CHAIRMAN’S REPORT A MIXED BAG ON THE PITCH our other sponsors and partners. Big Bash games in Melbourne Yorkshire, scored a century at Our performance on the pitch in (under a roof!) and Sydney and Lord’s on his Test debut and 2017 ultimately proved frustrating GROUND REDEVELOPMENT brought a number of ideas back became a highly respected with fl ashes of individual and The £40million redevelopment with me that I hope we’ll trial umpire after hanging up his collective brilliance being of Emerald Headingley will in the T20 Blast this season. playing whites. John capped his overshadowed by a lack of be completed in 2019, putting wonderful life in cricket as our silverware and a nerve-wracking the ground at the forefront of DEVELOPMENT OF OUR club President. It was a true escape from relegation, albeit international stadia. Covered OUTGROUNDS honour to have known him. the extremely tight nature of the seating will increase from 10% to One of the consequences of the County Championship meant 25% and, crucially from a fi nancial new T20 competition is the need YCCC AT THE HEART OF THE we fi nished 4th! It was a very perspective, our hospitality for alternative grounds to Emerald GAME stressful but invaluable learning facilities will be signifi cantly Headingley. To that end we have YCCC is the biggest domestic experience for our new coach expanded and enhanced. In-bowl already discussed with the ECB club in the game and I’m proud and captain. Encouragingly a stadium WiFi will be available in our plans to build on the existing that we are at the heart of cricket all areas of the ground, facilitating number of our young players success of North Marine Road in a multitude of ways. Whether real-time interaction with fans. continued to progress and in Scarborough by returning it’s producing great cricketers, established themselves in the First Class and List A cricket to infl uencing overseas teams LEADING ENGAGEMENT WITH both Park Avenue in Bradford when their players return from fi rst team. Look out for further FANS and Abbeydale in Sheffi eld. stints at Yorkshire, participating examples of the YCCC production I’m extremely proud of the vast line in 2018 and beyond. actively in the key debates at the quantity of informative, engaging HERITAGE ECB that shape our game, the content that our small team One of my passions is maximising INTERNATIONAL PRIDE voice of YCCC is heard loud and provides for members and fans the access to YCCC’s rich heritage. In February Joe Root became the clear. Rest assured it will remain throughout the year. Whether it’s I’m delighted with the progress 80th captain of England and it was the case as we enter the next via the club’s website, articles that YCF’s new heritage manager a privilege to watch him score a phase of cricket’s evolution. in the press or interviews with Paul Goodman has achieved over magnifi cent century at Lord’s in the media we strive to keep the past year. The award of a grant his fi rst match in charge. Although THE FINAL OVER members informed of our plans from the Heritage Lottery fund the Ashes were disappointing, Being Chairman of YCCC remains and infl uence the wider game. The will help us continue to celebrate the revenge gained in the ODI one of the great privileges, and I club, our players and even me are the rich diversity cricket has in series was in no small part down couldn’t do it without the support active participants on Twitter and our county. Talking of heritage, to the Yorkshire players in the of an outstanding Executive team. Instagram where we lead the pack on 11 August it was a privilege England team. I hope you share Ticket sales, Memberships and in terms of followers – YCCC has to present my boyhood hero my pride in the contribution that fan experience have all grown 105,000 followers on Twitter which Geoffrey Boycott with a Yorkshire YCCC makes towards developing faster than the county average is 40% above the next nearest shirt to commemorate his 100th international cricketers. over the past 4 years and I’m county. Joe Root is followed by 100, 40 years to the day after he grateful for the support that over half a million fans and even made history at Headingley. NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH OLD if you don’t use social media, each of you as members provide FRIENDS please encourage your family BOARD CHANGES to the club. Our players have 2017 saw further progress in members and friends who do to I was delighted to welcome returned hungry for success and our turnaround of your club’s follow as many of us as possible! Katherine Mathew to the board are training