It’s not often that Yorkshire men and women bite their tongues when it comes to cricket. But the turmoil of the last few years, Azeem Rafiq’s revelation of what the CDC called a “culture of discrimination” at Headingley, the unfair dismissal of 16 staff, the deduction of Championship points, rising emotions, the tyranny of online media, the controversy, the money troubles, oh the money All of their troubles had an impact.
Now a savior has arrived, much like the old savior, Colin Graves, who took part in the 2002 rescue and was club president from 2007 to 2015. The club is heavily indebted to Graves and he has made another offer. He will come to the rescue with an immediate injection of £1 million and a further £4 million over a five-month period, so long as members vote him in as chairman at the EGM in Headingley on Friday morning.
The current board has recommended members accept the Graves consortium, and hints are that mail-in votes are heavily in its favor. So how should the temperature between fans be measured in this rainy winter season? The Yorkshire Supporters Association are tight-lipped. The Sheffield Cricket Lovers Community is very impressive but sadly in decline. No one at Yorkshire CCC or Bradford Park Avenue. It’s hard to blame them.
Relating to: Yorkshire CCC risks ‘losing progress’ if Graves returns as chairman, MP warns
Of those ready to speak, some from all walks of life did not want to give their names for fear of retaliation.
One resigned its sponsorship and membership following the mass layoffs of the coaching staff in December 2021. O. Can he manage a cricket club? Definitely. Is there a club without Colin? Probably not.
“In terms of racism and what has happened under Colin’s tenure, there seems to be no evidence to suggest he was party to it, but we need to move forward. Colin is a pragmatic and successful businessman. “I am confident that the club will continue to build on any improvements it may have made in terms of EDI and community involvement.”
The same person said Rafiq apologized for sending anti-Semitic messages to another player. “This apology was widely accepted as sincere and sincere. So why should Colin apologize [for describing dressing-room abuse as “banter”] Isn’t it the same?
Another former member of British Asian heritage shares the desire to remain anonymous but has a different take on Graves’ possible return.
“Headingley was a safe place in the 1980s when Leeds United were definitely not for anyone brown or black. I had a lot of happy memories, but sometimes you hear the P word, the N word, and West Terrace was and perhaps still is racist.
“I’m sure Colin Graves is a great businessman but I really worry about this when he says he’s seen no racism in Yorkshire. Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall and thousands of non-white supporters have a different view.
“We need transparency if that is the only solution. There were 350 offers? And none of them were feasible? To me his return sends a real message that Yorkshire is back to writing. I love Yorkshire CC, I don’t want it to die but it’s complicated.
“A lot of people are tired of this and want to move forward in a positive way. If Graves returns immediately as president, the message to the Muslim community, the Asian community, the black community, the majority of members will be weak. If the answer is Colin Graves, what exactly is the question?”
James Greenfield, president of the Wombwell association and committee member of the Northern Cricket association, has been a member of Yorkshire since 1971. His approach is pragmatic.
“We know there has been a lot of turbulence in the history of Yorkshire cricket, but this was the most terrible of crises. This was a period when we really feared extinction and going into administration and there didn’t seem to be any way out; the only difference is I never believed Colin Graves would disappear from the scene.”
“Some people said we shouldn’t look back, but I never understood that. I don’t claim to know Colin Graves very well, but he must be a cricket nut to have invested all the money he had in Yorkshire CCC; Otherwise, there must be better ways to invest this money.”
But for Chris Marshall, another long-time fan and former member, Graves’ return doesn’t work for either business or club harmony.
“I think there is a sense of surrender. Too many people have bought into the sob story that there’s no one better than Colin Graves – so I’m sorry but if that’s the truth then the board isn’t very good. If it’s true that they’ve gone through 350 questions and the best they can get is someone who would actually benefit if Yorkshire went bankrupt…I have a pretty strong business background and there have been plenty of businesses saved at the last minute.
“Yorkshire is like a little castle; everyone is worried about defending the moat rather than worrying about what’s going on in the castle. But if you bring back someone who is incredibly divisive, there’s no point in saying it will bring peace. The club will remain a warring faction.”
On Friday morning, a new curtain opens in this endless mutual drama.