Senior Leagues Merger FAQs

If the direction of travel following the consultation events is positive and the project progresses, each league will review how it needs to move forward from a governance perspective in order to work towards the dissolution of the current leagues and the formation of the new structure.

The governance within each of the 3 current leagues is different and will require review ahead of any final decisions being taken. Further consultation and indicative votes from players may be undertaken as part of the next stage of consultation, ensuring we are providing players with the chance to share their views on the proposals. Feedback from the current consultation indicates that around 85% of the attendees are in favour of progressing with the merger.

Full costings for a new structure are yet to be discussed/agreed, but the broad concept is that clubs will pay a flat entry fee and additional costs will come relative to the services being provided. For example, a club playing in a division where umpires are provided will be expected to pay more. Once the structure is fully in place these costs would be published each year.

It is clear that when it comes to splitting the structure into sub sections, A will form the top element and D the bottom element. However, the specific breakdown is yet to be decided and would likely follow once the divisional structure is completed and teams aligned to possible divisions for the implementation season.

It was felt that the travel corridors and travel times are more favourable in an East to West split, though this is not final at this stage. There is a chance that the regionalisation could become more localised with a East – Central – West split depending on the final divisional structures.

The lower league clubs are likely to enter the structure lower down, providing them with a suitable standard of cricket. The structure will enable a promotion pathway for these clubs subject to being able to meet certain facility requirements at different stages of the structure.

We have consulted with members of the Performance Team who have provided some feedback on the emerging structure and playing conditions. It is likely that the top 2 divisions of the new structure will remain largely as the top two divisions in the Surrey Championship and there are a number of Surrey players that compete at this level when available. The wider structure does not necessarily directly support Surrey County Cricket Club per se, but there is a belief that delivering the change (regionalisation, simplification) will lead to more people wanting to participate in the game for longer leading to a healthier recreational game in Surrey.

Consultation events continue until the 13^th of November after which the steering group will meet to reflect and review the session outputs. If the project proceeds, then we would expect to bring some form of resolution to the league AGMs in early 2024 which outlines the intent for each of the leagues to dissolve in January 2025. We believe that delivering the new structure to start in May 2025 is realistic though we will adapt as necessary as the project progresses. Further consultation and surveys will also be undertaken as needed to help shape some of the detail required to deliver this change.

When we started this journey, we identified the need to engage with a representative group of people within the steering group and workstreams. Whilst we do have a number of women involved as well as some members from ethnically diverse backgrounds, we are keen to increase the levels of diversity across the different workstream functions and will continue to consult as widely as possible to ensure we capture the views of as many people as possible during the project.

We do not believe that this new structure will lead to the bigger clubs getting bigger again and feedback from Sussex (who went through this process in 2018/19) has suggested that this has not happened. The aim of a single structure is to provide better opportunities for players to play the right standard for them regardless of the team they play for at their club. While we understand concerns around larger clubs dominating the upper ends of the structure, there is little evidence of this being the case in similar league structures around the country.

We believe that aiming to start the new league in May 2025 is realistic as things stand, but we will continue to monitor progress over the coming 6 months. There would be a range of additional league meetings ahead of the 2025 AGMs if the project does progress to ensure that the dissolution of the current leagues and the creation of the new structure is as smooth as possible. We would expect the leagues involved to be committed to the new structure at the 2024 AGMs so that the following year can be spent preparing for a new league structure.

We believe that removing the linear structure that exists with separate 2^nd XI and 3^rd XI divisions within both the Surrey Championship and the Surrey County League will mean that a number of stronger teams will move into a more open structure. This in turn will see an increase in the strength of teams towards the top of the structure which in turn will lead to strong teams further down the structure as well.

We believe there are currently a number of 2^nd and 3^rd XIs playing in the linear league structures of the Surrey Championship and Surrey County League who would strengthen the higher divisions of an open structure. This in turn would lead to teams that would have been higher within the current structures filtering down into slightly lower divisions, strengthening these as well.

The detail behind this is still to be confirmed dependent on the structure but we would expect most divisions to see 2 clubs promoted and 2 relegated at the end of any season. There may be slight adaptations of this when it comes to certain parts of a structure where multiple divisions feed into a single division, but there are precedents for how to manage this within other leagues that operate in a similar way. It is not currently envisaged that 2 XIs from the same club would be able to play in the same division at the top end of the structure, though this could be considered at the bottom of the structure. Some alternatives seen in other leagues include placing a second XI from the same club in a different division at the same level of the structure if/when feasible based on travel requirements for example. However, this would go against the principles of regionalisation so would need careful consideration.

