Open letter to Members - Update on stands open at Emirates Old Trafford
Dear Members,
We are together writing to you today to provide an update on an issue we know has been extremely important to many of you.
Following the limited opening of stands at the Vitality Blast game at Emirates Old Trafford against Notts Outlaws on Wednesday 17 July, we were contacted by many members expressing their unhappiness that so few stands were open for the match, and that some decided not to attend when they were informed how few were going to be open.
This was not the first time that members have expressed dissatisfaction at the limited opening of stands at Emirates Old Trafford especially when comparable grounds, such as Edgbaston, are able to open far more for similar matches.
This has been an issue that we have together been challenging the Club to review and look to amend for a while, but the situation on 17 July brought the matter to a head and we have considered it an important priority for members and therefore us. We consequently asked the Club to investigate this urgently and look to remedy it for the benefit of members going forward.
We are pleased to update you all that yesterday, the MRG held our regular meeting with the Club and we have received confirmation that, following our internal campaigning and lobbying, Lancashire Cricket has undertaken a full review of how they plan for matches for the remainder of the season and moving forward. We appreciate this has not been easy for various reasons and we also acknowledge that the Club must abide by specific guidance from the sports ground safety authority, through the green guide. However, through a series of meetings, the risk assessment for these games have been updated to reflect the appropriate risks. As a result, the Club have confirmed that for all Vitality County Championship, Metro Bank One Day Cup and Lancashire Thunder fixtures, all permanent stands will be open (not D stand).
During our meeting yesterday there are a number of other areas we will be updating members on, but we felt this news was important to share immediately and hopefully those of you attending the match today will be benefiting from this change.
Thank you to all the members who have contacted us on this issue and your patience while we worked with the Club, but we hope that this change will be welcomed by members.
As always, if any member would like to contact us about any issues that would like to raise, please contact the MRG on our dedicated email - [email protected].
Many thanks,
Jo Dibben – MRG Chair, on behalf of the MRG
Chris Peacock – Board member for member services and communications
