The Cricketer Magazine – June 2018

Finances

Profi t/loss

2012: +£203,000

2013: (£103,000)

2014: +£122,000

2015: (£141,000)

2016: (£488,334)

2017: (£166,565)

Cash in bank

2012: £367,721

Net current

assets

£173,876

Turnover^

in 2017

£6.53m turnover

includes

£2.6m pro

income

including

ECB income;

£600,000 from

matches;

£227,000 from

membership;

£1.09m from

commercial/

sponsorship;

£324,000

from squads/

academy;

£409,000

from estates/

other (rent

receivable);

£408,000 from

catering;

£165,000 from

sundry trading

receipts;

£81,000 from

indoor school;

£48,000 from

club shop

Members

2014 3,721;

2015: 3,687;

2016: 3,693;

2017: 2,767

+ 1,260 T20

season tickets;

2018: 2,385 +

1,205 season

tickets – still on

sale until July 13

Jason Gillespie

The coach

“There is a lovely feel to this

place. I can’t put my fi nger on it

completely. I live just down the road.

It’s perfect for my family. I have

been here in the past as a player and

coach of opposition teams, and it’s

always struck me that the fans are

very one-eyed, which I quite like.

We had that at Yorkshire. There’s

nothing wrong with that. I want our

supporters to see guys with their

chests out, with the cap on their

heads and the badge on their shirt,

and just see a group of players with

smiles on their face. To get to that

point takes a lot of hard work. To

play with that freedom you have to

earn that right, through dedication

and discipline.

“We have a good squad. We

have a mix of young guys trying

to make names for themselves

and experienced heads. What’s

impressed me has been the lads’

attitude, their willingness to learn

and improve. That is exciting. I

have a saying, ‘all you can do is all

you can do.’ Give yourself the best

chance. What I say to players is turn

up on time, give it your best, look

after your mates. If you do that, you

will never have any trouble with

me. I am pretty laidback. I challenge

players if I feel they are not giving

themselves the best chance: how

they can get better, each and every

day. But we are all here because

we love the game, and we enjoy

each other’s success, and that gets

forgotten in professional sport.

“We have some good pace here:

Jofra Archer and Chris Jordan, and

so on. George Garton has had a few

injuries, but he’s a good kid: an

exciting young bowler who has to

learn his craft. We need to manage

the expectations on this young man.

Take a moment, take a breath. We

want to give opportunities to Sussex

lads, to promote from within as

much as possible, and I know that

is important to Rob Andrew and

[director of cricket] Keith Greenfi eld.

Our philosophies are aligned.”

until washouts struck at Bristol and
at home to Surrey. With momentum
lost, qualifi cation hopes evaporated
with defeats to Glamorgan and Essex.
With Gillespie arriving after
masterminding Adelaide Strikers’
maiden Big Bash triumph, however,
T20 could be this year’s key suit.
Archer, Jordan, Tymal Mills (fi tness
permitting) and Afghan ace Rashid
Khan – with George Garton, Will
Beer, Danny Briggs and Robinson
to supplement... a swim in the
sea might be needed to soothe the
bruises after facing the quicks there.
Off the fi eld, chief executive Rob
Andrew is enjoying his switch
from rugby union. He is working
to reverse a three-year pattern of
annual defi cits, although last year’s
operating profi t was £343,000,
up from £1,000 in 2016. Sussex
are taking time to plan ground
improvements, anticipating the
funding boost from the ECB’s new
short-form competition from 2020.
Concerts by Little Mix and Lionel
Richie are selling well. Sussex fans
hope they are dancing on the ceiling
come T20 fi nals days on September
15, and when the Championship
concludes 12 days later.

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