Club Chairman's Letter To Members

I hope this finds you well and you have been enjoying the season so far.  There have already been reasons to celebrate, with victory for the Southern Vipers in the Charlotte Edwards Cup and a record tenth Finals Day appearance for our Men’s T20 team. Equally, whilst our defeat in the semi-final was a huge disappointment, we remain the competition’s most successful team and we must be proud of our achievements over the year.

I am writing now to inform you that, after 23-years at the helm of Hampshire Cricket, I will be stepping down as Club Chair at the end of this year.

When I took on this role, I set out the following four clear objectives which I shared with you in 2001;

1. To save Hampshire Cricket from bankruptcy in the short term.
2. To create teams which would be competitive in all forms of the game.
3. To complete the development of the new stadium into an established International and Test Match ground.
4. To create a business around Hampshire Cricket, on the Rose/Utilita Bowl site, which will safeguard the future of our cricket club long into the future.

I think I can confidently say that, over the last two decades and some, we have achieved all of this and so much more.

The very fact that I am writing this letter to you 23 years after Hampshire County Cricket Club was in dire straits confirms that the first of these objectives was achieved. Our subsequent material successes with the men’s teams include three T20 titles and four Lord’s victories in the 40/50 Over configurations and, more than this, our regular appearances in white ball finals firmly establishes us as the highest of achievers in limited overs formats. Although the County Championship has, to date, eluded us, we have consolidated our position in the First Division and have been regarded amongst the favourites for this ultimate prize on a few occasions in recent years.

The advent of the Vipers as our women’s team has maintained these exacting standards over the last seven years and it’s fair to say that we are leading the way in women’s professional cricket. For the time being, I intend to continue as Chair of Southern Vipers and will make further announcements about this in due course.

First and foremost, I remain an avid supporter of all our teams. I am so proud of all the captains, coaches and players who have entertained and inspired us all during my tenure. We have had some truly amazing players over the years including, quite possibly, the best ever. All we have ever asked is that they give their very best for this club and, almost without exception, they have obliged; I am so grateful to every one of them. As with every sports team, there have been low points and disappointments but, I hope you will agree, these are far outweighed by our successes.

Undoubtedly, the players would be the first to salute the amazing support they have received from the groundstaff, together with medical, fitness, statistical and logistics staff over the years. As with all departments at this business, there are a huge number of absolute stars amongst their ranks.

While on-field success has been hard won, it is the work off the field that has presented some of the greatest challenges for me, personally, over the years. All of you know that my dream has long been to host an Ashes Test at this fabulous venue and the recent confirmation by ECB that this will now happen in 2027 represents the final validation of our credentials as one of the seven UK International and Test Match Grounds (Category “A”).  This would never have happened without the continued and diligent efforts of all my management and staff here at our home base. You will have seen some of this at home matches when our catering staff work tirelessly over very long days to provide a memorable experience for all our visitors and the Operations team ensure a safe and enjoyable event which all goes according to plan. What you do not see to any great extent are the man hours and effort that goes into our marketing activities, administration and financial management. I cannot begin to thank these people enough for making this such a fabulous place to work. In all my years in business, I have never known such a conscientious, caring, family-and-friends based culture. I am truly indebted to them all.

Given all of the above, I now believe my professional work at this organisation is nearing its completion. However, this is not the end of the story – in fact, it is just the beginning of the next phase. In order to ensure the long-term viability of the Group and to protect Hampshire Cricket in perpetuity, we need to develop our resources further. We now have a scheduled Ashes Test Match to aim for but there is much to be done by 2027; parts of the ground are now ageing and the stadium, and site generally, require further investment. I have always said: “being just good enough is just not good enough” and we need to continue to pursue our objective of being the best. I will, therefore, remain as Chair of Hampshire Sport & Leisure Holdings Ltd whilst pursuing new and significant investment in our infrastructure and resources.

Whilst I am leaving my role as Chair of Hampshire Cricket, I will continue to be an integral part of the board and will remain as Chair of the Southern Vipers and Hampshire Stadium Ltd as we embark on this exciting next phase of venue development.

I leave you in the very safe hands of Nick Pike, who replaces me as Chair of Hampshire Cricket from the 1^st January 2024. Nick, who is already well known to many of you, has been a long-serving director of the Group and a previous Managing Director. I’m sure he will bring with him some fresh ideas and I wish him all the very best in his new role.

Finally, I am so grateful to all of our Members who have offered me so much support over the years. I travel to many clubs around the country and am always appreciative when I come home; your loyalty towards our team and your willingness to embrace change is quite unique within the sport. My sincerest thank you to you all.

Our club has a long and rich history; I am honoured to have played a part in its story and look forward to attending as a supporter for many years to come!

See you all soon.

Rod