Rickmansworth Cricket Club, one of England’s oldest, has approved a vote of no confidence in the trustees managing its pavilion. Members demanded the immediate resignation and replacement of the Rickmansworth Sports Club trustees during an extraordinary general meeting on Friday, February 20.
Concerns Over Deteriorating Facilities
The club’s pavilion and related assets fall under separate trust management. Chairman Stef Maggi highlighted images showing leaks, cracks, and outdated features in the “deteriorating” structure.
“Members have become increasingly frustrated by what they see as a lack of transparency, weak governance, and missed financial opportunities that have contributed to the decline of the pavilion and wider facilities at Park Road,” Maggi stated.
The sports club operates as an unincorporated entity, a structure members deem outdated. Advice from Three Rivers Council in 2016 recommended restructuring as a community amateur sports club or charity, but no action followed. Consequently, around £70,000 in business rates could not fund facility upgrades for the community.
Club’s Recent Improvements and Growth
While trust-managed areas have declined, the cricket club secured £200,000 to enhance its controlled spaces, including new practice nets, better drainage, and a changing room for the second pitch.
Two of the three trustees have served since around 1989. Maggi noted limited interaction, stating of one trustee, “if he walked in now, I wouldn’t know him from Adam.” Successive committees have repeatedly sought trust documents, such as the constitution safeguarding community sports use of the grounds, without success.
“This is about protecting the future of the whole club and ensuring that assets gifted to the community back in 1923 are properly managed,” Maggi added. “The cricket club is flourishing. We now have 15 junior teams (including five girls’ teams), a new women’s team, and six adult men’s teams, with more than 200 local players representing the club.”
“Members have shown patience for many years, but the time has now come for meaningful change,” he concluded.
The trustees declined to comment.
