Floods hit New Road...again

24 January 2008

New Road during the summer

Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton insists there are no plans to move the county’s headquarters away from New Road despite yet another another severe flood.

The Royals suffered a loss of more than £1million last season after their ground flooded twice during the summer, and no cricket took place there after June 21.

They will now face another bill of around £10,000 to clean it up once the current flood, which is several feet deep, has subsided.

Newton is sure Worcestershire would receive plenty of offers if they chose to locate elsewhere, but he is committed to keeping the county at their present site.

He said: “I don’t want to be involved with trying to take the county somewhere else. I think I’d be hung from the river bridge by the members if I suggested that.

“I think there would be a lot of offers around the county and the rugby club (Worcester Warriors) have got some very good premises up by the motorway.

“But I don’t think anyone, least of all me, wants to end up playing cricket by the motorway. We’d far prefer it down by the river with the cathedral in the background.

“When we redevelop the ground, we will lift the buildings above the flood highs and then that will leave us with the square and the outfield to be concerned about.

“But statistically the last time the ground flooded during the season before last year was 1969 so it should be 40 years or so to the next summer flood.”

The main concern in the short term is the extent of the damage on the square to the crop of grass grown last August after it was decided to abandon hopes of playing at New Road again during 2007.

Newton said: “We don’t know how strongly the grass has taken root that was grown at the end of last summer. We are keeping our fingers crossed it is okay.”