Somerset chief executive Peter Anderson was at the County Ground this morning reflecting on the First Class Forum meeting that he attended earlier in the week where he challenged the six week rule regarding overseas players.

He told me: "Somerset were successful in getting the period of waiting to replace injured overseas players from six weeks to three weeks, and also in getting the cut off date of August 1st for finding a replacement player abolished."

Somerset also sought to remove the maximum number of four overseas players being used by a club in a season but were defeated on this issue.

The other area that is causing concern to the Somerset chief executive is the `cull culture' that is being applied either directly or indirectly to the non test match playing counties.

He continued: "Of principle concern to Somerset is the rapidly developing notion that the fee payment made by the E.C.B. should meet certain criteria, such as developing England players, the provision of practice facilities and a youth development system, all of which Somerset would feel comfortable with."

He went on: "That said Somerset policy over the last decade has been to use what income we have earned along with the E.C.B grant to develop the ground for the use of members and spectators, to putting an effective development system in place and to enticing good players to the club."

The chief pointed out that because the Club had followed that path they had never built up their cash reserves and had always been able to take risks safe in the knowledge that the level of fee payment from the E.C.B would underpin their finances. However this no longer appears to be the case.

Mr Anderson told me: "Suddenly they have changed the ground rules, and this will mean that we are being punished for our forward thinking. Behind all of this our real fear is that if we let that notion develop it is just a further way of reducing the power of the smaller clubs, which is all part of the `cull culture'".

The financial concerns being expressed by Mr Anderson is the reason why at the AGM on Monday evening members will be asked to agree to changes in the constitution to enable the appointment of a chairman and other senior officials with successful business backgrounds to help increase sponsorship for the club with a view of helping it to become self sufficient.

"This is the only way that we will be able to be certain of avoiding the `cull culture' and I shall be watching developments very carefully and strongly opposing any issues that could eventually threaten our existence," the Somerset chief concluded.

© SOMERSET