As domestic football enters a pivotal year that will shape the direction of the sport for a generation, counties that remain neck and neck face a dire future unless they innovate.
Somerset’s outgoing chief executive and former ECB county cricket general manager Gordon Hollins has told Telegraph Sport counties face very challenging futures unless they can find a new purpose in a changing world of cricket.
In 2024, the domestic game will be voted on the future of the Hundred Teams, expanding from 8 to 10 teams, as well as accepting private investors; This proposal is likely to receive the 15 votes needed to pass. Another plan for a 19-team, two-division tournament is liked by some in the ECB but faces opposition in the Test arena. A two-tier league with promotion and relegation is likely to attract much less interest from potential investors.
With the ECB owning 50 percent of each franchise and the rest of the host club, there is an intention to sell shares in the competition to raise much-needed funds. Profits from the sale of the ECB’s equity capital will be shared throughout the game. A vote is expected to be held in May.
‘Some districts have lost their importance’
But what is happening to smaller clubs that do not host international cricket and struggle to make ends meet worries those who want to maintain county cricket’s traditional 18-club base. The question is at what cost? If clubs are withdrawing money from the game, unable to compete on the field, and therefore struggling to attract crowds and investment, is it time to question whether 18 counties are still needed? Also, if the investment is coming from the Hundred, is there any point in throwing good money at bad?
“In my view, every county needs to add value to the game and justify ECB funding if they want to be sustainable and help the sport grow,” said Hollins, who has worked in cricket for more than 15 years. “As the game and society changed, some counties became obsolete. I think what’s the point of existing? It’s not easy, most counties have relatively modest numbers of members, some of whom want cricket to go back to the way it used to be.
“The game is in a transformation phase, it is clear that there will be change. It’s really important to have strong clubs that are truly involved in their communities and inspire their people through cricket, which is our aim in Somerset. [to inspire the south west]“It is important that these clubs have a strong future.”
‘It is important for the Southwest to be included in the Hundreds’
Hollins believes Somerset are in a good position to host one of two new teams and fears for the future of the club if the competition expands and is therefore deprived of cricket during the August Hundred period.
“I was encouraged by some of the controversy surrounding The Face for the game. “It’s important for cricket in the south-west that we get top positions,” he said. “If not, I worry about the future. We said we definitely wanted to be one of the 8 or 10 people. There are 6 million people in the Southwest and they are all alienated and do not support this competition. [Hundred].
“Sky, the BBC and the ECB have done a fantastic job to make the competition a success but there are still six million people who don’t feel part of it and it’s important that this is fixed. In top-level domestic competition, if the south-west doesn’t have a part to play in that then our ability to encourage people to play cricket is severely limited. “We haven’t had a first XI cricket match here for 43 days since the last championship match on July 27, so we’re trying to inspire the kids during the school holidays.”
Hollins will resign at the end of March and will be replaced by former Somerset opener Jamie Cox, who joins from the MCC where he was head of cricket. Hollins plans to use his experience in Somerset and the ECB to work as a consultant in the counties. A new district partnership agreement, which provides the framework for financing between the ECB and districts, will be negotiated next year.
“The truth is it’s really tight [for counties]added Hollins. “We have older grounds that require investment, we have less income post-Covid, there is higher cricket inflation as players have alternatives elsewhere and we have larger estates that can invest more in cricket. Costs increased but revenues did not.
“The easiest thing for us to do is take money out of the cricket budget, which is something many clubs do to balance the books. But then your income drops because your membership sales and sponsorship are reduced and you struggle to inspire your area and maintain the club’s relevance in the community.
“Money from the Hundred may be the answer, but it is not everything. You can bring in money from hundreds of people and build a lot of beautiful new stands in the country, but no one will sit in them because that club has nothing to do with it. In my opinion, this is a danger.”