LANCASHIRE have come in for a lot of criticism over the recent rock concert and the abandonment of the first day's play in the current match against Hampshire at Old Trafford.

I would like to set the record straight on a number of points, as much of this criticism was mis-informed.

ONE - Lancashire do not put rock concerts in front of cricket. But they are a vital source of income, and other county clubs have recognised this and constantly ask us for advice on how to stage them.

TWO - While one area of the outfield was the focus of concern, other parts were also very wet. This had nothing to do with the concert. It had rained heavily at the weekend. If it had been dry, we would have probably started on time on the first day of the game. On that basis we were unlucky.

THREE - We programmed the fixture so that there was plenty of time, three weeks, for the ground to recover from the concert in normal weather, but we have experienced the wettest summer since records began. The outfield always "browns off" after such concerts, but this usually recovers given half-decent weather.

FOUR - We tried to keep members informed of the situation on the club's website and prospects of play line, and we also notified the media. But the final decision is always the umpires', and they do not arrive until 9 30am. We continued to keep spectators informed on the PA.

We don't mind people pointing out our mistakes and, when we do get things wrong, we try hard to put them right. But the critics have got to get their facts straight.

However, we obviously regretted the loss of a day's play and we have learned from the experience. For example, it seems we will have to invest more in the type of covering we use to protect the ground.

Near to the stage we lay a plastic trackway, which copes with the pounding of fans jumping up and down during the show, but also allows the grass to breath and grow.

Moving further away from the stage we use a lighter covering, which has always done the job in the past.

This time, however, the weather had a heavier than usual effect. In future we will have to consider bringing in more of the plastic trackway, which is a lot more expensive. We will also investigate an improved drainage system, similar to the one at Lord's.

Concerts are here to stay. I think more and more grounds will stage them because they are such a good source of revenue - we might make £150,000 from ours, and that is big money for any cricket club.

What do you think? Have your say.



Tweet