As I mentioned in my post yesterday, the resolution to amend the rules of the club was passed at the AGM. The full story would be that the motion was passed with votes of; 645 for, 90 against with about 4,200 abstentions. (!)
The following presentations were made:
The batting award for last season went to Darren Maddy and
The allrounder award went to Tim Ambrose (not present).
Dougie Brown was given a warm round of applause in recognition of the service he has given the club, and looked slightly uncomfortable with all the attention.
I picked up on the following points;
By looking through the club annual report and deducting the "shop overheads" and the "shop cost of sales" from the "shop sales" you get a total for 2006 of£38,483. For 2007 that figure is £4,853. This seems shockingly low to me, and shows a 35% drop in sales, whilst in the same time costs rose by 14%. However you mess with the figures however, a sub-£5000 retail (gross) profit, that has such a level of footfall past (and through) its doors is a shocking performance. I expect the club would say this is due to a change in stock, refits, etc, but I would therefore expect to see a much improved performance this year.
I will deal with the stadium, ground plans and international staging agreements in a later post, along with the attached increase in borrowing powers in the new rules, as this all seems to fit together into one overall issue.
Neil Houghton (Chairman) mentioned one interesting point about the appointment of Giles. He admitted in his speech that they wanted to appoint a successor to Greatbatch as soon as possible and preferably before the players went on their winter break. This contrasts quite sharply with Povey's statements at the time that the club would take their time to find the right candidate.
The Treasurer, SG Mills, made an entertaining speech, given that he was presenting the accounts. Apart from some bizarre comment about wanting to play playstation with a U-15 girls team award winner called Laura Croft, which he opened with to general confusion. He said the club are aiming for a £500k operating profit this year and confirmed that last year there was a significant increase in expenses due to the new offices installed and the increase in marketing and PR (+24%), which he explained as investments in the future.
He went onto to make a couple of entertaining statements, that he was at pains to point out were his own and not the clubs. He predicted that within the next 3-5 years a county club would go into administration and predicted that it would be one of the ones pouring money into improving the ground chasing the international cricket bounty. He did emphasise his own ambition but also financial prudence and said it would not be Warwickshire. He also said that the media and not the ECB runs English cricket!
Chris Tickle then took the podium to explain some of the rule changes and was at pains to point out that most of the changes were to add a practical and flexible approach to the management and day-to-day running of the club. He did also mention one thing that struck me, but was hidden away somewhat, and that was the potential for the club to operate through other structures, such as subsidiaries and joint ventures. This got me thinking about whether they plan to involve a joint venture in the building of the new stadium.
While the votes were counted Ashley Giles gave a speech on the upcoming season that was quote-a-rific. He appeared relaxed and was his usual candid self, but there did seem to be a bit of nervousness about him. He began in typical Giles fashion; "I'm not perfect, I make mistakes and I'm sure I'll make some this summer."
He went onto say, "the team had been slack in some areas over the past 2 years and in some basic disciplines". "Hard work is key..I want this to be the fittest team in the country..and have already seen a big change in attitude and fitness". He stated his belief that hard work and success will bring enjoyment back into the team and the supporters.
On the season's targets he said; "we want to get back to where we belong, we are aiming to get back into the top flight this year..I can't promise this will happen but it is the aim". He finished by assuring members that his England selectors job is subordinate to his role at Edgbaston and will not get in the way.
Colin Povey then finished up the speeches for the evening in his usual style. He has the ability to not be especially boring but talks in such a way that you find yourself drifting off while talk of "value streams" and "partnerships" washes over you. I have to confess I was writing down notes, but fighting the urge to join the member next to me in having a quiet nap while he talked.
As I said I will wrap up his speech on the ground plans and the related bits the rest of the panel talked about in another post.
There was just time for some questions, including one insightful guy, who spoke for 5 minutes, where his only question, which he pointed out he felt he had asked at the members forum in November and hadn't been answered then (shock!) - 'when Dale Steyn was with us he took a lot of wickets, when he left we didn't take a lot of wickets. Did Colin Povey think that when Dale Steyn left we stopped taking wickets and were not as good?' Now I might not have got all the nuances in this Machiavellian logic train, so apologies from my clumsy treatment of such an insight. I don't like Povey but he could have beat this man to death with a microphone and claimed the hand of Darwin.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Full AGM Report
Tuesday, 26 February 2008
AGM
I've been pondering what my position should be in regards to the AGM and specifically the special resolution to amend the club constitution which will be put to the vote at it. Its a tough choice and I think George Dobell in the Post has summed it up pretty well as a hobson's choice.
