Other website sections

»Sports Market Reports

»Sports Jobs

»Tenders

»Directory

»Conferences

Leicestershire County Cricket Club’s board of directors has agreed to step down en masse at the next annual general meeting, to be held in February 2011.

The move is a compromise between the board and a group of members who had petitioned for a special meeting in November. The board of directors would have faced a vote of no-confidence at that meeting which will not be required now as a result of its decision.

In a statement on the club's website, the petitioners said that “in view of the board's willingness to compromise, the cancellation of the special general meeting is in the best interests of the club, and will allow the club to move forward”.

Last month, county members Anna Stead and Stewart Walker submitted a petition with 165 signatures – over 10 per cent of the county's membership of about 1,400 – calling for a special general meeting at which they proposed three actions, according to This is Leicestershire.

The first was to hear evidence from former chief executive David Smith about his departure in June. The second was to have a vote of no-confidence in then chairman Neil Davidson and the board. The third, which would have been necessary if the no-confidence vote was upheld, was to elect an interim board to manage the club until the next annual meeting.

The truce between the board and petitioners follows a tumultuous few months for Leicestershire. The club lost its chief executive (Smith), chairman of cricket (Neil Davidson) and senior coach (Tim Boon). Paul Haywood has been appointed the new chairman of cricket, while Mike Siddall, who has been acting chief executive since Smith's departure, had his position made official.

The trouble began when Smith and Davidson fell out over selection issues, and Smith resigned. Leicestershire captain, Matthew Hoggard, and Boon, then demanded the immediate removal of Davidson in a letter, which had the support of all Leicestershire players, the ground staff and most of the club's administrative staff.

Hoggard and Boon alleged that Davidson had interfered in cricket matters at the club and intimidated staff and made the club unattractive to new players. Davidson stood firm at first, but was eventually forced to go when Hoggard refused to withdraw the letter against him, reports Cricinfo.