The MCC are facing questions over their failure to repay furlough money, despite having £36.5million in the bank and charging up to £160 for Test tickets this summer.
The club’s accounts reveal they received £3.1m from the Government under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme during the 2020 season, when no major matches were staged at Lord’s, and £632,000 last season, when full houses returned later in the summer.
The MCC have repaid £402,000 of last summer’s aid, with £230,000 remaining outstanding in addition to the £3.1m from 2020.
The MCC are facing questions over their failure to repay furlough money (pictured: Lord’s)
The club were severely impacted by the pandemic, with two Tests and several other major events cancelled in 2020, but responded with a scheme to sell life membership to fans willing to pay up to £75,000 to jump the queue.
That raised £25.6m in 2020 alone. As a result the MCC’s finances remain in good health, with cash reserves of £36.5m, leading some members to question why the furlough money has not been repaid in full.
The pricing policy has also been criticised, with tickets for the first Test against New Zealand costing up to £160, leading Ben Stokes and Stuart Board to question the cost.
The MCC have pledged to review prices ahead of next summer and responded to having a small number of empty seats at the first Test by releasing tickets at just £20 for the final session of each day.
The club’s accounts reveal they received £3.1m from the Government during the 2020 season
