Sport The Business of Sport


Strong increases revealed in cricket club’s finances


Warwickshire County Cricket Club has reported strong increases in both turnover and earnings in its 2016/17 financial results. In a year that saw Edgbaston


Stadium host five matches in the ICC Champions Trophy, England’s first day/night Investec Test match and NatWest T20 Blast Finals Day, Warwickshire CCC increased turnover by 23 per cent to £17.5m. Craig Flindall, chief operating


officer at Warwickshire CCC, said: “The quality and quantity to major match cricket at Edgbaston remains the biggest driver of revenue for the club and, while we had an excellent allocation of fixtures in 2017, we took steps to maximise the commercial opportunities around these games. “Additionally, the bold decision


taken by the club and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to change England’s Test match against West Indies to a day/night fixture generated far greater returns than the Test played between the teams in 2012. Increased investment in the spectator experience also led to record profits in our food and drink sales.


Championship, but on the plus side the team reached a third T20 Blast Final in four years.


‘The quality and quantity major match cricket at Edgbaston remains the biggest driver of revenue for the club’


Membership revenues grew by


No boundaries: Craig Flindall “Off-field revenues also


continued to climb in 2017 with sponsorship and commercial income growing by 17 per cent to £1.46m and our catering and hospitality revenues increased by 30 per cent to £7.56m.” From a domestic cricket


perspective, Warwickshire suffered its first relegation in 10 years from Division One of the County


Volunteer fundraisers at the Burton v Norwich game


six per cent to £454,000, whilst the club was rewarded for its focus on attracting more families to T20 Blast fixtures by increasing annual ticket revenues by 30 per cent. Neil Snowball, chief executive of


Warwickshire CCC, said: “This is a very exciting time on and off the field for Warwickshire CCC. Planning will gather a pace this year on the wider development of the Edgbaston grounds, which is being led by Patrizia UK and will see new residential and retail opportunities built on-site by 2022 that make the stadium a 365-days–a-year leisure destination and further enhance our match day experience.”


Backing ‘Heart in a Box’: Rhys Thomas (photograph courtesy Welsh Government)


Rugby star backs campaign


Former Wales rugby star Rhys Thomas is backing Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity’s ‘Heart in a Box’ campaign. The charity is raising funds


to buy a revolutionary piece of equipment which will change the way that heart transplants are carried out. The ‘Heart in a Box’ equipment allows a heart taken from a donor to carry on pumping outside of the body, which will allow it to survive much longer. There is also a better chance of it being accepted by the recipient, if it carries on carry functioning outside of the body. Rhys Thomas himself is in


need of a heart transplant, after suffering two heart attacks. Rhys received an emergency quadruple bypass which saved his life and is now on the heart transplant list. Speaking of the difference


‘Heart in a Box’ would make, he said: “This piece of equipment will make a huge difference for people like me who are waiting on a heart suitable for transplantation. “There aren’t sufficient


Bucket collection pays for therapy


A bucket collection at The Pirelli Stadium, home of Burton Albion FC, has raised enough money to pay for art therapy sessions for families across Staffordshire and Cheshire. The collection raised £512 for The


Donna Louise hospice at Burton’s game against Norwich City game.


The fundraising initiative was


organised by the Burton Friends Group, with help from Burton Rotary Club, Uttoxeter Lions and other volunteers. The money will be used for a


counsellor to hold 17 art therapy sessions with families, both in the


hospice and in the family home. Chris Belyavin, regional fundraiser


at The Donna Louise, said: “Art therapy is a really important way for children, young adults and families to express their feelings in a creative way and is offered to all families at The Donna Louise.”


organs for transplant anyway so anything that will extend that period of time where a heart can be transplanted is going to be of huge benefit to people on the waiting list.” “It is estimated that three


people die each day in need of an organ. ‘Heart in a Box’ will completely change the way that heart transplants are carried out, benefitting people in the West Midlands and far beyond.”


To find out more about ‘Heart in a Box’, or to make a donation, please visit qehbheart.org


March 2018 CHAMBERLINK 63


Sector Focus


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