Wasim's Christmas Message

Members Update – December 2015

It is a pleasure to be able to update you on the progress that we have made over the over the last three months at Grace Road and to outline some of our future plans.

Ground Development Projects

Phase 1 (January 2016 – May 2016)

Floodlight Installation

An application for floodlights was submitted to the Leicester City Council on the 18th November. The planning committee is due to meet on the 6th January and we are expecting a decision on the 7th January. If we are successful with our application, then the work will begin with urgency to ensure that the floodlights are in place prior to the first NatWest T20 Blast game against Northamptonshire on 20th May. Floodlight installation at Grace Road would be a huge step forward for the club.

As part of the process, we as a club have engaged with Leicester City Council officers with local Aylestone councillors Adam Clarke and Nigel Porter and with the local residents through two meetings. Whilst a small number of local residents have raised concerns about the size of the proposed 40 metre floodlight masts and light spillage, there remains a strong consensus amongst the local residents that the lights will bring significant benefits to the club.

Milligan Road wall

Over the last few years, the Milligan Road wall has become unsafe. A decision has been made by the club to replace the wall in early 2016. The foundation of the structure will be part wall and part railings. Work is due to commence in the spring.

Maurice Burrows Stand

As part of our obligation to the ECB, we will be building a sky gantry on the roof of the pavilion. The sky gantry work has also given us an opportunity to restore the Maurice Burrows Stand. We were delighted to receive a donation of £12,000 from the Friends of Grace Road; this will go towards supporting the overall costs of the stand.

Reducing the Outfield Area

It has long been acknowledged that the playing area at Grace Road is one of the biggest in the world. The aim will be to reduce the playing area by bringing in the boundary line in for the start of the 2016 season. Any changes will remain compliant to ECB boundary size regulations. The current white picket fence will be brought in to form the new boundary edge.

IT Infrastructure

The results of an IT infrastructure audit in 2015 revealed that the current IT provision on the ground was not sufficient enough to meet ECB recommendations. In line with this, we will be upgrading our provision to include public wifi and improvements to the system for LCCC staff.

Phase 2 (from October 2016)

Stand Development

The intention is to bring the stand with the red seats, directly to the left of the pavilion, closer to the new picket fencing. This will enable the club to utilise the vast space that will be created behind those stands for future opportunities that will assist the club in generating additional commercial income.

The Meet

We are planning to refurbish the Meet from the end of the 2016 season. Both the interior and exterior requires significant work to it. The aim will be to create a second venue to the Charles Palmer Suite, enabling us to host different types of events all year round.

Cricket

The club embarked on a coaching restructure at the end of the season. Whilst we made some positive strides on the field in 2015, we felt that if we were going to accelerate our on-field progress, then there was a need to restructure our coaching department. Under the excellent leadership of Andrew McDonald (Elite Performance Director), the team that we have assembled in Keith Piper (Elite Development Coach), Pierre De Bruyn (Second XI Coach) and Nic Pothas (Academy Director) will provide the players with a high quality coaching unit.

It was obvious from the 2015 performances that the batting performances were not good enough. To address this, Andrew McDonald and I acted quickly to secure the high quality trio of Neil Dexter, Paul Horton and Mark Pettini. All have come to the club on initial three-year contracts. The three batsmen have excellent first-class records and arrive hungry to deliver success for the club.

With the exception of those playing overseas, the players reported back in early November and have been put through their paces. Andrew McDonald will be arriving back on the 1st February to lead us into what is building up to be an exciting 2016 season.

To support the preparations for 2016, the players will heading to Dubai on a pre-season tour in March. In Dubai, the squad will get the opportunity to play against other first-class teams such as Yorkshire, as well as utilise some of the best outdoor training facilities in the world.

We are delighted to be hosting an England Women’s International against Pakistan on the 20th June. In early 2016, we also hope to be announced as a selected venue for the Women’s World Cup in 2017.

Community

I would like to congratulate Leicestershire & Rutland Cricket on winning four community awards at the recent national Chance to Shine event in London.

Our community projects have continued to develop and under the leadership of recently recruited Martyn Dobson (Head of Community Development), we continue to move forward with our outreach programmes across the county.

Commercial

At this time of year, we normally have 50-80 Members signed up but for the first time, our Membership numbers before Christmas have reached close to 800. Providing an Early Bird offer as well as excitement at the progress the club is making have been factors in this.

By 2019, our aim is to reach 2000 adult and T20 members and 2000 Charlie Fox Members. Through the planned work with the community team, we are aiming for 500 signed up Charlie Fox Members in 2016.

Having exceeded our commercial and catering income targets for 2015, the team under Commercial Director, Jim Overend, and Catering Manager, John Stew, continue to work hard to deliver year-on-year growth for us. We have made an excellent start during the first three months of the new financial year.

Elton John hospitality packages continue to sell well and we have a limited number now available for the concert on 11th June. Attracting a performer of the calibre of Elton John is a huge coup for the club and the city.

Former Governor of the Bank of England, Lord Mervyn King, has also agreed to speak at a business dinner at Grace Road in 2016. Further details will follow in early 2016.

Thank you

In early 2016, we will also be announcing a 5-year Ground Naming Rights Partner. This is ground-breaking for the club and we look forward to developing a long and fruitful partnership.

I would like to thank De Montfort University for their significant club sponsorship renewal for 2016 and 2017. Our relationship with De Montfort University continues to gain momentum and we are looking forward to developing this over the coming years. In addition to this, a big thank you to all of our corporate partners for their continued support.

During my first year as Chief Executive, I have seen first-hand the incredible loyalty of the Members and club supporters. I want to thank you for your support during this period of change. Rest assured, we are on a mission to get this great club back to where it should be. I hope the progress outlined in this update will give you confidence in the direction that we are heading.

On behalf of the Board and all the staff and players at the club, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Come on the Foxes!

Best wishes,

Wasim Khan MBE

Chief Executive