The clause in question in the "new rules" is 3.2.2. If I am reading it right it gives the club the ability to take out up to £20m of debt at an interest rate of no more that base rate +3% for unsecured debt (or such greater sum or rate as the committee shall determine from time to time). I believe (but I am no legal expert) that the committee would have to amend the rules again, if they want to go above the £20m limit, and that that particular note about "or such greater sum.." only gives them the power to easily do so.
The clause in itself is neither unusual or anything particularly untoward, the only issue that arises is whether the membership trusts the current administration with these extra powers. I think for the sake of the future of the club as one of the premier international grounds on the county circuit the membership will have to vote for this amendment. I don't necessarily believe the scare stories that Edgbaston is currently in danger of losing international cricket altogether, however I do feel the ground needs improvement and the increase in borrowing power is probably vital to achieve this.
Given the way that voting works on this amendment, in that a 2/3 majority is needed to carry the motion, (with abstentions not counting towards the total number of votes) means the only realistic way the motion will not be carried is by an organised campaign against it. I have not heard of such a campaign and I don't believe that any last minute rallying call at the meeting itself could succeed; most people will have made their minds up before attending.
In a way the timing of the AGM could not have been better for the management. The events of last season and the ill will they generated among the members has been partially swept away by the optimism of a new coaching team. We have also not seen how this new set-up will deliver, so members are still in a sort of extended honeymoon period. The new season is also just around the corner and people are probably believing anything is possible. I would venture a guess that the overall "morale" among members is probably higher than it has been for 6-9 months. And this is good news for the chance of the motion passing.
The concern must remain however that the current leadership team at Edgbaston has not really delivered demonstrable success in anything it has tried to achieve so far, and the thought of £20m of debt is something none of the members will feel especially comfortable about. The voting decision remains one where there is no comfortable path for the members, faced with either slow decline or a gamble on the financial prudence of Mr Povey and his team, neither of which is especially appealing. Perhaps I am cautious having spoken to a friend who visited Elland Road at the weekend and reported on a crumbling stadium where they cannot afford to turn on the electronic scoreboard. I think however we have to make a leap of faith.
The Raggybear will either be voting "yes" or abstaining. I will not be voting against this motion as I do not believe that my vote would then be in the best interests of the club.
I am hopeful of attending the meeting in person, although I have a meeting in London, so will be in the unusual position of wearing a suit. I hope people don't mistake me for a member of the executive club.
Friday, 1 February 2008
Pre-Season tour cancelled
Firstly before I comment on this news it is worth saying that Colin Povey has recommended any supporters who have booked trips to Grenada with the intention of watching the team should contact him without delay.
Now onto some thoughts. This is being portrayed by the club as a cricketing decision, based on the fact that the players did not perform last season, so do not deserve an overseas jaunt as a "reward" before they have earned it. It is possibly signs of a harder line being taken by the club. It has also been stated by the club that it is nothing to do with the record financial loss last year, or the upcoming need to finance the ground development. Although when the trip was planned quite a while ago and was planning to depart on 13th March, it seems a strange time to make the decision. It is also worth pointing out that Giles himself announced the plans for this tour back in November, this is not a hang over from the old regime. So I am not sure we can say it is signs of a harder line to plan a preseason tour 8 weeks after the team have performed dismally, only to cancel it 8 weeks before they are due to fly out.
However I have two points to make, firstly that I feel it is shocking that the Birmingham Post and a part-time blog are ahead of the club's website on news of this magnitude for supporters who may have booked to travel abroad. This is another example of poor communication on the part of the club. There is nothing at all on the official site.
Secondly (and you may know I love a good conspiracy theory), I have found an article on the club website from earlier in January stating "..if you want to take either of these trips [to Belfast or Grenada] with the Bears this season we will need payment and details by the closing date of Friday 25th January. To secure your places please email David Bunce by the date above. Obviously if we do not reach the minimum number of passengers the tours will have to be cancelled. The players would love your support so book now and travel in style with the Bears".
