Surrey welcomed Members to the Kia Oval for the Club’s 2025 Annual General Meeting on Thursday 8 May to hear about a successful year on and off the pitch as well some exciting developments for the upcoming year.
The Club has made significant developments around the ground this year, with investment in the facilities for players and Members alike. There have been multi-million-pound improvements in the dressing rooms and the new LED, energy-efficient floodlights as well as expenditure on a brand new LED big screen that will sit on the gas-holder side of the ground, improving fans’ in-bowl viewing experience.
Surrey’s work to support the development of talented cricketers in the state school sector has progressed further with growing investment in the Surrey Academic Cricket Scholars programme (SACS).
The AGM saw the formal confirmation of the Club’s elected representative body, with Richard Mantell, Simon Dyson, Simon Menneer and Steve Wootten elected by Members onto the General Committee. It was also announced that Kim Barlow was co-opted by the General Committee for a one-year term, having missed the election by only three votes. The AGM also saw the election of both a new President, with Lord Tony Grabiner KC elected, and a new Deputy President, Chris Dymond. Patricia Garrard, after completing two years as President, was formally elected as an Honorary Life Vice President of Surrey County Cricket Club, while Bob Qureshi, David Kingsmill, Eric Ferebee, Jeff Banks and Martin Williams were announced as newly elected Honorary Life Members.
2024 saw success on the field once again, as Rory Burns’ team secured a third County Championship title on the spin. There were England Test debuts for Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson, whilst Ollie Pope had the honour of captaining the Test side at his home ground when England took on Sri Lanka.
In their final season as an amateur side, the Surrey women triumphed in the London Cup and continued to develop young cricketers for both the South East Stars and England’s age group sides with Charlotte Lambert and Charlotte Stubbs representing the U19s at the T20 World Cup over the winter. Having secured a ‘Tier One’ women’s side for 2025, the Club swiftly recruited a strong squad including Surrey talents Bryony Smith and Alice Capsey as well as England players Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophia Dunkley.
Also announced were record membership numbers, with Surrey County Cricket Club now having nearly 20,000 Members for the first time in its history. Attendance records were also announced for County Championship cricket at the Kia Oval, with over 65,280 coming through the gates over seven home fixtures. The Club also saw its highest ever number of Members attending a Surrey fixture for both the Essex County Championship match and the Durham T20 Blast Quarter-Final.
Meanwhile, the Club’s conference and events business continued to grow in 2024, with a revenue of £8.4m – up 10% year on year.
Steve Elworthy, CEO at Surrey CCC, said “2024 was another special year for everyone involved with Surrey CCC and the Kia Oval. On the pitch, Rory and his team achieved a remarkable third successive title, while securing a women’s team was a hugely important step for the Club and we have loved welcoming them to their new home at the Kia Oval.”
Oli Slipper, Chair at Surrey CCC, said “2024 was my first full year in post as Chair of the greatest Club in the country and it provided some fantastic moments on and off the field.
“2025 is going to be another momentous year for the Club. I would like to thank the Membership for their continued support, and I will continue champion and protect the interests of Surrey and its Members as we head into the next 12 months, to ensure that the Club and the game of cricket continues to grow and prosper.”
Elected onto the General Committee 2025-2029 (alphabetical order):
Richard Mantell
A Surrey CCC Member since 2012, Richard has been involved with the Club over recent years in a number of different areas, including as a Foundation Patron, and as a member of the Rikki Clarke Testimonial Committee, Master’s Club and Members’ Liaison Group.
Simon Dyson
A Surrey CCC Member since 2004, Simon has been involved with cricket his entire life, from captaining Dulwich College 1st XI through to becoming Chair of the Surrey Cricket Foundation from 2015 to 2024. Simon also held the position of Executive Chair for Chance to Shine, a nationwide cricket charity supporting young people through cricket. Simon was elected an Honorary Life Member at last year’s Annual General Meeting.
Simon Menneer
A Surrey CCC Member since 1978, Simon is an ECB qualified Coach, Umpire and Lead Tutor, and was the CEO of Cornwall Cricket from 2014 to 2019. Simon has been to every Test at the Kia Oval since the mid-1980s and also took part in the Club’s food & beverage focus group last year.
Steve Wootten
A Surrey CCC Member since 1998, and a Surrey supporter for 60 years, Steve is a chartered accountant and has previously served a term on General Committee from 2018 to 2022. Steve has also been a member of the Club Honours Committee from 2021 to 2024, and a member of the Master’s Club, which celebrates the life and values of Sir Jack Hobbs.
Surrey’s work in the community
The Club has partnered with the Black Prince Trust, a local community sports centre, to support a community food programme that feeds nearly 300 families a day.
Abroad, working through the Oval Cricket Relief Trust, the partnership with Cricket Builds Hope is supporting the growth of the game in Rwanda and a new partnership with Cricket Brasil is moving into its second year.
