It’s pointless
Durham fans set to fight the ECB over relegation penalties
SUPPORTERS of Durham have spent the last two months downcast after relegation was imposed on them due to financial problems. But that wasn’t the end of the story at the Riverside.
As well as demotion into Division Two, Durham are also set to start the 2017 County Championship season on minus 48 points, thus ending any realistic hopes of bouncing straight back into the top tier of English cricket.
That’s not the only points penalty forced upon the county, with a further four-point penalty in the T20 Blast and a two-point penalty for next season’s OneDay Cup.
Durham and England pace bowler Mark Wood said: “As players we can do something about it, we can buck up, help each other out and get the performances right on the field again to get us back promoted. Unfortunately, supporters just have to sit there and hope we do the business!”
Wood was wrong, though, Supporters aren’t just sitting there and hoping the actions on the field can overcome the punishment set off it.
Peter and Sylvia Savage have set up an online petition with 1,000 signatures required before its delivered to ECB chairman Colin Graves. As of Thursday morning, there were already over 930 signatures on “Ditch The Durham Penalty Points!”.
The petition states: “We believe that the totality of penalties applied to Durham CCC by the ECB as a punishment for their financial mismanagement is grossly disproportionate to the offences. The wide ranging nature of the measures imposed mean that the innocent suffer alongside the culpable. The heaviest burden of punishment falls upon the Durham players and supporters. The reactions of cricket professionals, commentators, journalists and MPs is almost universal in condemning the package of punitive measures as ‘over the top’.
“We call upon the ECB to demonstrate its magnanimity by rescinding the penalty points it has imposed upon Durham - in all forms of the game – next season, thereby offering the players and supporters some hope of redemption – a glimmer of hope at the end of a long dark tunnel.”
There are already signatories from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, California, Europe and even South Korea. This is more than just a domestic cricket issue. Just like the recent controversy with South Africa captain Faf du Plessis, this pulls at the heartstrings of cricket fans worldwide.
Durham, English cricket’s newest county, are going to need two wins with full bonus points just to get back to zero as it stands, but with serious backing on this petition there is hope that could change.
The county, who won the Championship three times in six seasons between 2008 and 2013, were originally punished having struggled to manage a debt estimated to be in the region of £7.5m.
Ian Botham is now set to be the chairman, having confirmed his intention to take up this position on his return from India, where he is on Sky Sports duty.
He will not be at the Riverside for Test matches, though, with Durham no longer eligible to host the longest form of the international game, although they will continue hosting ODIs and T20Is.
A statement from David Harker, Durham CCC Group chief executive, read: “We are clearly disappointed at the position we are in and the sanctions we have accepted, particularly for the players and staff who worked so hard to keep us in the First Division.
“However, we continue as a first-class county, will host international cricket and have a platform to stabilise and develop Durham CCC.
“It is important that the club addresses its serious financial challenges and puts the business on a sustainable footing and therefore we have had to accept the conditions offered by ECB.
“Other counties have faced serious financial challenges, but have been able to find other solutions including private investors without this reliance on ECB.”