Copy of letter delivered to andy anson 25/08/21

To keep everybody updated with the campaign please see a copy below of a letter handed into Lancashire reception on the 25th August for the attention of Andy Anson, the Lancashire Chairman (with copies to Daniel Gidney the Chief Executive and Lee Morgan the secretary). The letter was also emailed to the three gentlemen. So far there has been no acknowledgment or reply.

Dear Mr Anson

We write to you on behalf of Lancashire cricket supporters and members with the results of the survey run to encourage members to put themselves forward for the Board and for the MRG.  At the AGM, the club confirmed that no member had applied to be elected to the club’s board since the nominations committee was established.  

We were forced to run the survey online because the club inexplicably banned handing out the flyer in the ground asking for people to volunteer to help the club and to complete a short survey on the priorities and services of the club. 

Despite this, we had a tremendous response in the circumstances to the survey. We have found 12 volunteers who wish to help the club on its board or MRG. We will contact these 12 people over the coming weeks to understand more about their background and where they feel they can be of most use to the club. 

The survey responses came approximately 50% from current members, 30% lapsed members and 20% other supporters.  

98% supported the proposal that members elect all of the people on the MRG in future and that the club allows two member-elected people on its Board at all times.  

We have had a good season so far on the pitch, but the services provided to members and supporters off the pitch have been unacceptably poor. The survey reveals a consistent message that Lancashire’s supporters feel the club’s actions and communications show a lack of respect towards them and the club. 

Communication with supporters and members came a clear first in the survey for priorities for improvement. The next three priorities were Player management & development; Respect for the club’s heritage and Customer service.  

The dedicated facility at midwicket ranked the lowest priority.  The development may make sense in pure commercial terms for its increased hotel and event capacity but we ask you to consider carefully whether you have any evidence that members want to sit at mid-wicket rather than in their pavilion behind the bowler’s arm.

In terms of satisfaction with the club’s services, the services were ranked out 10 with 8-10 considered to be very satisfied and 1-3 being considered as unacceptable.  The net satisfaction levels are derived by subtracting one group from the other.

Service         % Rated     8-10 % Rated    1-3 Net satisfaction

Ticket Office      6%              53%                      -47%

Parking                8%              39%                      -31%

Disabled              3%              28%                      -25%

services 

Website              10%              35%                     -25%

Food/drink       12%              35%                    -23%

Mobile                17%              36%                    -19%

technology  

SPIN mag         16%              23%                     -7%

Watching play 35%             13%                      22%

We appreciate that the club prefers to discuss all matters with its own MRG.  But the MRG as currently constituted do not represent members.  They aren’t chosen by the members. It isn’t really clear how they are chosen. The communication between the MRG and members is poor.  The minutes are opaque with little explanation offered outside the minutes. The notice of the MRG meeting due on Wednesday 30 June was actually sent out on Sunday 27 June to members.  The meeting itself was cancelled and no date for the replacement was given to members until 7.30pm on 23 August for a meeting on the 25th August.  At the same time the only Members’ cricket forum for this year was announced for 31 August. Why is so little planning or notice being given for such events unless the club considers them to be unimportant? 

We ask that you personally agree to meet with Roy Cavanagh MBE, a respected club historian and long time member and Alan Higham, Cricket Supporters Association Board member to discuss how we can move towards giving members the representation they clearly want and to use the volunteers we have found to help improve services. Would you be willing to meet before the end of the current season?

We aren’t enemies, we are passionate Lancashire supporters who feel the club can do so much better for its supporters and are willing to help the club do just that.  In addition to finding 12 volunteers to serve the club formally, our survey provides valuable feedback on the club’s services and priorities, we also provided transport for any Lancashire supporter to go to Sedbergh (despite many people objecting to playing outside the county) and have obtained a refund for travelling supporters to the Kent 50 over game.  

There is much to gain for the club if, under your leadership, it would take constructive steps to resolve these issues. 

Yours sincerely

Roy Cavanagh MBE, Ian Lomax and Alan Higham