Southampton Rangers Sports Club has been stripped of this year’s Western Counties hosting rights after a series of violent incidents raised safety concerns.
The Western Counties Cricket Association chose to relocate the tournament after member clubs voiced unanimous concern, following a recent firearms incident at the club and an earlier attack on a Paget Lions player during the football season. One affiliate, PHC, reportedly abstained from the vote.
The WCCA said the move was necessary to protect spectators, players, and officials. The new venue is yet to be determined, but White Hill Field is the only alternative under the association’s constitution.
The WCCA made known its decision in a letter distributed among the member clubs, which include Somerset Bridge Recreation Club, PHC, Warwick Workman’s Club and Rangers.
“We are profoundly saddened that these incidents have occurred,” said the letter. “This decision is a protective, temporary measure driven by our strict duty of care to the hundreds of spectators, players, and officials who attend our fixtures. The WCCA and its member clubs must strictly adhere to our core policy of Safety First, leaving us no choice but to request this relocation considering recent events.
“The reality of the past few months cannot be ignored. The recent events at Southampton Rangers — both the firearm incident this past Sunday and the multi-person altercation in February — are heavy on all our minds. This is a major community safety challenge that threatens the spaces our families rely on. The Western Counties Cricket Association would like to talk about how we can collectively protect the integrity of our community and the safety of our patrons.
“The gravity of these events has created widespread anxiety across our entire sporting community. Following these incidents, our Club Representative (Dexter Basden) proactively reached out to all member clubs to gauge the collective temperature. The feedback was unanimous: there is deep unrest among the membership.”
Ironically, Rangers had fought hard to host the competition after years of being passed over in favor of White Hill.
The decision could open the door for PHC to host, but only if member clubs agree to override current by-laws.
The dates for the Western Counties Cup have yet to be announced.
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