NOTICE OF AGM AND AGENDA Dear Member, The Annual General Meeting of Members will be held in the East Stand Long Room, Emerald Headingley Cricket Ground on Saturday 23rd March 2019 at 10am for the purpose of transacting the following business. Tea and coffee will be available on arrival Agenda: 9. To announce the result of the election to the Members’ Committee. 1. To receive apologies for absence. 10. To elect an Honorary Life Member, Mr Richard 2. To confi rm the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting Hutton. held on Saturday 24th March 2018. If any member has a query as to the accuracy of the Minutes, it would be 11. To appoint KPMG LLP as auditor of the Club until the appreciated if this could be raised with the Secretary conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the in advance in order to save time at the meeting. Club at which the accounts for the year ending 31st December 2019 are laid. 3. To receive a report from the Chairman. 12. Any other business. 4. To receive and approve the Accounts, together with the Independent Auditor’s Report thereon, for the year ended 31st December 2018. It would be appreciated Yours faithfully, if advance notice could be given of any questions that might require some research in order to save time at the meeting. 5. To recieve a report from the Chief Executive. 6. To receive a report from the Director of Cricket and to discuss cricket matters. Robin Smith 7. To elect as President, Mr Geoff Cope. 8. To announce the result of the elections to the Board Chairman for the following nominees: a) Mr Neil Hartley - Mr Hartley offers himself for The Yorkshire County Cricket Club election, supported by the Board b) Mr Robin Smith - Mr Smith retires by rotation and offers himself for re-election to the Board c) Mr Stephen Willis - Mr Willis retires by rotation and offers himself for re-election to the Board NOTE In accordance with the Rules of the Club, elections to the Board and to the Members’ Committee are by way of postal or online ballot only. All votes under the postal ballot must be delivered on the prescribed voting form to Carnegie Pavilion, Emerald Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, LS6 3DP, to arrive by midday on Wednesday 20th March 2019. online votes must be completed by the same time. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT In some ways the past year might the Club maintained its passionate found in the reports of the Chief games. It is from these beginnings be regarded as unsuccessful. defence of Championship cricket. Executive and the Director of that the players and supporters The season was mostly spent in This will not change, and happily Finance. Having been close to the of the future will come. I add in the bottom half of the table, the it continues to be acknowledged Club’s management for the past 20 this regard that the Club is deeply fi nancial picture remained tight within the game that fi nancially years, and having been intimately appreciative of the fi nancial support and we underwent an unexpected successful Test cricket is dependent involved in some diffi cult fi nancial which the Emerald Foundation and and potentially disruptive change in on a thriving Championship. challenges during that time, I hope the Yorkshire Cricket Charitable the chairmanship at the half-way Nevertheless, the pressures created I can be forgiven for taking much Youth Trust continue to provide point. Indeed, I have assumed the by one day cricket, including the pleasure from this achievement. It for various youth initiatives. responsibilities of the chairmanship World Cup, mean that only two has been a long haul, involving a lot for the second time when an home Championship games can of sterling work by management, I have been greatly encouraged, uninformed outsider might consider be accommodated next season but I believe the Club has got there! too, to observe the Club’s heritage the Club’s fortunes to be waning. in the mid-summer months of being protected and promoted by This theoretical outsider would be July and August, one at Emerald This report would be incomplete the YCF and its Archives Committee. wrong, however, because I take Headingley and one at Scarborough. without a reference to the “new This has involved co-operation with up the reins with great confi dence competition”. I make no apology the MCC Museum which last year and with fi rm foundations in I refer members to the Director of for stating that the Club’s fi nancial displayed on loan in the Lord’s Long place both on and off the fi eld. Cricket’s report for an assessment interests will be served by the Room the Club’s fi ne portrait by of the Club’s players and other competition’s success and that we Ernest Moore of Wilfred Rhodes. On the fi eld, despite a series of resources as we approach the are therefore fully supportive of unexpected problems - our opening coming season. In my own report, the ECB in this endeavour, which I am grateful to all members for game washed out, last minute I simply record that a huge amount is to create a fresh competition, their continued support of the Club departures to the IPL, injuries, of analysis and communication has attractive to sponsors and new which never wavers even in the most challenging of times. I pay England (including England Lions) been undertaken over the closed worldwide audiences alike. The tribute, too, to my predecessor, call-ups, and fi ve different captains season by the cricket management, Club, along with the MCC and Steve Denison, for his unremitting - we ended the season above the and I am confi dent that Yorkshire the other seventeen fi rst-class and enthusiastic hard work for the half-way point in the table. This was will take the fi eld next April with counties, is a stakeholder in the new Club throughout his chairmanship, achieved despite having started our a competitive squad, ably led competition, and can look forward which ensured my trouble-free last game with the arithmetical risk by Steve Patterson, and with as to an additional basic payment take up of the reins in July. that we could be relegated. A good much pride, commitment and from the ECB of £1.3m per annum Communication with members win at New Road took us to fourth, ambition as ever was displayed by as well as staging fees and food has continued throughout the year disguising the turmoil and tensions a team wearing the white rose. and drink returns for each match through meetings of the Members’ of a diffi cult season. The inherent played at Emerald Headingley . Committee (which are routinely instability of the fi rst division was Off the fi eld, the coming season The home team playing at Emerald attended by the Chief Executive, the thereby starkly illustrated. The will see the inauguration of the Headingley in this competition will Commercial Director and myself) reality is that one quarter of the new Emerald Stand, in which not be a Yorkshire team, however. and through regular members’ Division is relegated each year, members will be able to enjoy The Club’s role at matches will forums during the season. We are and it is to be welcomed therefore, superb viewing positions towards simply be that of the ground a members’ club and I regard easy in my view, that greater stability is the Carnegie Pavilion. It is a fi ne provider, much in the same way as communications with members to be introduced by increasing the building and one which brings it is for Test matches and ODIs. (to which our imaginative website size of the division in 2020 to ten Emerald Headingley into the front makes a signifi cant contribution) rank of Test grounds worldwide, The Club continues to enjoy the teams, the transition being achieved as being at the heart of our as well as providing year round closest of relationships with the by relegating only one county next affairs. I pay tribute to our loyal income under a new joint venture Yorkshire Cricket Board and the season whilst promoting three and committed staff who have arrangement with Leeds Rugby. Yorkshire Cricket Foundation under from the second division. For one worked tirelessly and always with the “Yorkshire Cricket” banner, and year only, the relegation risk is good humour on our behalf. more than halved, and thereafter Notwithstanding a loss last year, we I pay a warm tribute here to Andrew it remains materially reduced. were able to utilise positive Ashes- Watson, the YCB chief executive, If you can, take a closer look next related cash-fl ow in repaying £1.8m and to Will Saville, the YCF Head of season at our youngsters, the However, because the fi xture of debt, thereby embarking upon Foundation. The YCB’s promotion Academy, the Second XI, and at schedule is too crowded to the fi rst step in a debt reduction of the amateur game, particularly our emerging new business in the accommodate more games, only programme which will remain a its running of County Age Group Emerald Stand. Attend even more 14 championship matches will be feature of the Club’s fi nances for cricket, constitutes the foundation matches, if that were possible, to played, meaning that a seeding the next few years. We have been stone on which, ultimately, Yorkshire see our exciting fi rst team compete system will have to be introduced cautious in the assumptions on and England teams are built.