hard ahead of the fi nances, increasing EBITDA last year and at the forthcoming new season. I wish each of our and generating positive cash CITY-BASED T20 in 2020 AGM Hanif Malik will be proposed teams luck in their pursuit of fl ow. Although 2018 will be an The ECB approved the new as a board member. I am totally trophies (especially the County extremely challenging year we 8-team city-based T20 committed to develop a balanced Championship!) and I hope you established new relationships competition and this helped board that represents all enjoy watching them across all with 3 old friends in 2017 that underpin a transformational TV constituencies within Yorkshire formats of the game in 2018. will underpin the club for many deal, which will see substantial cricket and further changes years to come. We now have funds fl owing to both First Class will follow in due course. Sir a true partnership with Leeds Counties and the recreational Gary Verity ceased to be a board Rugby, a superb stadium naming game from 2020 onwards. ECB member and we thank him rights partner in Emerald Group research showed that cricket is for his contribution to YCCC. and Leeds City Council brokered in a bubble with a small number a truly innovative deal to enable of highly engaged, passionate JOHN HAMPSHIRE the construction of a new North fans but has major challenges: Sadly we said goodbye to John South stand. As a result we will whilst the game has c10 million Hampshire during the year. John STEVE DENISON commence in 2018 what seemed followers only just over 2 million epitomised everything that’s good Chairman unthinkable only a few years ago attend games compared to the c5 about Yorkshire County Cricket The Yorkshire County Cricket Club – the repayment of our debt. We million who attend rugby matches. Club. Brave, talented and with also remain extremely grateful to Whilst on holiday I attended a heart of gold he captained 3 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT 2017 was a strange season on the price when such quality is not Hanging Heaton CC defeated as early as December 2018. pitch for Yorkshire. We played always available for the County. last year’s winners, Wakefi eld Your executive team continue some awesome cricket at home Thornes CC, in the Yorkshire Congratulations go to Katherine in the T20 Blast, winning six of Premier League fi nal that was to drive the club forward with Brunt and Lauren Winfi eld who our seven matches. Several held at Emerald Headingley. enthusiasm, commitment, loyalty were part of the England Women’s highlights featured, including The opportunity to play at the and talent. Turnover has risen World Cup winning team, as Adam Lyth’s sensational 161 out of home of Yorkshire Cricket is a organically from £6.7m in 2013 well as the spine of Yorkshire 260 for 4 against Northants, both wonderful experience for both to £9.7m in 2017, which is a Diamonds, who welcomed Paul English T20 records; David Willey’s clubs and players. The Yorkshire commendable achievement. This Grayson and Gareth Breese onto 118 against Worcestershire; and over 50’s were unbeaten all enables us to not only commence their coaching staff. Having top who could forget Tim Bresnan’s season and thus were crowned repayments of the debt but also quality coaches can only help the celebration after taking 6 for National Champions. The improve the playing and spectator Diamonds to improve year on year. 19 against Lancashire. But, we Under 13 and Under 17 girls facilities. More net ends have failed to qualify for the quarter In last year’s report, I had said were County Champions, as been laid on the square this winter fi nals due to poor away form. that we were hoping for a bumper were the Under 15 boys. Both which gives us greater capacity the Under 13 and 14 boys were Despite fi nishing fourth in the Test match crowd at Emerald for practise. A new executive Northern Champions, there Specsavers County Championship, Headingley for the England v club (The 1863 Club) is being being no national competition. we narrowly avoided relegation. West Indies Test match. And that opened in the Carnegie Pavilion, is exactly what we got with over and a revamp of the Long Room Much soul-searching has Off the fi eld, 2017 will probably be 56,000 people witnessing a great happened since the end of remembered as a turning point is planned for next winter Test. Joe Root equalled a world the season by the players and in Yorkshire’s history. At the AGM As an optimist, I am naturally coaching staff, along with some record scoring yet another half- I highlighted the issues facing frank conversations.