End of members’ queue as Lord’s prepares for post-lockdown life
It is the end of the line for the traditional early-bird queue at Lord’s when crowds return post-lockdown to English Test cricket this summer.
Once regular scenes of smartly-dressed MCC members waiting with their newspapers from the early hours outside the home of cricket are banned for at least the visit of New Zealand from June 2.
In a letter seen by The Daily Telegraph, Guy Lavender, MCC chief executive and secretary, announced that Covid regulations mean all seats, for the first time, must be allocated by ballot.
“You will need a ticket at no charge to come to Lord’s, at least until Government restrictions are lifted,” Lavender told members, explaining that the traditional route into big matches would hamper the National Health Service Track and Trace system.
Allocating tickets would “negate the necessity for the members’ queue at the New Zealand Test”, he said. “We must also plan to be asked to cooperate under varying seating capacities, over the course of the season, and we need to be able to provide accurate information in advance as to exactly how many people will be at the ground on any match day.”
Crowds of 10,000 or a quarter of ground capacity can return at all venues from May 17, and Lavender dropped a hint the venue may be looking to have larger numbers by the New Zealand Test. He said the MCC was exploring the possibility of “some sort of pilot event, and I will keep you updated with developments”.
Ticket-holders in June will face restrictions on entering the Pavilion, he said. “Indoor socialising has been identified as one of the last areas for which restrictions will be eased due to the greater transmissibility of Covid-19 in enclosed spaces. We’re trying to find ways to accommodate both members, players and match officials in separate areas of the building.”
MCC members have been assured they will be the first spectators to return to Lord’s. “Despite the inconvenience, I feel extremely optimistic that we now see a pathway back to a bright summer,” Lavender said.
Lord’s enjoyed the fastest sales in its history for England’s post-lockdown ODI fixtures this summer. The MCC has fared better than many other organisations because of the loyalty of its membership base, which has remained at full capacity since the first lockdown.
However, it has told members in a letter that “the budget suggests we could be around £10million worse off than a normal year”.
Based on the committee’s “prudent” projections, a cash outflow is forecast at just under £12million, of which £7.4million is being spent on redevelopment projects.