Southend Cricket Festival is axed by Essex (From Echo)
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Southend Cricket Festival is axed by Essex
11:34am Wednesday 28th September 2011 in Other cricket
End of an era - this year's Southend Cricket Festival will be the last for the immediate future
ESSEX County Cricket Club has decided to axe the Southend Cricket Festival.
A decision was made at a club committee meeting last night.
A club spokesman said this morning that from next year the festival will be held in Chelmsford, probably in August.
But he added the Colchester Cricket Festival will remain as it is.
"It is very sad that after 105 years of first class cricket in Southend that we will not be returning in 2012," said Essex chief executive David East.
"The door has certainly not been closed on future festival cricket in the south of the county, but at this time the club committee felt that our focus should be at Chelmsford."
Southend festival chairman Mike Smith said, "This is a sad day for many cricket lovers in South Essex and beyond.
"It is now critical that we deal with all the issues, including development of the cricket community centre at Garon Park, so that we are in a position to attract first class cricket back to Southend."
The Southend festival was held at Garon Park in recent years but for many decades was played at Southchurch Park.
Festival organisers and cricket lovers, including Kim Bailey, the son of Essex and England legend Trevor Bailey, spoke out in defence of the event since fears for its future surfaced earlier this month.
The decision to axe Southend and keep the Colchester festival at Castle Park follows the annual end of season review conducted by the club.
Throughout the process club chiefs had stressed nothing had been ruled out regarding the future of the two festivals.
And a club spokesman said the committee considered very robust and persuasive arguments in favour of continuing at Southend last night.
And he added that the committee had decided on balance that in the interest of its members the club would be better served by staging the matches at Chelmsford next year.
The decision means that Southend has gone the same way as the Ilford festival, which was held in Valentines Park and was dropped in 2002 in favour of the Southend event.
Essex club chairman Nigel Hilliard added: "Over the last three weeks we have conducted an in depth review of the background and status of our festivals and have received considerable feedback from our members and other stakeholders.
"These were fully taken into account before making this decision, and as part of this review the Club agreed to continue with its festival week at Castle Park in Colchester for 2012."
Malcolm Rowley, who is head of the Essex Boundary Club and has been involved with the Colchester festival organisation for the last six years, is delighted with the decision.
He said: “It’s a massive boost, particularly with all of the rumours that have been flying around.
“It gives everyone involved with the festival a huge lift."
Essex County Cricket Club will still have a presence in Southend as the club will be developing its centre of excellence at Garon Park.
The venue will also have more than 40 match days involving junior county and second XI matches, according to East.
"We look forward to continuing our efforts in this area to ensure that we maintain a significant community and developmental presence in the region and that we are able retain an Essex cricketing focus in this important part of the county," the chief executive added.
"We remain fully supportive of the project to improve and grow the community facilities at Garon Park, and the fulfilment of these plans may open the door for future first class cricket at the ground."
* FOR THE FULL STORY SEE THURSDAY'S ECHO
Comments(25)
Russ13
says...
3:10pm Wed 28 Sep 11
Southchurch Park is near a train station and well serviced bus routes but (having played there for a few years myself) the ground/facilities had declined over the years (although Southend's recently refurbished pavillion is now worthy of 1st Class cricket again)
Going back to Garon, I did have the misfortune to play a lot of cricket there in the late 90s, I'm guessing the pitch must be a lot better (at the time it couldn't have been much worse) but the place itself is pretty soulless (is it a conincidence the Garon rhymes with Baron?) and even in the height of summer there can be winds that'd give a polar bear frostbite!!!
Add to that it's nowhere near a mainline train station (don't know what the bus service is like) the only real option is to drive there, even the nearby housing estate must be getting on for a mile walk each way.
I'm not going to subscribe to the "conspiracy" theories about why Southend's been "axed" but I think from a business perspective, festival cricket in Southend (for whatever reason) just isn't bringing in the cash like it used to.
I'd rather have a financially sound County Cricket Club than one that's struggling to fund festival cricket.
