Sussex board face calls to resign after ECB intervention

Sussex's board have been encouraged to resign in full by a group of ex-players and sponsors after the club was placed in 'special measures' and docked points by the ECB due to financial worries.

Signatories to an open letter published on Friday morning included 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, which is chaired by Jon Filby.

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.

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

"These measures represent a clear determination that the club's existing governance has failed to deliver financial and strategic stability," the letter said. "We make no allegation of improper conduct. However, in governance, responsibility is defined by outcomes. The necessity of ECB intervention at this level is, in itself, a failure for which the board bears ultimate responsibility.

"The continuation of the same board under regulatory supervision is incompatible with restoring confidence. A board cannot credibly lead a reset while being subject to that reset. For players, this threatens the club's competitive future. For sponsors, it undermines confidence in leadership and governance. For members and supporters, it represents a failure of stewardship."

West took over as interim chief executive in October, after Pete Fitzboydon resigned citing undisclosed "personal reasons", and 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."