LETTER: Sponsorship for cricket festival

I can echo many of the thoughts expressed by Sussex in your interview but have difficulty understanding the comments about the financing of the festival. The Sussex CEO reportedly said, and I quote, ‘a poor financial year in 2013 meant Sussex could no longer subsidise the event’; ‘it is very clear that the Horsham festival requires a degree of subsidy from our club’; ‘the club needs to raise £15,000 in sponsorship for the event to break even’.

The financing of the festival is as follows – all out goings by Sussex and Horsham are combined into a single figure of costs. The same is done with all receipts.

After the festival the two clubs agree the accounts and the profit is divided, 75 per cent going to Sussex and, sadly, only 25 per cent to Horsham. Horsham profits therefore need to be multiplied by three to be applicable to Sussex.

Since the County Cricket Festival returned to Horsham 30 odd years ago, I am not aware that it has ever made a loss. Horsham, as an amateur club, could not sustain festival losses and indeed the profits made from the festival, the biggest sports event in Horsham, have been very important in the running of the club.

It is true that the 2012 festival was hit badly by the weather and Horsham’s profit was reduced to just under £1,000. The bad weather was widespread however and would have disrupted the cricket wherever the matches were played.

Last year, 2013, referred to above as a poor financial year, saw Horsham recording a profit of several thousand pounds. In the years 2009 to 2011 the recorded Horsham profits ranged between £7,000 and £10,000.

Horsham District Council used to contribute £6,000 towards the cost of running the Cricket Festival but no longer do so.

Clearly both Horsham and Sussex would very much welcome sponsorship of £15,000 which would improve the financial position considerably.

Nevertheless I have not been aware that Sussex have had to subsidise the Horsham Cricket Festival and in view of the figures available I cannot understand some of the statements made.

No doubt Sussex would be able to enlighten us all so that we have a better appreciation of the situation.

MIKE PARSONS

Swallowfield Close, Mannings Heath