MCC chief 'insults' election hopefuls
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UPDATED:
22:46 GMT, 20 December 2012
The MCC are embroiled in yet another
internal row after chairman Oliver Stocken astonished members of
cricket’s most famous private club with his comments about the main
committee election.
Stocken, who has been accused by
legal grandee Lord Grabiner of running MCC like a ‘personal fiefdom’,
damned the six candidates in the ballot, saying he wouldn’t recommend
any of them because they did not have the qualities of those retiring
from the MCC committee.

Stocken’s letter to members said: ‘It has been decided not to recommend any nominees but instead to refer to the skills and attributes possessed by the four elected members who are due to retire. It is highly unlikely the qualities of the new members will match those retiring.’
The six nominees include Hampshire president and former county captain Nick Pocock and City high-flyer Vicky Griffiths, who has been nominated by Andy Flower and Mike Gatting.
Senior MCC member Laurence Dillamore described Stocken’s comments as ‘the most insulting and condescending communication from the club in all the 40 years I have been a member’. He added: ‘It is breathtaking contempt and directly questions the competence of the proposers and seconders.’
An MCC spokesperson said the chairman’s letter was for guidance and had not meant to be a slight on anyone.

Former Tesco chief Sir Terry Leahy (right), tipped to be FA chairman before David Bernstein was appointed, is again being linked with the role.
Leading businessman Leahy, long-time Everton supporter, England 2018 bid adviser and knowledgeable about the FA through Tesco's sponsorship, ticks most boxes.
But there is doubt whether Leahy could commit at least two days a week to the FA having taken up a number of advisory roles since leaving Tesco.
Others in the frame are Football League chairman Greg Clarke, St George's Park chairman David Sheepshanks and independent FA director Heather Rabbatts. Dame Sue Campbell, who is stepping down from the chairmanship of UK Sport, should certainly be on the FA headhunters' list.
It's Roger and out…
The Lawn Tennis Association remuneration committee, which awarded chief executive Roger Draper his 640,000-a-year package, have Draper as one of two executive staff invitees who attend meetings. And you wouldn’t have put it past the hapless LTA for Draper to be present when his salary was discussed. However, it was confirmed yesterday that Draper left the room before his 201,000 bonus was awarded. Cathie Sabin, the LTA deputy president, would not discuss Draper’s money yesterday but said: ‘The board is backing Roger.’
Moz Dee, talkSPORT's programme director who has done a lot to raise the profile of the station, is leaving to set up Contented Digital Media, supplying original material to broadcasters. Dee, who will want to earn more than he did at talkSPORT, is unlikely to have made such a move without deals – most probably with BT Sport – already in place.
British Olympic Association pleasure at securing Minas Tennis Club in Belo Horizonte for their Team GB preparation camp for the 2016 Rio Games will be enhanced by the knowledge Australia were also chasing the venue.
Hard-hitting BBC political editor Nick Robinson, who hosted Manchester United’s UNESCO dinner, hardly put the players through the wringer. United fan Robinson asked Nemanja Vidic what it was like to be back from injury, Rio Ferdinand what it was like to have Vidic back and Wayne Rooney what it was like playing alongside Robin van Persie. The only remotely edgy question was put to Rooney, with Robinson asking for advice on his hairline.




