It is envisaged that cup competitions would be offered at each level of the new structure so that all teams have the opportunity to participate in a cup should they wish at the appropriate standard. Participation in ECB national competitions will continue as it does now.

The data from the player survey has driven the discussions around the development of an integrated structure. It is clear from the player data that players do not want to travel more than 45 minutes for a game beyond players in the top two divisions of the Surrey Championship and the status quo sees county wide travel happening across 23 divisions within the current structure (Surrey Championship Premier – Division 5 1^st XI, Premier – Division 5 2^nd XI, Premier Division 3^rd XI, Surrey County League 1^st XI Premier – Division 3, Surrey County League 2^nd XI Premier – Division 3, The Surrey Cricket League Premier – Division 3). Regionalisation through a bigger, integrated structure, will reduce travel times significantly as well as bring many other benefits as presented in the prospectus.

All senior leagues within Surrey have been given the opportunity to take an active involvement in the discussions and emerging plans for a new, merged structure. The Surrey Downs League has been seeking feedback from its clubs and they currently believe that a number of teams may seek to join a new structure, but that a number wish to remain in the Surrey Downs League structure. It is likely that if a new structure is launched that there will be an opportunity for clubs from outside of the 3 leagues involved in the project being able to apply to join ready for the 2025 season. If a number of clubs from the Surrey Downs League leave, they will seek to deliver a modified league structure with the clubs and teams that remain.

The facilities workstream is in the process of creating a facilities framework that lays out the various facility requirements at each level of a new structure. There will be requirements that have to be met in order to gain promotion at certain levels of the structure and these will be clear and transparent for all clubs and teams to see. As we seek to ensure that cricket is a game for everyone and the most inclusive team sport in the country, it is hoped that the requirements for entry at the bottom of the structure will be relatively basic to maximise the amount of cricket a new league can facilitate, but there are likely to be ceilings for some clubs based on their facilities. This is similar to the framework adopted in other leagues across the country.

The creation of a new, integrated structure will bring many benefits that are outlined in the prospectus that has been widely circulated. We believe that delivering a more regionalised structure with less travel along with moving towards playing conditions that players tell us they want through the player survey will ultimately lead to increased player satisfaction levels. We believe that if players are more satisfied with their experience, they are likely to play more games of cricket and play the game for longer as well. In Sussex the new league structure has led to growth in the number of teams participating and also player satisfaction levels and our experience of reforming junior cricket in Surrey via the Surrey Junior Cricket Championship has also led to growth in playing numbers.

This level of detail has not yet been discussed, but it would be envisaged that the current playing conditions/rules that govern this circumstance would be adopted in the first instance.

At this stage it is unlikely that ULEZ will be a consideration within the regionalisation of the structure as 7 of the 18 boroughs within the county fall within the zone. It is likely that a new structure would provide advice and guidance on how to best manage the impact of ULEZ if having to travel into the zone to play (e.g., car-pooling, checking on ULEZ compliance of vehicles etc).

Yes, one of the key benefits of a larger, open structure is that it would be able to accept entries from single teams or single XIs from clubs with multiple teams.

Once we have a final structure to develop further issues such as these where multiple divisions feed into single divisions will be discussed in more detail. There are already other examples from across recreational cricket where this happens, and we would be looking to mirror best practice where possible.

The key focus within the regionalisation will be travel time as we know that distance is not always the best measure in parts of the London boroughs where travelling just a few miles can take some time. The regionalisation will depend, to some extent, on the clubs and teams playing in the different parts of the county and within a new structure the aim would be to try and ensure positive outcomes for as many teams as possible when creating divisions across the structure. However, this is not a science and there will be an element of pragmatism that has to be applied at times.

The steering group hosted the Sussex Cricket League at the Kia Oval at the start of this journey and heard about how they had undertaken a similar process. The outcomes from their journey were overwhelmingly positive and have seen the number of teams increase and player satisfaction levels rise as well. It is worth noting the Surrey Cricket Foundation also worked with the junior leagues across Surrey in 2018-2019 to reform junior league cricket and the Surrey Junior Cricket Championship has been seen as a huge success by the vast majority of people involved with it over the past 3 seasons.

