UPDATE 8th APRIL: Reforms have been agreed
Last season, the CSA helped Lancashire cricket fans run a campaign and survey to be allowed to elect their own representatives to the club’s board and its member advisory body (Members’ Representative Group (MRG)). Whilst Lancashire cricketers did well on the field, off it, the club’s fans suffered so much bad service that the club was forced to cancel its MRG meeting in June simply to respond the huge volume of complaints.
Over 98% of people responding to the survey supported two specific goals of being able to elect people onto the MRG and to being allowed to elect up to two members to the board.
Lancashire discussed the matter with their MRG in August but in October sadly declined the proposals. The club still chooses who sits on the MRG. Access to board membership will remain subject to a nominations committee process which finds just one candidate for any board vacancy that members have the choice of ratifying or not. Lancashire explained they were concerned that opening up posts for election could result people with a lack of skills or passion for the well-being of the club being elected.
The CSA believes all cricket fans should be allowed a say in how the game is run and particularly so at county clubs like Lancashire which are owned by their members. We have supported Lancashire members in tabling two resolutions for discussion at the club’s AGM next year.
1) to require all future MRG appointments to be made after a suitable member nomination and election process and
2) to require the nominations committee to ensure at least two board members are chosen for their skills in member services/communications and to use their best endeavours to provide a choice of suitable candidates for the members to choose for these roles.
We are pleased to say that Lancashire CCC and the CSA, in consultation with Lancashire fans, entered into discussions resulting in an agreed package of reforms. More details can be found in the club’s announcement here. All Lancashire members have been sent full information along with their AGM papers. We encourage all Lancashire members to support the proposed rule change at the AGM on 21 April.
We would like to thank Lancashire CCC for responding constructively and all the Lancashire fans who responded to the campaign that we ran alongside the Lancashire Action Group during last summer.