Cockle
says...
3:48pm Wed 28 Sep 11
However the week made £15k profit this year, so I'm told, so not really a drain. The Sunday game this year had an attendance of around 4000 so it wasn't badly supported.
As for transport there are/were buses that run direct from Southend Victoria station and stop right outside the ground....
The thing I don't understand is that ECCC are still going to be putting money into the site as they still want to maintain the facilities and use it for other games, the real cost saving would be to scrap the venue entirely not just remove the five days of the festival.
As for possibly one day returning, I'm pretty sure that once Essex have left a festival ground they've not gone back.
Still, what's done is done.
jolllyboy
says...
6:09pm Wed 28 Sep 11
Max Impact
says...
11:10pm Wed 28 Sep 11
Seems like ECC do not care about fans in South Essex, well I'm not renewing my membership nor are 12 other people I know who all live in the South of the county.
We are not going to go to any games at Colchester or CHUMPSford so thats a not too small bit of cash the club will loose out on.
Hopefully the club will struggle with funds and relise just what a boost the Southend Festival was to them and reinstate it for 2013 until they do The 13 will not be returning.
What about the Centre of Cricketing Excellence they were planning at Garons, just hope they don't cherry pick the best bits and leave us the scraps.
Cockle
says...
1:33am Thu 29 Sep 11
That's what I can't understand, the County has chosen to continue with the Centre of Excellence and the costs associated with that while foregoing a profit making week while making a loss overall. Surely it should be looking to maximise that profit maybe even bringing some T20 or an extra CB40 game to Southend where there is a proven crowd, CB40 games at Southend draw about a 1000 extra spectators than those at Chelmsford.
Also going forward into next year there will be less T20 games, between 8 - 12 less; T20 games are responsible for 80% of the annual gate at Chelmsford. This will impact massively on the Club's balance sheet next year, in fact they are already talking to the ECB about compensation.
Sorry but that doesn't look like a recipe for financial stability to me, I really fear for the future of the Club if that's their idea of financial prudence.
It really does look like a case of the 80 odd % of members based around Chelmsford wanting more cricket locally to them in August, especially now the T20 is reducing, and those days of cricket have to come from somewhere. Colchester is seen as the more picturesque ground and easier to get to by those same members from Chelmsford who can get on one train or drive easily straight up the A12 rather than a train journey with a change of trains at Shenfield and a bus ride or having to brave the A127 across Southend.
Thus Southend loses and blow the non members who pay £83 for five days cricket, it's much better those days go to 'HQ' to satisfy the 80% who pay £145 for their whole season.
Sorry if I sound bitter but I am, I feel betrayed by a Club I have watched at Southend man and boy since 1964 and which has been supported loyally by our Borough Council both facility wise and financially over the years and by many loyal Southend people dedicated to keeping first class cricket in the Borough.
koiman
says...
9:41am Thu 29 Sep 11
2112
says...
10:54am Thu 29 Sep 11
So short sighted.
Max Impact
says...
1:40pm Thu 29 Sep 11
The Southend festival has been running longer than the others, makes more money than the others and attracts more people than the others.
If the board think scrapping such a money spinner in favour of keeping all cricket in the north of the county where they make a loss at each festival then they will alienate many many fans in the south.
To scrap a profit making event and then demand compo for the loss in gate money for fewer games is proof that they just don't care about the fans in the south of the county.
Eastwood Biker
says...
1:54pm Thu 29 Sep 11
'As a member from South Essex and a regular attendee at all venues I cannot help feeling Mr East and his committee have allowed themselves to be unduly influenced by members from the North of the county in reaching this decision.
To axe a festival week which by the clubs own admission is more economically rewarding than any other equivalent week at Chelmsford or Colchester in the whole season in the current economic climate is to say the least bizarre.
The club should remember that they are Essex COUNTY Cricket Club and should be taking the game to the county as a whole.By this decision they are robbing many
youngsters in a large catchment area of their only opportunity of watching county cricket.
The commitee really MUST think again !!!!'
