Beyond the Boundary with the CEO: April 2021

As the team prepare to begin their 2021 LV= Insurance County Championship campaign away at Northamptonshire tomorrow, Simon Storey, Chief Executive of the Club, looks ahead to the new season, beyond the boundary.

How was the news about the Roadmap out of Lockdown received by the Club?

“Everyone was given a boost with the news that we could look forward to a full season of cricket both at the elite level and also the recreational level.

“Although it seems that we are not ‘out of the woods’ yet in terms of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I think we can all share in quiet optimism for the future and excitement for another Summer of cricket in Kent.”

How are you having to respond to the rules for elite sport that we see and read so much about in the media?

“It’s a given that safety remains our top priority but we also want to welcome our Members and supporters back as soon as possible.

“With social distancing guidelines likely to be in place for some time to come, we are working through a number of scenarios to optimise capacity. We have published a series of priority groups and 2021 Membership is still the best way to secure a ticket.”

“We are working incredibly hard to welcome as many people as possible back to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence and The County Ground, Beckenham.

“Behind the scenes, there is a huge amount of work going on with ECB, government and local authorities to achieve this.”

And the question on all Members’ lips is… when they can return to watch cricket live?

“Whilst the situation continues to evolve, in-line with government guidance, our first two LV= Insurance County Championship games vs Yorkshire and Lancashire will be played behind closed doors, so unfortunately, we will have to wait a little longer to welcome back our Members.

“These matches will be available to watch via a live stream on the Club website and our YouTube channel, and will be synched with BBC Radio Kent commentary.

“Subject to guidance, we believe that the first match at which we will be able to admit Members is Monday 20 May vs Glamorgan and are gearing up for this match accordingly. It will be a special moment for us all, players and off-field team alike, to open the gates for cricket lovers to watch live action for the first time in 18 months..

“Tickets will be allocated in-line with the priority groups already announced and Members will be contacted week commencing Monday 12 April with details of how to enter a ballot to secure tickets this season.”

Sports venues are having to adjust their capacity. How will this impact Canterbury and will Members be guaranteed a seat?

“We have to wait for a formal Government announcement for Step 3 of the Roadmap out of Lockdown which will become effective no earlier than 17 May.

“This will clarify restrictions and social distancing guidelines which will govern where and how many spaces we can offer to Members each day.

“For the moment, we are unable to provide more details but we have to plan for a number of scenarios. However, every decision we make is guided by our desire allow as many Members in as possible, as safely as possible.”

This must be a difficult balancing act?

“Yes, we are working very hard to balance our shared desire to get things back to normal as soon as possible with three priorities:

“The first is the health and Safety of our staff and everyone who visits our venues; secondly, compliance with all government and ECB requirements; and thirdly , maximising the number of Members and stakeholders who can watch cricket.

“We are having to explore all options as we are working under strict Government, local authority and ECB protocols. Members have been incredibly patient and understanding and it has been so good to see over 900 annual Members re-join us this year to add to our 900 Life Members.”

What about parking? How will that be impacted by the social distancing and reduced capacity?

“This is also a difficult question to answer. We are currently working on a number of scenarios but it is possible that to allow as many Members as possible into the stadium to watch cricket, we will need to limit car parking spaces for the 2021 season at Canterbury.

“We will be in touch with Members who have Car Parking Permits once we have more clarity on their options for this season.”

So the message ahead of the new season is one of cautious optimism?

“Yes, we are optimistic that everyone will get to watch some live cricket this coming season and we all are looking forward to welcoming Members and supporters back to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence and The County Ground, Beckenham this Summer.

“Whilst we have been dealt a very difficult hand in terms of pre-season preparations, it has been brilliant to watch the players and coaches training hard ahead of our opening rounds of fixtures.

“They are hungry to go out and do battle for Kent and are really looking forward to playing in front of a crowd again and I know they are going to enjoy wearing the names of over 1,300 Members who appear on our 2021 ‘Invicta Shirt’ as a reminder of that tremendous support.”

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Kent’s Men’s First XI begin their season tomorrow in the LV= Insurance County Championship away at Northamptonshire >>>