Sussex chairman resigns after pressure from ex-players, following ECB intervention

Sussex chairman Jon Filby has resigned*, days after the club was placed in 'special measures' and docked points by the ECB due to financial worries.

The ECB announced on Monday that Sussex had entered a three-year "financial framework agreement" to access exceptional funding after "significant operating losses" in the last two financial years. The club was docked points in all three men's county competitions for 2026 and will face restrictions on player salary costs for the next three years.

Filby had been Sussex chairman since 2022, but had been under pressure for his position after a number of former players, administrators and sponsors signed an open letter calling for the board to stand down.

The letter, published on Friday morning, was signed by former captains Chris Adams, Ian Gould and Alan Wells, internationals Matt Prior, Mushtaq Ahmed and Murray Goodwin, and various club sponsors. The letter called for a "clean and independent reset of leadership" via the resignation of the club's board, chaired by Filby.

The board was described as a "material barrier to recovery", and the letter called for members and supporters to "actively show their support" for resignations by writing to the club. Filby had been due to attend a members' forum at Hove on Monday evening, along with interim chief executive Mark West and head coach Paul Farbrace, but chose to step down beforehand.

"Jon has given a significant amount of time and energy to the club during a difficult period," West said in a statement. "On behalf of Sussex Cricket, I would like to thank him for his service.

"I also want to respond directly to the open letter published this week and to the strength of feeling it reflects. We fully understand the emotions behind it. Poor financial performance has left the club in a position where we have had to seek support from the ECB and now face sporting sanctions.

"We know many former players, sponsors and members care deeply about Sussex Cricket, and we hear their concerns clearly. I can only apologise, on behalf of the club, for the position we are in.

"But I would ask everyone who cares about Sussex to allow us the opportunity to put things right. It will mean change, but it also requires stability, and we will be far stronger together."

Martin Richards, the club vice-chairman, will step into Filby's role on an interim basis until the club's annual general meeting in March.

West himself is an interim appointment, having taken over as CEO in October, after Pete Fitzboydon resigned citing undisclosed "personal reasons". The club confirmed on Thursday that he will continue in that role for the foreseeable future.

West called for supporters to "get behind Sussex" in a video released through the club's channels shortly before the open letter was published on Friday morning.

"I talked about the 12th man and about us being the colleagues, the non-playing staff supporting the players," West said. "That's what I'd like from the sponsors, from the patrons, from the members, from the players club: all getting behind Sussex, because if you get behind Sussex, we will be successful. You can help us, so please do that."

West blamed the club's financial position on a "growth strategy" that had backfired due to rising costs and missed revenue targets.

"There were things like the rise in national insurance, the rise in the cost of everything - as supporters and fans will know - and there were some own goals and some mistakes that were made in terms of cost control… Lessons have been learned from those," he said.

"Where we are now is realistic in terms of our cost base. We are going to have to adjust that. We are going to have to make changes to it to put ourselves in a financially stable situation… We're not going to turn this around in one year. It's going to take us at least two, possibly into the third year - hence, the arrangement that we've negotiated with the ECB is a three-year agreement."