Clacc
says...
9:18pm Thu 29 Sep 11
Max Impact
says...
11:40pm Thu 29 Sep 11
Clacc wrote:I know of 13 members that are not re-newing thier memberships and will NOT be attending any more games.
The committee have decided. I , and many members that I know personally and through the Essex message board couldn't be happier. Sorry that Southend are to lose their rights to hold a festival there, but far less sorry not to have to go back to that dump called Barren Park again .I'll be more than happy to fork out another tenner on my Membership to keep the Castle Park. Well done Essex CCC !
We have booked Executive Boxes in the past and were going to book one for all the four day games next year, but now with the scrapping of the most profitable and event with the biggest gate ECC will not get a penny from us.
You slag Southed off but its the Southend Festival that has been keeping the club afloat, wonder if the lifebelt will be thrown by the people of South Essex when the crys for help start to ring out.
County cricket is DEAD in Essex, might as well change the name of Essex County Cricket Club to CCCC Thats The Chumpford and Cockchester Cricket Club.
What would you do if they slapped £25 extra on your membership...
Clacc
says...
8:02am Fri 30 Sep 11
Max Impact wrote:"The Chumpford and Cockchester Cricket Club. What would you do if they slapped £25 extra on your membership..."
Clacc wrote:I know of 13 members that are not re-newing thier memberships and will NOT be attending any more games.
The committee have decided. I , and many members that I know personally and through the Essex message board couldn't be happier. Sorry that Southend are to lose their rights to hold a festival there, but far less sorry not to have to go back to that dump called Barren Park again .I'll be more than happy to fork out another tenner on my Membership to keep the Castle Park. Well done Essex CCC !
We have booked Executive Boxes in the past and were going to book one for all the four day games next year, but now with the scrapping of the most profitable and event with the biggest gate ECC will not get a penny from us.
You slag Southed off but its the Southend Festival that has been keeping the club afloat, wonder if the lifebelt will be thrown by the people of South Essex when the crys for help start to ring out.
County cricket is DEAD in Essex, might as well change the name of Essex County Cricket Club to CCCC Thats The Chumpford and Cockchester Cricket Club.
What would you do if they slapped £25 extra on your membership...
I for one wouldn't mind if it cam with the assurance of keeping the Castle Park for another ten years. It's Essex CCC's jewel in the crown, as most of us agree. All the gripes that I've seen have been sour grapes from those in the Southend area. Some very unpleasant indeed (basically wishing the worse on Essex - some supporters !) Others - including one above - verging on paranoid conspiracy theories about Essex relation to North Essex. In their narrow-sighted and somewhat anal retentive view of the world , they forget those from the further regions of East Anglia who were it not for the Colchester Festival could not attend Essex cricket at all. Believe me when I say that they run into quite a few. As for your childish, if I may say so, play on alternative names for Colchester and Essex CCC just makes me realise how ridiculously inane those that oppose dropping the Southend dump really are.
Bosniavet
says...
9:01am Fri 30 Sep 11
Clacc
says...
9:43am Fri 30 Sep 11
For all your vain demands there was - as I understand it -representation from SBC on Tuesday when the decision was voted on. They lost, so really get over it and move on. Nothing now is going to change.
Bosniavet
says...
4:53pm Fri 30 Sep 11
Clacc wrote:I take it that you live in the north of the county & can easily travel to Chelmsford & Colchester?
"SBC need to make a representation over this issue & quickly!" For all your vain demands there was - as I understand it -representation from SBC on Tuesday when the decision was voted on. They lost, so really get over it and move on. Nothing now is going to change.
If ECCC is truly a county side, then they need to play in all areas of the county, not just close to where the chosen few on the management committees live.
Clacc
says...
