MCC forced to call Special General Meeting to address removal of Eton v Harrow and Oxbridge matches

The decision to not host the fixtures at Lord's beyond this year infuriated some members, with Mike Hall comfortably collecting enough signatures to trigger the meeting

The MCC have been forced to call a Special General Meeting (SGM) after members objected to plans to stop hosting Lord’s longest standing fixtures.

The MCC, who own Lord’s and are custodians of the Laws of the game, announced in February that the Eton v. Harrow and the Oxford v. Cambridge matches would no longer be hosted on the ground. Instead, the club aims to stage the finals of competitions open to school and universities respectively. The club expressed the hope this would reflect a more meritocratic and socially diverse outlook.

But that infuriated some members. They pointed out that the games were among the most traditional in sport - the Eton v Harrow match dates back to 1805 and the Oxford v. Cambridge one to 1827 – and still of considerable financial value to the MCC. The most recent Eton v. Harrow game, played at the end of June, attracted more than 4,000 spectators and saw most of Lord’s hospitality boxes in use. Both those facts compare favourably to Middlesex’s Championship fixtures, some of which are also staged at Lord’s.

As a consequence, a disgruntled MCC member, Mike Hall, has collected the signatures required to trigger an SGM. He is understood to have comfortable exceeded the 180 required. Among those signatories is retired journalist Henry Blofeld, who played in the fixture many years ago and has said he will consider resigning from the MCC if a compromise cannot be found.

^{A boisterous crowd in attendance for the Eton v Harrow match [Alex Davidson/Getty Images]}

"I just don’t think they have thought the decision through," Hall told The Cricketer during the recent match. "It’s disregarding history, tradition, gate receipts and box receipts. The club says it cannot afford to rebuild the Tavern Stand, so they need the money. It’s the oldest continually-run fixture in the world. It’s so sad."

Guy Lavender, the MCC chief executive, wrote to the club’s 23,000 members (18,000 full and 5,000 Associate) on Friday to inform them that, having received a petition signed by 180 members, a SGM would be held within 90 days. A vote will be held at the meeting, though it is understood the MCC committee are not obliged to change their plans.

"I write to advise you that the Club is now in receipt of a valid requisition, supported by 180 Members, that threshold having been reached, as verified by the Club’s staff, earlier today," Lavender wrote. "The MCC Committee will accordingly take the necessary steps to call a Special General Meeting (SGM) of the Club.

"Rule 22.1 states that such an SGM shall be held no later than 90 days following receipt of a valid requisition. I will therefore advise you of further details, including the date and time of the meeting, in due course."

Several England cricketers have played in the Eton v Harrow fixture over the years including, in recent times, Gary Ballance, Alex Loudon and Nick Compton. Lord Byron was involved in the first match, in 1805, while future PM, Alex Douglas-Home also featured.

The MCC point out that the amount of cricket the main pitch can accommodate over a year is limited and that two days are set aside for corporate sponsors which prove especially lucrative. The Nursery Ground’s ability to host high-quality matches has been severely compromised by the redevelopment of the Compton and Edrich stands which have dramatically reduced the size of the playing area. This year’s Varsity match was the first to feature the men as well as the women’s teams on the main pitch.