Bit late this year

Better late than never........ and during these uncertain times it is good that Warwks have shown common sense and not taken the risk of doubling their costs by playing in the far flung fields of the shire.

Think it would make more sense and generate more revenue to play at out grounds rather than in front on one man and his dig at Edgbaston.

It would also generate goodwill from the County the Club represents and increase membership numbers.

I don't think Povey sees the bigger picture.

Goodwill? Is that in the brief these days?

I don't think Mr Povey is at all interested in supporters outside Birmingham.
Why else has the Country Membership category been scrapped?
A fixture list of match-free Sundays will ensure that I am one unhappy soon-to-be ex-member.

I liked Jon's post :-)

A full stratford on novalty sunday contained 3,000. A very poor one day game on a Sunday is well over 5,000 on a bad day. The members areas are always packed for a T20 game. Besides what did happen to that £30K's worth of Champagne and Sandwiches on the third day of the failed festival fiasco ? During these financial times why double your costs when you have budgeted for your HQ anyway ?

However on reflection, the thought of listening to pile driving even leaves me open to the possibility of playing some of our games elsewhere. I would however imagine scheduling can be arranged around the works though to avoid this. But who knows if and when all this will happen anyway.

The modernity (with a Z in the covering letter with the membership pack) of the new membership structures offers something for everyone. Perhaps Associate membership or classic membership is the way forward to those who dont get to many games?

Good news that we will finally get a fixture list soon ! Lets hope its better that the rescent ones that have left us with all our cricket in April, September or the last week of June. What happened to the one week at home one week away feel to the season?

Yes Warley but how many of those 3000 would normally attend a cricket game? Anyway John's point is that its better to see a full outground than an empty test match ground.

True, there might be a financial hit in the short term but if the Bears committed to an outground or two I reckon those venues could get established. Let's not forget the only reason Stratford made a big financial loss last time was inept batting against good swing bowling which meant the championship game, on a blameless pitch, was over in two days.
This is Warwickshire CCC, not Birmingham CC, we are talking about, after all. Couldn't they at least indulge their followers beyond the Second City with one 1st XI game away from headquarters!?

Thanks for all the comments guys - a really sensible thread.

My compromise to warley would be to play ALL one day and twenty twenty matches at Edgbaston even though I find the 5000 figure hard to believe.

Then play two first class matches on outgrounds - one in the North at Nuneaton or Rugby and one in the south at Stratford, Coventry or Warwick.

Test ground counties like Yorkshire, Surrey, Lancashire manage it with ease so why can't we.

As I said too many decision made on a short term basis without real thought as to potential, traditions, goodwill, membership expansion etc.

Quite right Jon. For a regime that drones on constantly about robust planning there seems very little. It all seems off the hoof because one person thinks its the right thing to do (let's ruin the shop,let's have a Lashings match/a 125 year celebration) or because one person needs to reach his target (half yearly membership). A few matches at outgrounds would spread the word - and would be the first real attempt at the (very hard) task of increasing membership that Ive seen for years.

Yours

A disgruntled ex country member

A packed out members area generates exactly zero gate money, Warley.

Don't know whether it's relevant but I think Warwickshire have a pretty good record, results-wise, at outgrounds.

We must not forget that a 'packed' Stratford generated losses of £ 30,000 Kim. Thank goodness Warwickshire Council dibbed up............. even though the club at one point were prepared rather strangely proceed without a match sponsor. Don't know who on the SMT was prepared to back that monkey - but Champagne and Caviar - Fixed costs versus the unknown. QED