6:11pm Fri 30 Sep 11
Bosniavet wrote:Normally I'd agree, get rid of Barren Park and move somewhere else. But I think that the economic climate dictates that they'll be playing , as you know, at Chelmsford and T20 in Leyton after the Olympics. One had to go and like most are I'm very pleased that it was the dump. Yes I do live in the north of the county, but don't be deluded in thinking that we are nearer to Chelmsford than most. Most of the Essex/Suffolk boarder is some 45 + minutes drive. Yes, I'm just down the road from Colchester, but if that was a tip I'd be more than happy to ditch it. But it's not just us rural Essex people, but those that make their annual pilgrimage to the Castle Park from as fer away as Norrge, as they cannot get to Chelmsford - let alone Southend.
Clacc wrote:I take it that you live in the north of the county & can easily travel to Chelmsford & Colchester?
"SBC need to make a representation over this issue & quickly!" For all your vain demands there was - as I understand it -representation from SBC on Tuesday when the decision was voted on. They lost, so really get over it and move on. Nothing now is going to change.
If ECCC is truly a county side, then they need to play in all areas of the county, not just close to where the chosen few on the management committees live.
Max Impact
says...
8:53pm Fri 30 Sep 11
Not very good business sense,getting shot of one of the few profit making parts of your club, would you still go if they slapped £20 extra on each ticket and bumped memberships up £25?
Shame the South can break away from the north as all the stats I have seen shows that the South of the county is the economic heartland of Essex thanks mostly to the heavy industry.
Clacc
says...
9:13pm Fri 30 Sep 11
The question has already been asked (above) regarding Membership pricing. My answer hasn't changed from the previous yes , if it means retaining the Castle Park venue. As for bumping up ticket prices, as much as that doesn't really apply to Members, I couldn't see Essex charging substantially more - although with a reduction in the number of T20 matches that's always a probability in any case.
Boris
says...
12:38am Sat 1 Oct 11
it is obvious that Southend cricket week should continue. They should also bring back some of the other festival grounds, such as Clacton and Ilford.
For north Essex people like me to gloat is sheer idiocy. In a year or two's time they will axe Colchester too, and then it really will be boring old Chelmsford or nothing.
Clacc
says...
7:43am Sat 1 Oct 11
Boris wrote:I don't expect that you're a Member ,Boris. Nor perhaps even been to Garon Park ? If you had you'd realise that no one is "gloating", just happy that we are rid of the place and that the Castle Park survived - thus far anyway. I don't think that returning to Vista Road would placate those from other areas of Essex much. However, I popped over there the other day just out of curiosity and although better than Garon Park (could it be any worse ?) it still wouldn't be suitable for access from the station, parking , and so forth. Also , Valentines Park is a non starter as I'm led to believe.
ECCC would never have dared take this decision while Trevor Bailey was alive.
it is obvious that Southend cricket week should continue. They should also bring back some of the other festival grounds, such as Clacton and Ilford.
For north Essex people like me to gloat is sheer idiocy. In a year or two's time they will axe Colchester too, and then it really will be boring old Chelmsford or nothing.
southend brummie
says...
6:37pm Sat 1 Oct 11
I grew up watching Essex at Leyton and Ilford. From now on I'll be cheering Essex'opponents. Let's hope they rot in the second division for ever until they go bust.
Boris
says...
1:41am Sun 2 Oct 11
Clacc wrote:You are right, I am not a member any more. My dad was a life member so I used to go to matches with his guest pass. After he died I was a member for a few years but was not able to go to enough games. Now I just go for odd days.
Boris wrote:I don't expect that you're a Member ,Boris. Nor perhaps even been to Garon Park ? If you had you'd realise that no one is "gloating", just happy that we are rid of the place and that the Castle Park survived - thus far anyway. I don't think that returning to Vista Road would placate those from other areas of Essex much. However, I popped over there the other day just out of curiosity and although better than Garon Park (could it be any worse ?) it still wouldn't be suitable for access from the station, parking , and so forth. Also , Valentines Park is a non starter as I'm led to believe.
ECCC would never have dared take this decision while Trevor Bailey was alive.
it is obvious that Southend cricket week should continue. They should also bring back some of the other festival grounds, such as Clacton and Ilford.
