A Further Pre-Season Update From Jamie Cox
Dear Somerset Members and supporters,
It gives me great pleasure to be able to say: “the season is almost upon us!”
It seems hard to believe that a year has passed since we were getting ready for the 2025 campaign, and what a season it proved to be! It was a summer which saw our men lift the Vitality Blast trophy for the second time in three years, whilst a professional women’s team took to the field for the first time. For all of that to happen in our 150th year was very special indeed.
2025 was certainly a year to remember, but it is important that we now focus our attention on what lies ahead.
We are frequently asked ‘so what happens at the Club in the off-season’ and with this in mind, I thought I would follow up the recorded Members’ Forum, which was posted on Club channels on March 18th, with an update to remind and reinforce what our Members and supporters can expect in 2026.
You may well be aware that our Chair, Lord Barber, has taken the decision to stand down from his role with the Club. His elevation to the House of Lord’s has meant that he feels that he can no longer dedicate the required amount of time to the Club that he deems necessary in order to effectively carry out his duties.
I’m sure that you will all join me in thanking him for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Club and the Membership during his time in the Chair. He will remain an ally of the Club and I am sure that we will see him (and his sun hat!) at the Cooper Associates County Ground whenever his schedule allows.
We are currently undertaking a thorough recruitment process to find a worthy successor, and we will keep you updated in this regard via the usual channels. In the meantime, I would like to thank Vice Chair, Richard Brice for agreeing to take over the role of Chair on an interim basis.
You don’t need me to tell you how wet it has been over the last few months, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nick Pepper and his Grounds Team for the incredible job that they have done this winter. The outfield is an absolute picture at the moment, and they deserve a huge amount of credit.
The incredible job that the Grounds Team have done means that we will be playing a three-day pre-season match here against Glamorgan beginning today (March 27th) as planned. You can find out everything you need to know about the fixture via this website.
At the end of each season, we carry out a survey of our Members and supporters in a bid to get feedback on what has worked well and what has not worked so well from a matchday experience perspective.
A main point of contention for a number of years has been the quality of the public address system within the Ground. Pleasingly, I can report that the Board has recently approved the substantial capital investment required to upgrade this over coming months. Work is already underway, and we anticipate that this new system will be in place by the end of May.
The function of Stragglers Coffee House during the season is also a recurring topic and we have been carrying out renovation work both inside and outside of this facility to turn it into a more appealing matchday offering for our Members and supporters.
We will also be carrying out some work behind Block Five of the Somerset Stand to improve our matchday food and beverage options, with this work planned to be completed in time for the start of the Vitality Blast. Hopefully any inconvenience in the meantime will be kept to a minimum but please do bear with us because we think the outcome will be worth it.
The ‘Thatchers Terrace’ was starting to look a little bit scruffy, so we are also undertaking improvements to restore this fan’s favourite vantage point to its former glory.
The retail bar and restaurant unit within Pegasus Court is also being redeveloped and will be open for use on matchdays once works are complete. A feature of these works is to open up direct access from the concourse inside the ground, and the venue will soon offer food and drink, plus shelter from the elements.
Access to the Cooper Associates County Ground on matchdays is also something that featured in the Member survey. I believe that we found a successful formula to the opening times of the Brian Rose Gates last year and we will expand that a little bit further in 2026 by opening them at teatime as well. It’s worth mentioning that the works behind Block Five of the Somerset Stand may affect people’s ability to circumnavigate the ground at the start of the season. Please keep an eye on communication channels for updates and we thank you in advance for your patience.
Once again, we will be staging international cricket in 2026, and we are delighted that we will be playing host to the third and final IT20 between England and India on June 2nd. Somerset CCC has played a huge role in the promotion of the women’s game over the years, and it is a privilege to once again be hosting England in this not-to-be-missed clash against the 50-over World Champions. Tickets are still available at great prices, and I’d like to take this opportunity to remind Somerset Women Members to claim their complimentary ticket to this match. If you’re currently a Men’s Member, you can upgrade to Women’s Membership for just £25.
The first County Championship fixture of the season falls on Easter weekend and sees us welcome the reigning champions, Nottinghamshire to Taunton. We want to encourage as many people as possible to attend this fixture and in addition to Easter carveries on the first three days, entry for juniors will only be £1. There will also be some Easter themed activities taking place, so please do join us for the first action of the summer.
Once again, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued and unwavering support. If you have purchased Membership already, thank you. If you haven’t got your Membership yet, it’s not too late. If you feel like you can’t commit to the whole season, we have a number of flexible Memberships which enable you to stay connected with the Club, such as Associate Membership which gives you access to five days of either Metro Bank One Day Cup or Rothesay County Championship cricket this year. Whatever your time commitment and format preference our Membership Team will tailor a package to accommodate.
Here is a reminder of the forthcoming Member Forums, which I hope that you will be able to attend.
Forum dates:
- Saturday May 16th – in person, Cooper Associates County Ground
- Wednesday July 22nd – online
- Friday August 21st – in person, Cooper Associates County Ground
Thank you for your on-going loyalty and support of the Club, and here’s to another successful summer!
Jamie Cox
CEO Somerset County Cricket Club
