The Chairman speaks

Oli Slipper confirms Surrey will “look to own and operate our own [Hundred] team” instead of franchise a share

“We are the pacesetters in English cricket and if any Club expects to play domestic cricket at the Oval, they should also expect to wear the Three Feathers of Surrey.”

https://www.kiaoval.com/a-message-from-surrey-chair-oli-slipper/

Hmmm…

As Surrey is a members club perhaps the Chair should get the views of those members before dictating what he or the club intend to do.

Views?

I sent this in reply:

"A Message for the Chair.

Fine words, but I’m afraid I don’t believe this: “I will do nothing that will imperil the future of either this Club or County Cricket …”

Your email immediately says how wonderful the Hundred is blah blah.

The Hundred is already imperilling the Club and County Cricket, and we can see what’s going to happen is going to damage the game further.

We’re going to do everything we can to stop it.

Thanks
Simon"

kjb wrote:As Surrey is a members club perhaps the Chair should get the views of those members before dictating what he or the club intend to do.

Views?

To be fair the piece does say there are going to be two members forums in January.

I don’t believe that rebranding to “Surrey Invincibles” is anything other than a result of market research which shows that the “Surrey” name has far more recognition that “Oval”.

This is an initiative centred around selling more merch and more tickets at a higher price.

I’d give Mr Slipper credit if he was actually upfront about that. This nonsense about it being based on “wearing the three feathers” is pretty insulting.

Some quick thoughts. As Simon H quite correctly points out above saying he will do nothing to imperil the club or county cricket and then setting out his vision on the future of the Hundred is a complete contradiction. He seems to base his thinking on the “success” of the Hundred on ticketing sales and TV revenue. What about its cricketing negatives which he ignores. We have already seen, as an example, that it has contributed to our 50 over World Cup performance ( I am not suggesting it was all down to the Hundred) and marginalisation of the County Championship. He also mentions “turbulence “ ahead but does not say where from. Is he referring to the ECB or county members?. At least there are plans for members forums but this is not the same as a vote. For something so radical I think the members must have an opportunity to be fully consulted. The future of the county game is at stake. I suspect they see people like me as some sort of “cricket Luddite” but the Luddites were not against new technology but the way in which it was being used. Not very impressed by Mr Slipper so far.

A very fair comment Jackers. As you say the devil will be in the detail. This is why a couple of members forums, whilst helpful and welcome, are not adequate. The caveats you refer to are important. Surrey may be big enough to preserve its identity but what about the other counties.
Merry Christmas everyone!.

Jackers

I appreciate that the implications for Surrey are foremost in Surrey members' minds but is it really in Surrey's interest to be the lone county-owned outfit playing against seven (nine? seventeen?) franchises leaching the very life out of the counties who are hosting them? Is that really going to help preserve the counties and the County Championship itself?

I agree that the actual format and the extra hoopla has never been a ditch to die in but I think there are deeper and more significant ditches available than whther the team is owned by Surrey or not.

Excellent post, Jackers.

I believe there could be space for two T20 tournaments, but they should be configured sensibly. The Blast should be run as a straight league, taking place Thursday/Friday nights. Two divisions of 9, play each other home and away. Winner of Div 1 are champions, 2 up 2 down between Divs 1 & 2.

The space the 100 takes up could be a short-form two week T20 (or 100) tournament designed for FTA TV. 18 counties plus 2 guest teams, using the rugby world cup format. 4 groups of 5 (so 2 home games each), top 2 go to the quarter-finals.

Then the Championship and a 50 over tournament could still fit in. Simple, works for the mass audience and minimises infringement on the rest of the season.

Fine words from our Chairman, I shall wait to see whether the parsnips will be buttered. I give him credit for the message, he obviously has some understanding of our views (maybe he sensibly reads this message board). There are a number of practical difficulties-
1) As mentioned above 4 competitions is one too many for the calendar. You cannot ditch the Blast and take that income away from Counties.
2) 18 counties are to be given a hundred franchise, there are not 18 hundred franchises.
3) If the Surrey Invincibles is owned by the County it should have Surrey players and coaching staff so we could begin to feel some association.
4) If successful the franchises may get very powerful and start to run cricket in their own interests (See IPL). Sport should not be run as a money making concern.