For north Essex people like me to gloat is sheer idiocy. In a year or two's time they will axe Colchester too, and then it really will be boring old Chelmsford or nothing.
No I have never been to Garon Park, and I never said it should be used. It sounds terrible from all the comments on this thread. I liked Southchurch Park, where Essex cricket began. Why did they move the county matches? If they don't like Southchurch Park, what about Westcliff? (I don't know that ground but it was good enough in the past). It doesn't actually matter where in Greater Southend they play the cricket, provided the fans in that area get the chance to see a few games locally.
Yes, I would like ECCC to return to the County Ground at Vista Road. It is an easy walk from the station. I'd like to see two cricket weeks in north east Essex. But not at the expense of the Southend/Westcliff fans.
Boris
says...
1:52am Sun 2 Oct 11
southend brummie wrote:Given the way ECCC is managed, your hopes are likely to be fulfilled before too long.
Southend is the largest town in Essex by some margin, and this is very short-sighted. As a Southend resident without a car this was my only opportunity to watch live cricket during the year, even if with a freezing north wind in unattractive Garon Park.
I grew up watching Essex at Leyton and Ilford. From now on I'll be cheering Essex'opponents. Let's hope they rot in the second division for ever until they go bust.
Clacc
says...
8:10pm Sun 2 Oct 11
Vista Road must be a good twenty minutes walk from Clacton station, and I don't think that the's any public transport either from the sea front or Holland Road. It also has now a leisure centre there and the traffic problem would be just as bad as it is at Garon Park - and believe me that's bad. But if you have the time and making most of the good weather - or what's left of it - go and see for yourself.
Sothend Brummie
'From now on I'll be cheering Essex' opponents. Let's hope they rot in the second division for ever until they go bust."
Good , with friends like you who needs enemies.
click2find
Cockle says...
2:51pm Wed 28 Sep 11
A few members have always been vociferously anti Garon Park, agreed it is not the best place to watch cricket; Southchurch Park was always better. However, it brought first class cricket to the doorstep of a large catchment area, enabled a lot of kids to 'pop down the road' to get their first taste of watching cricket at an affordable price, and IT MADE A PROFIT.
Essex County Cricket Club has just looked after what its members want and cocked a snook to the thousands of non-members who made up the paying public who went to their local festival every year. Don't see many of them saying, 'Oooh, it's the old festival week, let's spend two hours on a train and change at Shenfield to go and watch the cricket at Chelmsford.'
For the youngsters the 'Rover' ticket was fantastic value for money and they could come and go as they pleased, now they're faced with an hour journey from Southend Vic to Chelmsford via Shenfield at a cost of £7.70 a day, the kids just won't bother; and that's your future cricket followers alienated.
ECCC don't seem to realise they are in the entertainment business and the first rule of any entertainment business is 'bums on seats'.
An analogy to this decision would be if SUFC asked the season ticket holders when they would like home games played and a small majority said Wednesday afternoon at 2pm, now that would please the majority of ST's but very few others would turn up and SUFC would be broke(r) in no time.
In every entertainment business it's about bums on seats and getting your product to its market not just putting it on for the providers convenience, that's why theatres are open in the evenings it's not because it's convenient to the cast, it's because it's convenient to the audience - unless, it appears, you're ECCC.
Let's face it, although I love the game to death, to lots of people cricket is not the sexiest entertainment product out there and to take what we do get and move it across the county should really encourage more people to watch.
Graciously I see the County are going to leave their 40 days of 2nd XI and women and girls games here, in other words the stuff the members aren't too worried about having at 'HQ'; I'm so ******* grateful!
I seriously think this decision will kill ECCC's following in the Southend area and could ultimately kill the club, although it's apparently wealthy enough to turn away profits of £15k for 5 days cricket but I'm sure the members will dig deeper into their pockets for higher membership fees to make up the shortfall...... an extra £5-£10 a year should do it.
Well they'll not see a penny more of my money because they've made plain exactly what they think of my custom, they don't need it. Well, ECCC, I don't need you either and I don't need to spend even more of my money to give you my custom.......