Gould & Thompson are going to finish what Graves & Harrison started

Gould & Thompson are going for private investment in the Hundred, and are going to further sideline the counties. And the club will let them do it unless we stop them.

From the County Cricket Members Group:

https://mailchi.mp/d256ca37f699/hundred-expansion?e=fc0c844cf4

Hundred expansion - update
We have had a reply to the email I wrote to the chair and to member services' board director Chris Peacock. We asked for a promise to consult members and respect their views before decisions are taken to expand the Hundred and sell stakes in the teams to private owners.

Chris asked me to write to you all again because he wants to hear from concerned members directly to evidence member sentiment. You can email him: cpeacock@lancashirecricket.co.uk.

The proposed changes are drastic because they inevitably threaten the counties and set us on a path when professional cricket will be dominated by privately owned franchises. The latest details are given below.

Please click here to sign the motion to call a SGM if necessary to ensure that we have a vote on all this before a deal is done this winter.

More details

The Times yesterday reported ECB CEO Richard Gould speaking at a meeting: he "confirmed that there would be private investment in a revamped version of the Hundred. The details will be thrashed out over the next three months in consultation with the counties, sponsors and broadcasters, but private investment is seen as an essential part of the plans".

The Times reports further: "Investors will be offered equity in the Hundred and it is almost certain that the competition will expand." The first step from 8 to 10 teams in a closed league, then to a structure with promotion and relegation involving all 18 counties.
The Times further claims: "If that happens the Blast could be scrapped."

The last statement is a fairly obvious conclusion as it is effectively a privatization of the counties by the back door. To buy out member owned counties normally requires a vote with 50% of members voting and 75% approval. Far easier to do it more subtly with a vote of county chiefs in private in winter!

Last summer Lancashire told members that 14 out of 18 counties would have to support the proposals to expand the Hundred or sell stakes to private owners. We haven't been able to verify if this is true and the press report that only 12 need to agree. Whatever, the ECB clearly feel this is a done deal.

It is vital that these proposals aren't agreed without a members' vote. We are literally talking about the survival of county clubs. There will be an elite professional cricket team playing in Manchester but unless we act it may not be Lancashire County Cricket Club for much longer!

Andy Anson said there would be member consultation in his interview with Paul Allot on Lancs TV yesterday. But experience tells us that promised member forums don't always happen nor do they have a binding vote. Only a SGM provides a forum where member views have to be respected.

Please click here to sign the motion to call a SGM if necessary to ensure that we have a vote on all this before a deal is done this winter.

I won't call a hostile SGM except as a last resort. I want to avoid unnecessary expense and work with the club to make sure that we organize a meaningful vote on these proposals. But we do need to be able to do so if necessary to protect the club as this all looks to be happening in winter.

Remember this is not just a Lancashire issue. The County Cricket Members Group is asking for all member owned counties to give their members a meaningful vote before their clubs are taken over by the back door.

The 2 Dicks have metamorphosised into Harrison and Graves Version 11. Who said "absolute power corrupts". I would have put money on this happening. Of course they have to justify the expense on the 100, since trying to flog it abroad has been an abject failure. Time to ditch these ****holes and put a bomb, figuratively speaking, under the ECB.

These 2 should never show their faces at the Oval again. Traitors. When they were with us it was the County Championship is the pinnacle and they didnt support the Hundred. They both go to the ECB and turn into 2 faced weasels who want to shit on the counties. If they do rock up at our gaff I hope they get dogs abuse and told where to go forth and multiply.

Looks as if we may need an SGM too.  Lancs supporters always seem to be on the ball, good for them.  I would rather the blast went than fewer championship games.  It is clearly the horrid hundred that should go and no franchising it out and thus losing control of the future of cricket, there probably would not be much future for counties without test grounds if the blast folded.

I think county members should be revolting.

The ECB has been so badly run there should be an enquiry into how we got into this mess, they know the price of everything and they value of nothing.

Well looks like Graves is back at Yorkshire to continue what he started. Mind you the club owes him so much money he virtually owns it anyway. The diversity brigade don't like it though, neither does the bloke who stated all the problems... sorry forgot his name.