Faragher accuses Essex of stitch-up in twist to racism row

ESSEx are facing more questions about their handling of historic racism allegations after an extraordinary claim that the club changed a press release announcing the resignation of chairman John faragher without his consent.

faragher agreed to quit at a board meeting last November after Essex were threatened with financial penalties by the ECB if they stood by him. Now it can be revealed that the terms of his departure were altered without his agreement. In a club statement released on November 12 last year, Essex announced: ‘John faragher has resigned with immediate effect as chair of Essex County Cricket Club following a historic allegation of racist language used by him at a board meeting in 2017.’

An earlier draft of the release seen by Sportsmail strikes a very different tone, however, with faragher making clear that he was resigning for failing to instigate an independent investigation.

‘An accusation was made that I used a racist comment,’ the earlier statement reads. ‘I strongly deny I made this comment. However, the incident was not fully and independently investigated at the time. Therefore in the interest of Essex cricket I am stepping down as chairman.’

faragher told Sportsmail last night he had agreed to stand down at the November 11 meeting after Essex chairman John Stephenson revealed the threats from the ECB. He added that the terms of his departure were changed when they were announced the next day.

‘It was clear I had no choice,’ said faragher. ‘Eventually I said I’d take it on the chin and resign for not instigating an investigation. Based on that, we agreed a press release announcing I would go. I agreed to go based on those words despite the way I’d been treated.

‘I was waiting for the press release to come out the next day, but nothing arrived. I was in a meeting with my solicitor when it eventually came out saying, “John faragher has resigned over a racist comment”, which wasn’t what I’d agreed. In fairness they’d sent me a copy half an hour before, but I didn’t see it as I was in a meeting.

‘I thought we’d agreed a statement but they changed it. They also said that in standing down as chair I’d resigned from the board, but I hadn’t.’

faragher has since stood down along with seven other board members. Essex declined to comment.