Newton says cricket must come to terms with recession

Worcestershire County Cricket Club have announced a pre-tax loss of £118,439 for the year up to 30 September 2009.

The deficit compares with a profit of more than £350,000 in 2008.

Chief executive Mark Newton told BBC Hereford & Worcester: "Our commercial and catering receipts were well down, and gate receipts were not good.

"The fixture scheduling, apart from the England Lions against Australia game, combined with the performances on the field it has made it a tough year."

Despite the fall in takings Newton says the club will not be panicking.

"We can cope with it cash wise, there are no emergency signs up there but it makes it tougher.

We think it is a blip and we think we will return to profit next year. Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton

"We have had to cut all our budgets this year. Like most businesses we have done a stringent cost-cutting exercise this winter.

"We think it is a blip and we think we will return to profit next year.

"Sport is not immune from what is going on out there, that combined with performances and fixture scheduling made it a difficult year for us."

Worcestershire failed to win a County Championship game last season and did not qualify for the later stages of any of the knock-out competitions.

Newton is adamant that the team's lack of success on the field had a major effect on the club's balance sheet.

"We lost three critical one-day games last year - against Ireland in the Friends Provident Trophy, against Warwickshire in the Twenty20 and we lost to Somerset here in the Pro40.

"If we had won those games and progressed, the subsequent fixtures are worth tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of pounds, to us."

Worcestershire's total income remained static but only because of a 19% increase in the distribution from the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Membership subscription revenue held up to 2008 levels but income from both commercial and catering fell by 31% and 25% respectively.

Gate receipts did show a 24% increase as a result of the England Lions match against Australia being staged at New Road.

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