At lunch on the second day of the LV= County Championship match against Somerset, Director of Cricket Alec Stewart, Chairman Richard Thompson and Chief Executive Charlie Hodgson hosted the first Members Forum in the brand-new Duchy Suite, as members continue to familiarise themselves with the latest developments at The Kia Oval.
A key theme of the discussion centred around how The Kia Oval will continue developing in the near future and how the new stand came to be in spite of COVID related obstacles.
The club revealed that progress is being made as we continue to increase our footprint in South London. The new M.A.R Galadari stand will be accompanied by a community outreach programme, while the development brings The Kia Oval’s capacity close to that of Lord’s.
The board also vowed to complete the refurbishment of the Nip Back Inn over the coming weeks. Creating the Robin Jackman Bar in a fitting tribute to the late, great Surrey legend.
Online members tuned in via Zoom to bring the total in attendance up to around 250, with Richard Thompson suggesting the blend of in-person and online forums may continue due to its recent success in engaging with the Surrey faithful.
The open and honest conversation touched upon the sporting and corporate future of the club, as Alec Stewart took Members behind the scenes explaining how the congested fixture list has taken its toll on the size of the squads’ injury list.
Stewart assured the attending Members that progress is being made behind the scenes with regards to injury, after a depleted squad endured a disappointing result last week against Hampshire despite the heroics of Hashim Amla.
Stewart summed up the feeling within the Surrey squad and revealed how Ravi Ashwin came in to make his Three Feathers debut this week.
Chairman Richard Thompson rounded off the forum by looking forward to welcoming crowds back to The Kia Oval in early September for the test match between India and England.