The idea of Surrey “buying” / taking over the Oval Invisibles was long mooted by Richard Gould when he was CEO so this will be a positive step assuming we’re allowed to keep the ground as is, a proper scoreboard, etc, and then I may be prepared to watch “Surrey” at The Oval. (What a weird thing to say.)

It doesn’t sort out the fixture congestion.

https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/premiumopinion/not_just_venue_rented_out_highest_bidder_surrey_chair_oli_slipper_hundred_future.html

HUW TURBERVILL analyses a letter sent by Slipper to Surrey's membership, in which he explains his plans for the county's relationship with The Hundred

Huw Turbervill | 12/12/2023 at 15:03
Surrey's new(ish) chair Oli Slipper has written to the club's 18,500 members to tell them how great The Hundred is.

Well, I don't think that he was entirely motivated by that, to be fair; he's actually penned them a Christmas note saying a few things, but that's the bit that caught my eye (what a surprise, eh?).

He played age-group and 2nd XI for the county; he is also now executive chair of Pitch, the leading sports marketing agency (oh, and he has role in darts, so this time of the year is big for him).

So apart from saying "what a tremendous honour and privilege" it is to be chair at The Rey, and how chuffed he was that they won the title, this is what he says about The Hundred…. And I hope no one minds me adding my own notes:

"For many long-standing and committed Members of this Club (Note: Sorry about the needless capital letters, all clubs and sporting organisations seem to do this, I have never worked out why), the greatest challenge to the red-ball game is The Hundred. I fully understand and appreciate those concerns, but I want to assure you that, as Chair, I will do nothing that will imperil the future of either this Club or County Cricket. I would also like to make you another guarantee; I will never misrepresent the state of the game, or deal in half-truths.

"The reality is that The Hundred has been a huge success both from a ticketing and TV perspective (Note: This is debatable. Tickets are cheaper than for the T20 Blast. The Hundred has been given the summer's prime real estate, the summer school holidays in August. The Kia Oval already sold out for Blast games when it was given decent slots, rather than Tuesdays in June. It is true that Sky love it. They think that an 18-team tournament is mediocre – in terms of stadiums, players, pitches, you name it. The BBC love it because it is new… they don't seem to like old stuff, even though most of their viewers are not young, and because it is short – more room therefore for gardening and antiques shows)."

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Surrey are county champions (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Slipper continues: "It is also an extremely important revenue stream for the game of cricket, generating roughly 25 per cent of the ECB's revenue which funds the broader game of cricket (Note: This is debatable. Once you take out the £1.3million bribe per county each year, it makes a loss. And are we saying that a two-division county T20 would make nothing like that sum from telly companies?)… and helps maintain a viable 18-county ecosystem (Note: But for how long? How long really can a cricket club can carry on when it is happy not to play cricket. Some of the clubs take this money for now, but I fear that it is the equivalent of life support).

"The Hundred is also contracted as part of the ECB's broadcast deal for the next five years (Note: This is true, sadly), so it's simply not an option to replace it (Note: Ditto). That said, there is an appetite within the ECB and its 19 shareholders to continue to evolve and improve The Hundred to ensure it remains at the forefront of short-form 'franchise' cricket and this presents a unique opportunity for our Club (Note: Yes, it would be better if all 18 counties were involved, rather than sitting on their tod through August, unless you count the 50-over competition that sees them turn out depleted teams).

"It is likely that all 18 counties plus MCC will be given back ownership of their own Hundred teams. Counties will then be granted the opportunity to sell stakes in their 'franchise' (Note: Oh yes, the godsend of private money. Look what an unequivocal success that has been in football). Whilst other counties will undoubtedly opt to sell equity in their team, under my stewardship Surrey will take a longer-term view and look to own and operate our own team within this tournament.

