Leicestershire County Cricket Club

[Corky]

Not from what I've heard. I hope it's not true but apparently the horizon is bleak, very bleak.

Has he got a three-year deal or something like that?

[Fosse Boy]

Has he got a three-year deal or something like that?

From what I've heard no-one will have any contracts within the next couple of seasons, if my source is to be believed.

[AjcW]

From what I've heard no-one will have any contracts within the next couple of seasons, if my source is to be believed.

We going down the spout?

[Guest]

From what I've heard no-one will have any contracts within the next couple of seasons, if my source is to be believed.

We going down the spout?

I hope not

[Fosse Boy]

We going down the spout?

I really hope this source of mine is talking bollocks, but unless some drastic changes are made at the county very soon then that may be the unfortunate outcome.

[C-man]

It wouldn't surprise me if we fell into minor county cricket. How are we supposed to compete with Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and even Derbyshire who have had some investment over the last 12 months?

[AjcW]

All it would take is some investment.

You would think with the amount of asian money around the leicestershire area there would be someone willing to invest.

[harpendenfox]

trouble is for it to be an investment there has to be some possibility of a return. What LCCC would need is someone quite simply prepared to donate hundreds of thousands of pounds for the love of the Club without expecting any return. Not that many people have that kind of available money, or indeed the inclination.

County cricket would not survive without handouts from the ECB as a result of the international game. Much though I would hate to see it happen it wouldn't be a surprise if a number of Counties went the wall in the next ten years

[SMX11]

We lost about 50k last year if i can remember, but im pretty sure that we have made major cuts since then. I guess the extra revenue from the 20/20 tv rights and the English qualified player rules will help a lot. It doesn't help that Sky hates any county above London. Sussex, Hampshire, Essex always seem to be on the box <_<

[Corky]

It wouldn't surprise me if we fell into minor county cricket. How are we supposed to compete with Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and even Derbyshire who have had some investment over the last 12 months?

I've wondered for a few years whether a first-class county will drop out and a Minor county will be upgraded.

I agree, it could happen

[Fosse Boy]

We lost about 50k last year if i can remember, but im pretty sure that we have made major cuts since then. I guess the extra revenue from the 20/20 tv rights and the English qualified player rules will help a lot. It doesn't help that Sky hates any county above London. Sussex, Hampshire, Essex always seem to be on the box <_<

True enough. Essex get on quite a lot because they have permanenty floodlights at Chelmo. Nice investment if you've got a bit of spare cash floating around and a decent enough ground to install them in.

However for me one of the reasons that the counties don't draw in as much non-TV related revenue as they should is down to the central contracting of England players. If the core England squad were released more often to play for their respective counties then I guarantee we'd see more people watching county cricket.

The simple fact is that unless you're a hardcore supporter of a county, no-one's interested in watching a few bog standard pros, a couple of Kolpaks and perhaps a decent overseas player week in, week out. Whereas if you for example had a big English name like a Pietersen or a Flintoff playing in an away match for Hampshire or Lancashire at Grace Road, more people (especially kids in the summer holidays) would turn up purely to see an England Test player at the crease. It's happened throughout history, people will pay good money to watch great players do their thing and until the authorities start to realise the impact that central contracting is having on the domestic game county cricket will continue to die a slow death.

Edited 8 September 2009 by A Fox in Essex

[Corky]

We lost about 50k last year if i can remember, but im pretty sure that we have made major cuts since then. I guess the extra revenue from the 20/20 tv rights and the English qualified player rules will help a lot. It doesn't help that Sky hates any county above London. Sussex, Hampshire, Essex always seem to be on the box <_<

Essex are on again tonight. Third time in five days.

[Narborough Bod]

We lost about 50k last year if i can remember, but im pretty sure that we have made major cuts since then. I guess the extra revenue from the 20/20 tv rights and the English qualified player rules will help a lot. It doesn't help that Sky hates any county above London. Sussex, Hampshire, Essex always seem to be on the box <_<

I'd love to know how much Worcester lost last year. At the rate the players are leaving you'd think that they'd be the club in the biggest financial trouble, especially after the weather of the past 2 years.

They were on the box though at the start of the season and were talking about spending millions to upgrade the ground.

