Future of Yorkshire CCC as members' club in doubt after rejection of Colin Graves: Yorkshire Post Letters

From: Robin Smith (former Yorkshire CCC chairman), Shadwell, Leeds.

​The Yorkshire board’s discourteous treatment of Colin Graves, and the rejection of his offer, made in writing, to stand by the club financially, should come as no surprise to Yorkshire cricket supporters. The board contains no-one with experience of running a professional cricket club.

From the moment that the ECB, by threatening the loss of international cricket at Headingley, procured the removal of the Yorkshire board and catapulted Lord Patel into the chairmanship, the board's focus has been to deliver new funding to replace that of the Graves Trusts.

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Such a policy, of course, would have to involve the delivery of some substantial benefits in favour of the new funders, way beyond a commercial return on a loan.

Colin Graves, pictured in 2017 (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)Colin Graves, pictured in 2017 (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)
Colin Graves, pictured in 2017 (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)

Whatever terms emerge from the Far East or closer to home, they are likely to mean the end of Yorkshire’s 160-year history as a members’ club, one revered throughout the cricket world and of which all Yorkshire can be proud.

It is vital that Yorkshire members and cricket lovers throughout the county should carefully scrutinise whatever proposals emerge, and that they should then stand up and be heard.