"We must find a way of ensuring the history, heritage and legacy of this Club is represented in each month of the English summer (Note: That sounds more promising). We are not just a venue rented out to the highest bidder, we are the greatest Club in the world. We are the pacesetters in English cricket and if any Club expects to play domestic cricket at The Kia Oval, they should also expect to wear the Three Feathers of Surrey. Therefore, it is my ambition, that we get to a point where anyone who plays domestic cricket at this ground does so in the knowledge that they are standing on the shoulders of giants such as Edrich, Hobbs, Stewart and Hollioake (Note: OK, OK, this is much better).

"I believe that it is our seat at the table that will allow us to wield the power and influence necessary to not only further the interests of Surrey County Cricket Club, but also protect and even grow the red-ball game in this country. The Counties will need strong voices in the coming years, not just from the sidelines but from within the game at all levels, and I intend ours to be a leading voice."

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Oval Invincibles won the 2023 men's competition (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Before anyone has a go at me, yes, I know that The Hundred has been good for women's cricket. And Slipper says on that theme: "In the women’s game, we intend to submit a bid to the ECB to take full ownership of the regional side, the South East Stars, so that the Three Feathers are represented at all levels of women's domestic cricket."

I still maintain most Surrey fans would just like a men’s T20 side called Surrey playing in an 18-county competition, but it is what it is. (I simply cannot understand why Slipper and the fans would like a team half-owned by the ECB that represents the interests of Surrey and Kent, more than a Surrey T20 team purely owned by them?).

Apparently, Richard Gould, the ex-Surrey CEO of course, is – déjà vu – believed to be edging towards receiving the support he needs to tweak The Hundred and – depending on who you talk to – it will have a top flight of eight or 10, two divisions, promotion and relegation, promotion dependent on fulfilling stadium criteria, and so on.

In the January issue of The Cricketer magazine out later this week, David Gower took Mark Nicholas to lunch, and the former Hampshire skipper and Channel 4 heartthrob (said my mum) helped us explain what might happen with The Hundred and so on.

"I think that it's an interesting idea for MCC to have a team in it… (and sides being bought) for between £35m–£65m. Imagine what that can do for the game… If you'd owned 5 per cent of the IPL from day one, you'd be a very happy chappie now!" And so on. Does all that money talk float your boat too? Hmmm.

"So here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody's having fun;

Look to the future now, it's only just begun…"

Jackers, some of the other counties were in desperate financial trouble, instead of using their financial resources to assist county cricket the ECB bribed them to support the horrid hundred. Shame on the better off (effectively Test hosting) counties who could have stopped this in its tracks.

Offdrive - 100 per cent agree

Jackers (if you aren't back under the leaves again) - I think we have been here before but I think the only county which voted consistently at every stage against the Hundred was Kent. Others, including Surrey, were inconsistent. From memory Surrey did oppose it at the last stage (and quite possibly at one of the earlier stages at which counties could vote - I think there were three) but by the last stage it was too late. The more cynical might think that it was token opposition by that stage to placate the members. Or maybe the objection was to the non-alignment with Surrey itself, in which case Slipper's recent statements would make sense, if Surrey have the chance to own a franchise.

I'm not implying that any of that makes Surrey worse than any other county - apart from Kent and who knows whether they had their own motives. Consistent opposition from the outset was what was needed if (like the meat in the Strauss review) it was to be killed off.

I think we may be seeing that the proposed changes are a done deal. Lancashire getting planning permission for a raining ground come stadium in the middle of no where, our chairman saying Surrey looking to do the same and now Gloucestershire looking to move out of Bristol presumably because they feel guaranteed to get one of the new franchises.
I can see in the future if Surrey do build this new complex that the 50 over competition will be played there and many of the home men`s red ball fixtures. This would free up time at the Oval for the expanded men`s and women`s franchises and more international cricket.

I make enough ytpos to sink a ship but I do like the idea of a raining ground.

Now Durham saying they expect to get a Hundred franchise.