Sussex enters agreement with ECB following exceptional funding request

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has today confirmed that Sussex County Cricket Club has entered into a three-year financial framework agreement in order to access exceptional funding.

The agreement, under the ECB’s Exceptional Funding Policy, has been put in place after the club approached the ECB for financial support following significant operating losses in the most recent financial year, missing revenue targets and increasing the cost base to an unsustainable level.

As part of the framework, the ECB has agreed to provide Sussex Cricket with a structured loan, repayable in full by 31 January 2029. This is intended to provide short-term stability while the Club delivers the changes required to operate on a more sustainable footing.

Under the agreement, Sussex Cricket has agreed to a number of conditions including:

• Governance reforms including Sussex undertaking an external evaluation of its Board’s skills and performance, and the ECB having the ability to attend Sussex Board meetings and any relevant sub committee meetings.
• Restrictions on men’s player salary costs, with a limit imposed for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 seasons.
• Sussex reducing the operating loss it is currently budgeted to record in 2025/26.
• A need to provide the ECB with budgets and business plan for the next three financial years with the club showing sustainable year-on-year operating profits by 2027/28.

In addition, Sussex will be subject to the following penalties:

• An immediate points deduction of 50% of the maximum points available for one win in each men’s county competition (inclusive of bonus points) for the 2026 season.
• A suspended points deduction of 50% of the maximum points available for one win in each men’s county competition (inclusive of bonus points) for the 2027 and 2028 seasons should any of the conditions be breached.
• A suspended fine of £100,000 which is only payable if any of the conditions be breached.

Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “The County network is the bedrock of cricket in our communities, and its contribution is vital to the future success of cricket in England and Wales.

“Professional Counties are allocated significant funding every year through the County Partnership Agreement, and it is essential that all counties have viable business plans to ensure their financial sustainability.

“The aim of approving exceptional funding through this agreement is to provide Sussex with the time to correct their underlying issues and for the ECB ensure that all counties are treated fairly.”

Interim Chief Executive of Sussex Cricket, Mark West, said: “We fully understand how disappointing this news will be for everyone connected with Sussex Cricket.

“Since taking on the interim role at the end of last season, it has become clear that a combination of unsuccessful growth plans and wider economic pressures have contributed to the position the Club finds itself in today.

“We acknowledge that this has not been good enough. Our responsibility now is to put things right, strengthen how the Club is run, and ensure Sussex Cricket moves forward on a more stable and sustainable footing.”