Worcestershire County Cricket Club has underlined its commitment to improving the visitor experience at its New Road ground by investing more than £500,000 in upgrades and improvements following a winter in which the ground flooded six times.
The Club has managed the flooding through a coordinated clean-up and recovery programme and implemented a raft of improvements which will enhance the matchday experience for members and spectators. These upgrades come ahead of the new season, with home games starting this Friday 24th April.
To address the challenges posed by flooding, the Club has continued to adopt a modular approach across the ground, allowing key facilities to be dismantled, protected and reinstated quickly when needed, something not required at other first class cricket grounds.
As part of the response and investment, the club partnered with specialist contractor SymClean to carry out a full clean-up operation following the series of floods. This included cleaning and restoring seating areas and thorough jet washing of all hard surfaces.
Building on this work, the Club has used its six-figure investment in New Road to further improve the experience for visitors, with investment targeted at areas highlighted by members, spectators and visitors in an experience survey. This includes an upgraded digital scoreboard designed to withstand all weather and flooding, alongside state-of-the-art live streaming cameras, fixes to the roof on The BEARD Terrace, air conditioning in The Graeme Hick Pavilion members’ area, a makeover of hospitality boxes and meeting rooms, and general improvements to the net area.
On the matchday side, an eye-catching portable airstream trailer called Cow Coffee Corner has been added, and a new electronic ordering system, which will reduce wait times, implemented across all food and drink outlets in the grounds.
Elsewhere, the famous old scoreboard has been repurposed into a club shop, with windows, doors and fixtures designed to be removed at the end of the season, helping to protect the iconic feature which has stood on the ground for over 70 years.
Alongside this latest significant investment at New Road, the Club is also progressing with Project Elgar, which is exploring the feasibility of an additional venue to build long-term sustainability and ensure continuity for the club and its supporters in times of flooding. The intention is for the New Road ground to continue to play a central role, with the additional venue being an important sister site, ensuring the club can maintain year-round activity and events.
Ashley Giles, Chief Executive Officer at Worcestershire County Cricket Club, said: “Six floods in one winter meant much of New Road was under water for significant periods, and while we can’t control the weather, we can control how we respond. That’s why we’ve continued to invest heavily, both in making the ground more resilient and in improving what we offer to our supporters, members and partners.
“From upgraded technology and new facilities through to areas that can be dismantled and brought back quickly when needed, we’re better equipped to deal with the challenges we face. At the same time, those investments are about improving the experience for our fans and visitors, whether that’s better facilities, smoother matchdays, or just making the ground a more enjoyable place to spend time.
“New Road means a huge amount to this Club, its members, our supporters and the city. It’s part of our identity, and that’s why we’re continuing to invest here to protect it, strengthen it and make sure it remains a special place for our supporters and the wider community.”