If teams do not join at the inception of a new structure, there are likely to be 3 options for them. One will be the ability to join at the bottom of the structure. We believe that considering the placement of teams at an appropriate playing standard should also be considered if it is possible to manage this without impacting other teams unnecessarily (it is worth noting this has been done in the I’Anson League before and appears to work well). Nobody wants a team that is too strong causing one sided matches for 3-4 years whilst that team finds its natural place within a new structure. However, there might be some instances where a team applies but has to wait for a suitable spot within the structure to become available. With over 350 teams likely to be within the structure we envisage that there will be fairly regular movements of teams leaving or applying to join that should enable most teams to be accommodated when seeking to join.

This question was raised in one of the consultation events and the feeling is that once we have a preferred structure to take forwards this can be developed and adapted to try and facilitate the best possible outcome for players in terms of both standard of play and travel times.

The likelihood is that the model of entry and supply of league balls would change within a new structure with final details of this yet to be confirmed. The current thinking is that transition arrangements would be put in place in the first 2-3 seasons as the model changes with the aim being that at the end of this period all teams playing at the various levels of the structure pay the same fees.

It is hoped that the structure will lead to less one-sided games over time as we will be pooling all 350+ teams into the same structure, rather than the current position which sees 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd XI (and below) cricket siloed into different divisional structures. There are also ways that bonus points can be used to try and help in situations where there is a potential mismatch in playing standard.

The Surrey Championship and The Surrey Cricket League currently operate an umpire’s panel whereas the Surrey County League relies on club-based umpires. We will be working with the Surrey Association of Cricket Officials to develop a framework for umpiring which we expect to include a panel at the top end of the structure, club-based umpires and eventually players umpires across the whole structure. The exact levels will depend on the size of the umpire’s panel. Transitional arrangements may be considered in any new structure to take this into account, though the detailed proposals from the Officials Workstream are likely to emerge in 2024.

Within the new structure the hope would be to have a panel of umpires to be appointed to fixtures as far down the structure as possible though we accept that this may not get as far down the structure as where The Surrey Cricket League teams might be placed, so there is a good chance that these teams might lose access to independent umpires though transition arrangements may be considered in the short term. The officials workstream will be looking at options to support the transition into a new structure such as the use of a bureaux for example where clubs could request an umpire not involved on the official panel.

Whilst the detailed discussions have not taken place at this time, it is envisaged that there will be governance minimum standards that all clubs seeking to enter will need to meet. Whilst Clubmark is not necessarily relevant to all clubs we will be looking to include minimum standards around Safeguarding delivered through the ECB Safe Hands Management System. This will require all clubs to have a fully trained Club Safeguarding Officer as well as ensuring that key volunteers within their club have the relevant DBS checks and training as laid out by the ECB.

This is an area that has not yet been considered, but we believe that creating a larger structure covering 350+ teams is likely to open up opportunities to save clubs money through driving favourable deals across key products and services required by clubs. As an example in the Surrey Junior Cricket Championship we have worked closely with AJ Sports to drive the best possible deal on ball prices for the clubs taking part.

This is not a question we have the answer to right now, but it would be envisaged that some divisions would involve coloured kit as is currently seen in some of the higher divisions of the Surrey Championship.

This level of detail has not yet been discussed. The new structure would seek to follow ECB Premier League guidance around the use of overseas players within the top divisions and it could be that oversea players are permitted to a certain level within the new structure, but this is still to be discussed.

Most open structures within recreational cricket do not permit two teams from the same club participating in the same division due to the challenges this can cause around player eligibility and perceived fairness (e.g., a player could potentially end up playing for 2 teams in the same division). However, in theory a 2^nd XI could progress to the division below the Premier Division in the event that the club’s first team is in the Premier Division. There are examples where teams from the same club have been able to play at the same level where multiple divisions exist though this may be challenging when considering the geographic location of teams within any structure. More discussion will be needed on this issue.

This detail is yet to be confirmed, but we would envisage that the playing conditions that already exist in this space within the current leagues would be ported over and mapped against the new structure in some way.

This detail is yet to be confirmed, though the most likely outcome is that in the first instance the ball colour will continue based on the current status quo within the leagues involved in the merger discussions.

This detail is yet to be confirmed, though the most likely outcome is that the new structure would replicate what is currently happening within the Premier League and Division 1 of the Surrey Championship.

