Yorkshire County Cricket Club can confirm that the decision to cancel the EGM scheduled for 2 February was based on specialist legal advice, after it had come to the Club’s attention in recent days that the meeting had not been properly called under Club Rules.
Specifically, this was a legacy issue as the previous leadership of the Club had failed to ensure registration of the amended Club Rules with the Financial Conduct Authority. The relevant amendments to the Club Rules had been approved overwhelmingly by Members at the March 2020 and March 2021 Annual General Meetings.
Owing to this failure to register the changes, the Club now understands that the notice of the 2021 meeting and this EGM should properly have been given to Members by post only, rather than by post and electronic means including the YCCC website (as Members had approved by passing the resolution at the 2020 meeting). Accordingly the notices of the meetings at the time they were called – before the registration of the changes with the FCA – were invalid until the FCA registration was completed.
Following discovery of this oversight, YCCC has now rectified the position: the rule changes in 2020 and 2021 have been filed with the FCA as required, and they are available for public inspection. Going forward the Club will be regularising the situation.
Yorkshire County Cricket Club is determined to proceed with essential changes to its governance which are important for the future of the Club. The Club is currently making the necessary arrangements for a further EGM to be convened as soon as practicable and preferably before the end of this month.
We have apologised to Members for the late cancellation of the meeting, and for any inconvenience caused.