Marylebone Cricket Club

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Lord's 2005

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), founded in 1787, is a private members' club and was the original governing body of cricket in England and across the world. Most of the club's global functions were passed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1993, and its English governance was passed to the England and Wales Cricket Board at the same time. However the MCC remains the framer and copyright holder of the Laws of Cricket, although this role is increasingly under pressure as the ICC seeks to exercise control over all aspects of the world game. In recent times the ICC has instituted changes to the Laws (e.g in One Day Internationals) with a minimum of consultation with the MCC. Also, in moving its location from Lord's to Dubai, the ICC has made a clear statement of independence from the past and from the MCC.

MCC member in distinctive red and yellow colours

The MCC is based at Lord's Cricket Ground near St John's Wood in London, which it owns. Members have special rights to use the Pavilion and other stands at Lord's for all matches played at the ground. The original site for the MCC was in Dorset Square in Marylebone. A plaque noting this fact is visible for visitors to the East side of the Square.

The Club has 18,000 full members and 4,000 associate members. In order to join the waiting list of candidates for membership one must get the vote (of which each full member has one a year) of three members, and the additional sponsorship of a person on the List of MCC Sponsors (which consists of members of all MCC Sub-Committees; the MCC Committee; MCC Out Match Representatives; and the Current, Past, and Designate President). As the demand for membership always is greater than the number of places available each year (there being just over 400 places in 2005) there is a substantial waiting list for Full Ordinary Membership, namely 18 years (although this compares favourably to the 30-year wait which was the norm in the 1920s). There are, however, ways to lessen the time it takes to become a full member. One may become an Umpire Member, Playing Member, or Out-Match Member (although this carries none of the privileges of membership, apart from being able to play for the club). Alternatively one may be awarded Honorary Life-Membership, yet this is a very rare honour to be bestowed on someone, current Honorary Life Members include: Sir Garfield Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Botham, Henry Olonga, Andy Flower, Dickie Bird, David Shepherd, Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart, and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint MBE.

The MCC organised the early England cricket teams, and outside of Test matches the touring England team officially played as "MCC" up to and including the 1976/77 tour of Australia. MCC teams continue to play regularly, occasionally still at first-class level.

It now runs a training programme for young cricketers. The club also has a real tennis, and also a squash court and active Golf and Bridge societies.

The club was involved in a minor controversy over its members' persistent refusal to allow female membership well into the 1990s, with club ballots on the change, although supported by the officers of the club, unable to attract the two-thirds majority amongst the membership required for implementation. Eventually, the British Government intervened threatening to cut lottery funding from the club on the grounds it was being sexist [1]. A 70% majority of members eventually voted to allow female membership in September 1998, so ending 212 years of male exclusivity. Up until this time Her Majesty the Queen, as the club's patron, was the only woman (other than domestic staff) permitted to enter the Pavilion during play. [2] Later five women were invited to join as playing members. [3]

Further controversy occurred in 2005 when the club was criticised (including by some of its own members) [4] for siding with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over the latter's decision to award television rights for Test cricket to British Sky Broadcasting. The Chief Executive of the MCC Roger Knight represents MCC on the board of the ECB and was party to this controversial and much criticised decision.

Another controversy was the MCC's decision to allow members and other spectators to continue to bring limited amounts of alcoholic drinks into the ground at all matches. This decision challenged the ICC, which was attempting to implement a ban on this practice at all international matches around the world.

The M.C.C. has traditionally produced The M.C.C. Coaching manual, a bible for traditional cricket skills.