This is not the current thinking, though we expect some coloured clothing cricket to continue as already happens in some of the Surrey Championship divisions. Discussions on further adoption of coloured clothing could happen once the new structure is operational in the future.

This detail is yet to be confirmed, but it is likely that the new structure would follow the broad timings of the current structures when it comes to the timelines for a league season.

There is nothing preventing the emergence of another league in Surrey at some stage and a number of other leagues do already exist. The hope is that if the new structure provides the key elements that are likely to increase player satisfaction it is likely that more clubs and teams will want to join and less likely that clubs will seek to create their own separate league.

Based on the data from the player survey there is little appetite from timed cricket below the top 2 divisions within the current Surrey Championship 1^st XI structure. The player survey data indicates that the vast majority of other cricketers want to play limited overs cricket only and as a result this is what is being proposed as a starting point.

Surrey is in regular contact with Sussex regarding their experiences with a linear structure. Sussex are about 5 years ahead of Surrey, so a lot has been learnt from them. In addition, as a similar structure has been implemented in a number of other counties across the country and Surrey is also looking at these other county models.

The actual start times across all levels has yet to be confirmed. It maybe that lower down the structure, later start times can be considered.

We will work hard to try and ensure that teams are located at the right level of the structure for them, but in the instance where teams are badly misplaced, we would consider all options to try and resolve these issues. Double promotions or relegations could form part of this discussion but would rely on other factors. For example, if a club were to be promoted 2 divisions, this would require another team to be relegated potentially who hadn’t finished in a relegation position. We would attempt to deliver a pragmatic solution that focuses on creating a great player experience.

Yes, the proposed merge would see one single structure which enables promotion and relegation throughout, rather than the current linear structures within the Surrey Championship and the Surrey County League.

We will be seeking feedback on the framework as it emerges and it is our aim to try and be as open as possible at the bottom of the structure to try and facilitate as much cricket as possible. However, as teams progress through the structure there will be points where enhanced facility requirements come into play and this may limit a club/team’s ability to be promoted beyond a certain level. This will be clearly presented and clubs seeking to enhance their facilities with the aim of achieving the requirements for promotion will be able to work with the Foundation Participation Officer team who will try to support them.

There will be some time for attendees of the consultation events to feed back to club committees and players and the recording of our online session (along with the prospectus and a link to provide further feedback) can be found here – https://www.surreycricketfoundation.org/page/clubs–leagues/senior-leagues-merger/senior-leagues-merger-18868/

Insight from the player survey indicates that players below the top 2 divisions of the Surrey Championship within the current structure do not wish to play timed cricket, preferring limited overs cricket.

It is unlikely that the management of grounds on behalf of clubs will continue within a new structure. However, we are aware that some transition arrangements may be beneficial as part of the transition across and we would also look to link the clubs from the Surrey Cricket League into the Foundation Participation Officer team for further support in preparing for the transition into a new structure.

The facilities framework will have a number of tiers that are likely to link with the different levels of cricket being played. This framework will clearly define what requirements are needed as clubs move up levels and if a club cannot meet the facility requirements for this level the club would not be promoted.

The governance of the new structure is yet to be defined but it is very likely that a new committee would be formed and given the scale of a new structure more volunteers would be required. The finer details around how the committee is appointed will follow in due course.

Yes, there will be further consultation opportunities as we progress the project over the coming months.

At this stage there is no defined date regarding making a commitment to a 2025 start, but we believe this will emerge as part of our next steps following the consultation. We believe 2025 is realistic, but want to ensure we get this right, so if this requires putting the project back by a season we will consider this.

The player survey asks questions about travel time rather than travel distance as we feel that this is a more realistic measure given the challenges of getting around in certain parts of our county. It is likely that the regionalisation would focus on travel times, utilising common core transport routes to try and deliver the best possible outcome in this space.

We haven’t got to this level of detail just yet. However, the aim of the new structure would be to maintain an ECB Premier League at the top which would require adoption of the GCR and we envisage utilising the GCR and RCR at different stages of the structure as/if necessary.

We will certainly need to consider identifying more volunteers to assist across the whole structure, including around discipline. This may be able to be linked with the different playing tiers that have emerged thus far.

The Sussex Cricket League does not permit more than one team from the same club to compete in the same division, its constitution states:

‘No club may have more than one team in the same division. If the normal channels of promotion or relegation would have produced this situation, the League Executive Committee shall have the power to determine the placing of the teams affected for the following season.’