done?

In what way is that consultation?

21 Oct 2024

THE SALE OF TRENT ROCKETS

with comments

Dear member,

With the 2024 season concluded and the autumnal weather taking hold, we wanted to thank you for your support of the club and for your continued interest in the challenges and opportunities this winter will provide.

This year, our off-season is shaping up to be particularly important as we look to progress our plans to redevelop the Trent Bridge Pavilion and to continue with our ongoing discussions around The Hundred – in particular, how best to harness the interest from potential private investors.

and how the latter can pay for the former

Over the course of the season, we have consulted with members through written updates and events, where we presented the latest developments and listened to your views. The forums we held in August were very constructive and helped us to begin to address your questions and concerns, and to shape our feedback to the ECB.

this is where the consultation has been mis-sold to members! Members have not been consulted, they have been given an opportunity to ask questions but haven't been able to question those responses. At no point were members "consulted" before a policy ( the pathway going forward / the direction of travel) was presented as a done deal.

Oxford Dictionary: CONSULT seek information or advice from...

In essence the Chair and the CEO have got the whole process backwards, by design and are using phrases like "we have consulted with members" in an attempt to hoodwink members into thinking that they, the members, have had a choice and have agreed to this process.

There were some common themes emerging from the feedback we have received, but we are aware that many members were not able to attend those consultation events. We have, therefore, summarised the responses to date in a detailed Frequently Asked Questions document, which you can read here...

again they have made their decisions, so you can  put-up with it and shut up, but please read those FAQs

You can also access the slides that were presented at the forums here...

previously screen grabbed and shown on Nottsview

During this year’s tournament, the ECB sought to establish the level of interest amongst private investors in taking stakes in the eight teams. The club has supported this process by hosting several interested parties who were keen to understand the cricketing, commercial and operational standing of our teams and our venue.

The ECB commenced the first stage of the sales process at the end of September, with interested parties invited to signal their intent. Potential investors have received marketing materials and financial projections for all eight teams and have been given the opportunity to ask the ECB and its advisors any initial questions.

This was a really important step as we continue to develop the process. It was designed to ascertain the level of interest from investors and to give the game a steer on the financial impact of any potential sale of stakes in the eight teams.

This stage of the process concluded on Friday 18 October, and we understand there has been significant interest. By the end of this week, we expect the ECB to update us and to inform us of the level of interest private investors have shown in Trent Rockets.

We are aware that a high-profile sales process such as this will be subject to a great deal of speculation in the media, which is likely to continue in the months ahead.

and hopefully a great deal of scrutiny as well by real independent professionals

There is still much to be determined and discussed and you can be assured that we will continue to provide updates as the process evolves and look forward to continuing the consultation process in the weeks ahead.

there they go again, they are not going to seek information or advice from the members, they intend to tell the members when they've done the deal for better or for worse.

Please do get in touch if you have any thoughts or comments by emailing thehundred@trentbridge.co.uk

I just might

Am I alone in feeling that when told that there would be a consultation with members, that it was to be the club that would be consulting with the members, not a presentation where the Chair and CEO inform members after the event (and them calling that a consultation)?

Winter well.

Lisa Pursehouse

Chief Executive

Andy Hunt

Chair