England: Counties ready for two-division championship (2 December 1998 )

2 December 1998

England: Counties ready for two-division championship

By Peter Deeley

CRICKET'S County Championship seems destined for the biggest shake-up in its 109-year history with the likely decision by clubs meeting at Lord's over the next two days to go for two divisions in 2000 including promotion and relegation.

A poll of the 18 teams indicates almost overwhelming support for the change. Some smaller counties, however, want financial and constitutional safeguards and fears were expressed that clubs who spent too long in the lower league could eventually go to the wall.

The alternative idea of a regional competition - with counties broken down into six groups of three - appears to have found little favour anywhere.

The option of no change also seems to be unacceptable, though the chief executive of one southern county, asking not to be identified, said: "There is a feeling that we are always tinkering for the sake of tinkering without giving anything time to work."

If two divisions comes into operation, the delegates from the counties and MCC must decide at the First Class Forum how many sides would be promoted and relegated. The preferred proposal is three up and three down. Paul Sheldon, chief executive of Surrey, said: "That would provide a bit more edge to the competition.

"The championship is so poorly supported in terms of attendances generated that it should not be a major consideration in terms of finance for clubs in the lower league.

"We have to accept the reality that the championship is for breeding good cricketers, not attracting spectators."

Jim Cumbes, chief executive of Lancashire, agreed with the need to improve the competitive element. "The quality of cricket presently in one division is just not competitive enough.

"There is a mood for change and if you are going to be radical, there isn't much alternative."

Dennis Amiss, chief executive of Warwickshire, felt however that it should be two up and two down. "That is enough. We don't believe there will be that many more players wanting to move to counties in the top league so why the need for such upheaval?"

It looks as if the twodivision system will follow football in using the terms Premier and First. David Collier, chief executive of county champions Leicestershire, said: "Not only football but rugby went that way and the general public have got used to that terminology.

"If you talk about a second division it gives a negative rather than a positive perception."

Collier considered it essential that there are built-in financial and constitutional safeguards to protect smaller clubs. "We want to make sure that all counties - whether Premier or First - would still have equal voting rights.

"Provided there are those safeguards, I don't see some clubs suffering from being in the lower league.

"With three up and three down there will be a lot of change and you will have not only the ebb and flow of the championship but of the one-day National League as well."

Surrey would like to see membership of the new divisions based on three years' past results rather than the proposal of a separation based on 1999 championship standings.

That view seems to have little support but Sheldon argued: "It would be fairer since the coming season will be a particularly difficult one with the World Cup."

Gloucestershire's Colin Sexstone pin-pointed the need to protect smaller counties from losing their best young players to sides in the top division.

"There are a couple of formulas which will be discussed to prevent that happening. Otherwise you are going to get a football situation where the richest counties - mainly those with Test grounds - buy up the cream à la Manchester United."

Steve Coverdale, Northamptonshire's chief executive, wants to ensure that distribution of ECB funds to counties remains unchanged. "We must not earmark more money for teams in the top league to the detriment of those in the lower division.

"A number of counties, ourselves included, have been nervous about a second division. It is written up as being second rate. They talk about greater public interest in two divisions: I don't believe that at all.

"There is a danger that some counties might go to the wall. That's why we want the financial safeguards. Without those it could be very worrying.

"Look at rugby. Sides outside the top division really are Cinderellas. Even some of the great names struggle."

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)