It appears the board of directors for Essex County Cricket Club no longer regard Southend as being part of Essex.
In their latest newsletter, Over and Out, they announce fixtures for the club for 2012. These will include an extra week of cricket at the height of summer at the Ford County Cricket Ground, in Chelmsford.
This week will be called the Chelmsford Cricket Festival Week and will feature live music and a real ale tent.
The programme does not mention that this week is at the expense of next year’s Southend Cricket Festival week, which used to be held at Garons Park.
It also fails to mention the 10 per cent of Essex club members living in Southend no longer deserve their consideration.
The board of directors have decided to retain the annual county cricket fixture at Colchester. We can only assume this is because Colchester is so much more easily accessible to directors living in the Chelmsford area, as it is only a few miles up the A12, and it will save them the inconvenience of having to travel to Southend once a year. As the directors have decided to boycott the Southend Cricket Festival next year and draw a final curtain on many years of tradition, it is understandable and not unreasonable that Essex County Cricket Club members and supporters in this area should boycott the Chelmsford ground.
Colin Riley
Elizabeth Close
Hawkwell
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