Now it seems to me a very big coincedence that the week following the deadline where they are saying if they don't have enough people signing up to the supporter packages they will have to cancel the supporter tour, they have in fact cancelled the entire tour.
I guess the last thing to say that is although the players will not be going to Grenada with the club, the following have all been away playing cricket (that I know of) this winter:
Bell (England - Sri Lanka & New Zealand), Trott (Lions - India), Ambrose (England - New Zealand), Maddy (Hong Kong Sixes, ICL), Zondeki (South Africa - he lives there!), Macleod & Miller (Australia Grade Cricket), Rankin (ICL), Woakes (England U-19, Sri Lanka, Malaysia). I'm not saying any of these players haven't deserved these trips at all, but we must be careful not be make the mistake of assuming by cancelling the tour the club have condemned all its players to a full rainy offseason in the West Midlands!
Monday, 10 September 2007
Thoughts on the Member's Forum
Mark Greatbatch is quoted in The Post today saying:
Asked whether he was surprised by the hostile reception he received at the club 'forum' last week, he countered: "Not really. There were some good questions, but there was a lot of beer drunk beforehand and there were some idiots there."
I've seen this has been greeted with some derision on the Edgbaston Forum but I have to say he wasn't far wide of the mark. I am no Greatbatch fan and to be fair I don't think there was that much drunkenness (apart from one bloke at the back, by the door), but I was shocked by the behaviour of some members. It wasn't that it was unacceptable or anything of that nature, it was just so counter-productive.
I know that Dennis Amiss originally proposed a cut off of 8.15 before having to relent, but he did repeatedly say everyone who wanted to would have their say and I think this was borne out - at the end there was no-one who had their hand up. It therefore seemed to me completely unnecessary and idiotic to shout things out while people on the panel were trying to speak. I was really surprised that there was a sizeable minority that clear either did know, or had forgotten, how to behave in a meeting. That emotions were running high is no excuse, I went to the forum to hear a panel of WCCC staff answer some tough questions, I did not go to listen to people heckle them. Sadly I was disappointed on both counts.
I feel that part of the problem was the general lack of organisation and focus, which when feelings were running high just contributed to the feeling of "them" on the panel and "us" in the audience. The result was very few probing questions, members of the panel cut-off mid answer because some idiot in the audience didn't agree with what they were saying, and a general let-off for the people in charge. I'm sure this won't be a popular view, but on the remote chance someone at the meeting reads and disagrees with me, I would say; imagine you have stood up to ask a question and are constantly interrupted by either other members or even Dennis Amiss shouting "rubbish" at you. They may have a point, but its just not an acceptable way to behave.
Going onto the questions;
* The car parking is a shambles
* It took me half-an-hour to get out the Priory Road entrance after the ODI
* Why were their no tank-tops in the shop during the ODI, when the whether was quite cold?
* Will there be a reduction in membership if we are relegated?
* Why was a whole car park reserved for SKY during televised games?
* Why do members have to pay a booking fee on other tickets?
* Why wasn't the "greatest ever" match publicised more?
* Are we donating money to charity for the event?
Were these people having a laugh? We are facing a double relegation and some bloke is moaning about the club missing out on tank-top royalties and having to drive round the block before being able to park!
OK, so I've got that off my chest, but what to do? Well I have two very simple solutions.
i) The members forum is run by the members. At the moment the club organises the event, which in itself is fine, but it is chaired by a club representative (this time DA, but I believe Povey would normally take it). Instead get a sensible member to act as chair, we must among the members have people experienced in chairing meetings. If one of them took it they would have more respect from the members and I believe would be better placed to keep more control than someone perceived as part of the problem. It may also be necessary to introduce a clear, simple code of conduct so every member knows what is expected of them; although I'd be in favour of only doing this if necessary.
ii) Get people to submit in questions beforehand to the chair, or a committee of members. They can then select the ones to be asked to help ensure a smooth meeting, where we as the members focus what we want to say. By all means the most relevant person on the panel can provide written answers to any other questions that aren't asked, possibly publishing these on the website. There would also be an open floor later on, but I anticipate the number of pressing questions should be reduced by the organised question section.
If we had done this for the last forum then we could have given Povey, Greatbatch and the others a real rough ride and could have got some answers, instead of missing an opportunity.