Essex CEO John Stephenson Resigns Amid Financial Crisis

John Stephenson, the former chief executive of Essex County Cricket Club, has resigned after three years in the role. The move is part of a cost-cutting measure that reflects the deepening financial crisis among non-Test-hosting counties.

Stephenson, who played for Essex for 19 years, returned to the club as chief executive in 2021 after spending 17 years at MCC. During his time at Chelmsford, the club was embroiled in a series of racism scandals, including an alleged racist comment from the then-chairman, John Faragher, in 2017. The club was fined £50,000 by the Cricket Discipline Commission for the incident.

Last month, the club was again charged by the Cricket Regulator after a series of historical allegations of racist abuse were upheld by an independent report. Stephenson is understood to have impressed the ECB with his handling of the scandals, and Essex were rewarded with a successful bid to host one of eight initial Tier 1 women's teams from 2025 onwards.

However, the financial toll of the racism scandal, including the commissioning of the Newton Report and a review of the club's finances, has led to the conclusion that the club may not be able to afford a traditional CEO going forward. Stephenson has stepped down with immediate effect, but will remain on the board until the end of the season.

"This has been a difficult decision to make as Essex has been in my bloodstream since the day I walked through the doors at Chelmsford in 1984," Stephenson said. "I am proud of what I achieved here. I have loved my time as chief executive and particularly enjoyed working with our diverse and talented board and our close-knit team of professional and dedicated staff."

Essex have been one of the stand-out teams in the County Championship in recent years, with two First Division titles in 2017 and 2019, as well as the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020. This season, they are third in Division One, but suffered a costly defeat to leaders Surrey in their most recent match at the Kia Oval.

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