Lancashire announce landmark partnership to inspire new generation

The scheme, which is backed by the ECB and has been developed by Lancashire Cricket in conjunction with Cheshire Cricket Board and Chance to Shine, will see young people across the region benefit from a raft of new and improved facilities

Lancashire chief executive Daniel Gidney admitted "it would be criminal" if the region failed make the most of an unprecedented summer of cricket both in England and the northwest.

As well as being the scene for the fourth Ashes Test between England and Australia, Emirates Old Trafford hosted six World Cup matches.

India’s iconic clash with Pakistan saw 600,000 people apply for 25,000 tickets, while the ground was also the venue for India’s semi-final against New Zealand, a game which ultimately was spread over two days due to rain on the first afternoon.

Gidney was speaking, therefore, as the club launched a landmark, multi-agency partnership involving Lancashire Cricket and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) - a development designed to inspire a new generation of young people from the local area.

The scheme, which is backed by the ECB and has been developed by Lancashire Cricket in conjunction with Cheshire Cricket Board and Chance to Shine, will see young people across the region benefit from a raft of new and improved facilities. The agreement forms part of the county’s commitment to using the excitement of 2019 to grow the game at grassroots level.

“I think it’s massive,” Gidney told The Cricketer. “I have been involved in a number of major events in my career, including the Olympics.

“People talk about legacy and it’s a very overused word. Quite often, it’s overpromised and underdelivered. I have to say, I think it would be criminal if you didn’t make the most of this amazing year of cricket and the interest that there is.”

The multi-million-pound proposal includes a 10-point plan, with 100 new all-weather pitches to be installed in public areas across every borough of Greater Manchester, as well as plans for three urban cricket centres. It is anticipated that these would act as sporting and community hubs.

Gidney praised Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who represented Lancashire at age-group level, for his enthusiasm in the project.

“He absolutely loves his cricket,” he said. “It just means we have got a first-innings lead before we start. He’s really up for it and he’s got behind it. This is something that’s really tangible. Quite often, you get politicians who give a few nice soundbites and a bit of rhetoric, but that’s not what we’ve got here.

“We’ve got a very clear and detailed 10-point plan that involves some significant multi-million-pound investment over three years. You’ve got three new urban cricket centres that are going to be fantastic.

“You’ve got 14 Chance to Shine street products to really go into disadvantaged areas and really promote social cohesion. And actually, just try and get more young people active and engaged in their communities. More importantly, we want these people really loving cricket. This plan really gives us a fighting chance to build on that 2019 legacy.”

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Even prior to the announcement of the new partnership, whose goal is to inspire a new generation of cricketers and cricket-lovers, the northwest was seeing a stark upturn in enthusiasm for the game. A record number of children have signed up to the ECB’s All Stars programme in the area, with more than 3,500 taking part at 128 centres – up significantly on last year.

Meanwhile, the first four days of the Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford are sold out, with 18,000 tickets already sold for the fifth day.

Of the importance of building on the current levels of interest, Gidney added to The Cricketer: “I think nationally, it’s very difficult for something like an Olympics to spread out into success as a legacy.

“It’s difficult to do that. The opportunity we have here is we are being very specific regionally.

“The key thing for me is I want to see the three urban cricket centres operating and providing hubs for activities.

“Crucially, I want to get to 50,000 people. That’s the objective. I want to get 30,000 children having a cricket experience, I want to get to 12,500 new players using the 100 new artificial pitches and I want to see 10,500 people using the new urban cricket centres. That, for me, is what success looks like.

“As we develop ourselves as Lancashire Cricket, our plan is to go beyond the ECB Inspiring Generations [strategy], which is primarily boosting primary schools. It is only looking at secondary school growth for girls, not boys.

“Actually, if we can fund specifically a secondary school boys’ programme as well as girls’ programme in the northwest at the same time, that’s something that we’re looking closely at to see if we can do ourselves to complement this.

“It’s really important to me. People talk about clubs, but schools are massively important. Getting kids who don’t currently have the experience at school, getting new schools involved and giving new kids a cricket experience, I think is massive.”

Burnham said, reflecting on his own childhood experiences: “I want all young people growing up in Greater Manchester to have the chance to experience the same enjoyment as I did.

“Greater Manchester has always been a strong cricketing area but we do need to redouble our efforts to bring it to the next generation, building on England’s Men’s & Women’s World Cup successes. We want to harness the power of cricket to transform the lives of people here in Greater Manchester, inspiring a whole new diverse generation to take up the game. 

“This unprecedented partnership with our friends at Lancashire Cricket Club and the national governing body, the ECB, Chance to Shine and others would take the sport into a new era in Greater Manchester.”