An open letter from Richard Kenyon
An open letter from Richard Kenyon on his first day as Chief Executive
Dear Member,
I trust you are well and thank you very much for your continued support of the Club throughout this year.
It’s my first official day in the role as Chief Executive here at Lancashire Cricket, so I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and speak directly to Members.
My association with the Red Rose started in 1984 and, as a supporter first and foremost, I know what a privilege it is to be a custodian of my Club. It is a huge honour – one I take very seriously – and one I am hugely excited to begin.
Being a supporter, I also know that I’m taking over at a time when things haven’t been good enough on the pitch, especially in red ball men’s cricket. Things need to change, and I want to give you the assurance that, working with the Board and Senior Executive team, I will be committed to making the necessary changes.
We are determined that you, our loyal Members, are rewarded for your support with the performances you deserve. I know we can get our Club back to winning ways. I can confirm that the cricket review is already underway, and we aim to announce the first steps of this process very soon. In the coming weeks, I will also be spending time focusing on the Red Rose review. I know a lot of work has been done on this review of Governance, and I look forward to providing updates on this in due course.
A priority for me in the coming weeks will be speaking to people across the Club to understand the issues we need to address and to put in place our plan to move forward together.
While I want to be honest about the challenges we have faced on the pitch, I also recognise the many positives across the Club that provide us with a strong platform for the future.
We must build on those foundations, including the exciting development at AO Farington Cricket Ground. I was there for the Nottinghamshire 50-over game in July and was hugely impressed by the facility and the experience it provided.
While I don’t underestimate the size of the task ahead, I am confident that, with a clear plan and everyone connected to the Club pulling together in the same direction, we can get Lancashire Cricket back where it belongs – consistently challenging for trophies in both the men’s and women’s game.
I would also like to place on record my thanks to Daniel Gidney for all his work in growing the Club over many years, as well as for the time he has spent preparing for and supporting me in my arrival. I would also like to thank Mark Chilton and David Thorley for their contributions to Lancashire Cricket, having recently departed.
I must also thank our Chair, Dame Sarah Storey, and the Board for putting their trust in me to lead Lancashire Cricket into this next phase. I am determined to make our players and staff, former players, Members, supporters and people across the county proud of their Club.
Success on the pitch must be at the heart of everything we do. Alongside that, we must continue our proud tradition of developing our own talent and build on the significant impact Lancashire Cricket Foundation makes across the county. These are fundamental to who we are and will be central to building a Club we can all be proud of.
Finally, I am looking forward to my first Members’ Forum on Monday 26 October, alongside Board members John Abrahams and Mike Watkinson. The forum will allow me to introduce myself in person, while alongside John and Mike, we will take a look back at the 2026 cricket season and provide an update on the next steps of the cricket review.
Let’s get to work!
Best wishes,
Richard Kenyon - Chief Executive