[SMX11]

Essex are on again tonight. Third time in five days.

not again i can't stand watching Nasser masturbating over James Foster Roll on Friday afternoon

[Fosse Boy]

not again i can't stand watching Nasser masturbating over James Foster Roll on Friday afternoon

Try having to hear that every day of term time from Essex fans I know. <_<

I actually think he's a pretty good keeper and a more than capable batsman, but the sycophancy does get a bit much. I try and retaliate in kind with Nikko worship but when it's just me doing it it doesn't have the same effect really.

[SemperEadem]

Derby away on sky tonight. Dont think il be able to watch it so hopefully it is on the radio.

[AjcW]

Didnt realise we still have a very slim chance of being promoted to pro 40 div 1, that would be a nice boost to finances

[SemperEadem]

Didnt realise we still have a very slim chance of being promoted to pro 40 div 1, that would be a nice boost to finances

Correct me if I'm wrong but i think its the last year of the Pro 40 so their is no religation or promotion.

[Fosse Boy]

Good on those Leicestershire fans, you can hear them after every boundary.

Hopefully Taylor and Benning can push on now after giving a couple of chances.

[Corky]

Didnt realise we still have a very slim chance of being promoted to pro 40 div 1, that would be a nice boost to finances

In any case, we aren't going anywhere.

[Ultra]

True enough. Essex get on quite a lot because they have permanenty floodlights at Chelmo. Nice investment if you've got a bit of spare cash floating around and a decent enough ground to install them in.

However for me one of the reasons that the counties don't draw in as much non-TV related revenue as they should is down to the central contracting of England players. If the core England squad were released more often to play for their respective counties then I guarantee we'd see more people watching county cricket.

The simple fact is that unless you're a hardcore supporter of a county, no-one's interested in watching a few bog standard pros, a couple of Kolpaks and perhaps a decent overseas player week in, week out. Whereas if you for example had a big English name like a Pietersen or a Flintoff playing in an away match for Hampshire or Lancashire at Grace Road, more people (especially kids in the summer holidays) would turn up purely to see an England Test player at the crease. It's happened throughout history, people will pay good money to watch great players do their thing and until the authorities start to realise the impact that central contracting is having on the domestic game county cricket will continue to die a slow death.

The problem is, the likes of Pietersen and Flintoff are injury-prone enough as it is without forcing them to play more county matches.

There would have quite rightly been a national outcry if Strauss or another key England player had been forced out of an Ashes test because of an injury sustained in a county fixture.

That's the reason central contracts were introduced, in order to manage the workload of international players.

[Guest]

The problem is, the likes of Pietersen and Flintoff are injury-prone enough as it is without forcing them to play more county matches.

There would have quite rightly been a national outcry if Strauss or another key England player had been forced out of an Ashes test because of an injury sustained in a county fixture.

That's the reason central contracts were introduced, in order to manage the workload of international players.

That surely is overcome by having better depth in the England squad.

Your argument favours a system where the top players are removed entirely from the county scene, which would be counter-productive in the long run. Whilst international cricketers are contracted to the counties, there has to be a balance between playing for your club and playing for your country.

[SMX11]

Poor performance yesterday, constant loss of wickets stopped any momentum with the bat and Chris Rodgers was superb. Did anyone think the fielding yesterday was below par for us?

[Fosse Boy]

The problem is, the likes of Pietersen and Flintoff are injury-prone enough as it is without forcing them to play more county matches.

There would have quite rightly been a national outcry if Strauss or another key England player had been forced out of an Ashes test because of an injury sustained in a county fixture.

That's the reason central contracts were introduced, in order to manage the workload of international players.

From what I hear Pietersen is always asking to be released so he can play for Hampshire. When all's said and done, players need game time out in the middle. You can spend all day every day in the nets and doing fitness work but it won't prepare you for a match in the same way that playing a First Class match does.

Besides, if our top players aren't ever being tested against the best of the rest on the county scene, how can we be sure that they're the right men for the job? A prime example of this being Michael Vaughan, who held a place in the England side without having to prove himself or find some form for Yorkshire purely on the basis that he had a central contract. Look what happened when he eventually was dropped and returned to the county scene.

[Fosse Boy]

Batted Nikko (and Boyce). Shame they couldn't have done that in the first innings...

Edited 18 September 2009 by A Fox in Essex