Members' Representative Group

MRG Meeting Minutes 10/03/25

MRG Meeting Minutes 28/04/25

MRG Meeting Minutes 16/06/25

Graeme Greenfield

Graeme joined Yorkshire CCC whilst still at school and has remained a member ever since.

He has watched Yorkshire through thick and thin and remains an enthusiastic member watching the county home and away. He thinks there is no better day than sat at Headingley or Scarborough watching bat on red or white ball.

Graeme joined the MRG in 2015 and became chairman in 2018.

He played local cricket and rugby for the Leeds Modernians where he can be regularly found at the bar.

Howard was born roughly a 30-minute walk from Headingley, first attending Yorkshire games with his father in the 1950s.

He is married to Lesley, and they have two daughters Jacqueline and Michelle and three grandchildren. The youngest, Matilda, is a junior tyke and their grandson Liam works for the Club as an Analyst, and is also the Lead Analyst for the Northern Diamonds.

Howard and his wife are long standing Leeds United season ticket holders. Their love of cricket has seen them travel to Australia, South Africa and the West Indies for tours involving Yorkshire and England. Both Howard and his wife are on the Yorkshire Supporters Association Committee, which does much to benefit the Club.

He firmly believes that with the huge number of measures that have been introduced by the club to make Yorkshire a more equitable and welcoming place for all who wish to come along and attend cricket, that the Club are in a far better position going forward, ensuring it has a greater chance of success both on and off the field.

Pauline’s love of cricket started in her early teens when she went to watch village cricket in Staffordshire with her parents and other family members. Her uncle who officiated as an umpire encouraged her to become a scorer for the village cricket team.

She has been a member of Yorkshire CCC since 2010 and both watches and enjoys all formats of the game. She is also Secretary for the YCCC Supporters Association.

She feels the Members’ Representative Group has an important role within the wider aspects of YCCC. By representing the Members and providing an opportunity to champion various topics and issues, this facilitates a closer link with the Club as a whole. This role is even more important in today’s environment, particularly given the recent ongoing developments including the future structure of cricket.

Before taking early retirement in 2009, Pauline worked in the NHS for 34 years in the field of audiology, working with children and adults with hearing and balance problems.

Her final position was as a Consultant Clinical Scientist/Manager of Service at Bradford Royal Infirmary. During these years she was a member of the National Professional Body – the British Academy of Audiology. She became President, and later Executive Officer of this body.

Pauline feel that this history demonstrates her experience and enthusiasm of working on Committees and Governing Bodies.

Ian Townsend is a Chartered Accountant who has served on many boards including Public Companies, Sporting Organisations and Government Grant Committees. He worked for KPMG in the Bahamas for two years before developing his own accountancy practice in Harrogate. His time in the profession gave him the skill to recognise the ingredients necessary to create a successful business, which he used to invest in, and successfully sell, a number of companies.

Having led two floatation’s on the London Stock Exchange, including the reverse take-over of Sheffield United, he acquired considerable experience in raising tens of millions of pounds. Probably most relevant to his appointment to the Board is his time at Sheffield United Plc where he served as CEO for almost two years. As CEO he was responsible for all aspects of the club with the exception of the playing staff. This role along with seven years spent on the Members’ Committee at YCCC have given Ian an insight into the issues all sporting clubs face.

Ian is the Member Nominated Board Director and was appointed to the MRG in April 2024.

Ben became a member of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2013, having caught the cricketing bug during the run-in to the 2012 campaign, when the club earned promotion from Division 2 and were T20 finalists. He was going to eventually catch the cricketing bug, having been born into a cricket-loving family and visiting Headingley since he was a babe in arms.

Ben is on the committee of the Yorkshire County Cricket Supporters’ Association and runs the recently created social media accounts for the association.

Outside of cricket, Ben is a member at Leeds United, and also enjoys working on his long-running project planning, designing, and building a multi-purpose Lego stadium.

During his time on the Members’ Representative Group, Ben would like to represent the younger generation of members and fans of the club, making sure their views are heard whilst encouraging them to get more involved in the club. He would also like to support the club’s efforts to attract new fans to the club and cricket as a whole, especially through making connections with schools.

Ben was appointed to the MRG in September 2024.

Yorkshire cricket is in Mark’s blood. Born in Guisborough, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, he grew up in the brewery town of Masham, where his love for the game flourished. Playing in the Nidderdale League, he spent his youth absorbing the beauty of North Yorkshire’s cricket grounds and honing his skills – though he readily admits he was always a better fielder than bowler or batter. Mark’s passion for the game extended beyond playing, as he helped maintain the pitches at Masham CC, a role he continues in today as part of the Grounds Team at Ouseburn CC (OCC). With two senior teams and over 130 juniors, OCC has produced a number of talented county cricketers with Rookie Will Bennison the latest to come through the junior ranks.

Mark’s lifelong devotion to the Yorkshire CCC started in 1975, when he attended his first live match at Bradford Park Avenue – a John Player League encounter against Hampshire. And even as his career took him away from Yorkshire, Mark’s connection to the Club remained strong. Whether following matches across the south or humorously describing his time away as “missionary work” spreading the gospel of Yorkshire cricket, Mark never lost touch with the team.

Professionally, his career was in the World of conferences, events and hospitality, working with high-profile clients across government and the corporate sector. As Client Services Director for the Live Group plc, he played a pivotal role in growing the company into the UK’s leading provider of conference and event management services for HM Government. From organising major national conferences at Downing Street to overseeing global events as far afield as Moscow, he thrived in this fast-moving environment. Later, as New Business Sales Director at the De Vere Group of hotels and venues, Mark worked closely with clients across the UK, refining his expertise in identifying strategic opportunities, communication and business development.

After “retiring” five years ago, I returned to his beloved North Yorkshire and became a dedicated Club member. He regularly attends matches at Headingley, Scarborough, and York and remains a committed supporter, when the team is on the road. As an MRG Elected Representative, his approach is simple: to listen to members, represent their views clearly and fairly and assist in ensuring there is transparent, meaningful communication between the Club and its community. By being a visible and approachable presence at matches, Mark hopes to encourage greater involvement from members of all ages and backgrounds, ensuring Yorkshire cricket fans continue to have a strong, respected voice within the Club.