Neil Davidson quits Leicestershire in bitter row with Matthew Hoggard

Neil Davidson has resigned as chairman of financially stricken Leicestershire with a scathing attack on Matthew Hoggard, the former England fast bowler who led a dressing-room revolt against him. Davidson accused Hoggard of "irresponsible behaviour [which] has led to the chaos that has engulfed the club" and confirmed that rising debts had forced him to loan Leicestershire £100,000 to pay the salaries of the players who were allegedly campaigning for his removal. His forecast that Leicestershire face losses of around £300,000 this financial year will encourage fears about the county's first-class survival after a tumultuous summer which has seen them lose their chief executive, David Smith, their head coach, Tim Boon, and now a chairman who has been the most robust defender of their worth to English cricket. Hoggard, Leicestershire's captain, and the coach at the time, Boon, who has since jumped ship to become coach of England Under-19s, both signed a letter in August demanding Davidson's removal, alleging that he had acted beyond his powers by interfering in team affairs. Their campaign has now been won but there is no mood of celebration. Davidson hit back tonight, saying: "In August club captain Matthew Hoggard and senior coach Tim Boon sent two letters to the Leicestershire board on behalf of "all the players", calling for my resignation or replacement as chairman of the club. "When challenged, Matthew Hoggard admitted privately that he could not substantiate any of the criticisms of me, which the letters contained. He said that he had put his name to the letter as "the players' representative". He also subsequently admitted that "all the players" amounted to just three senior members of the dressing room. "I have asked him on a number of occasions to withdraw his name from the letters and to put the record straight. This he has refused to do. I find his actions difficult to understand and I hope Matthew fully realises that his irresponsible behaviour has led to the chaos which has engulfed the club ever since. "On 20 September I informed the LCCC board that, if Hoggard did not withdraw his name within 14 days, my position as chairman would be untenable and I would resign. No withdrawal has been forthcoming and therefore I have today further informed the board that I cannot continue in these circumstances." The row was sparked by the Davidson-led ousting in June of Smith, who is taking legal action over his sacking. Davidson, a former chief executive of Express Dairies, was unapologetic, claiming that Leicestershire's disastrous one-day form had caused "a financial crisis" and insisting "you cannot divorce performances on the pitch from the economics of the business". Leicestershire have promised a further statement after a board meeting next week and a special general meeting scheduled for 17 November, at which a vote of no confidence in the board was anticipated, is now likely to be scrapped. A members' forum, which Davidson had intended to attend tomorrow, has been cancelled. If Leicestershire do not restore stability quickly, their future will be at risk. English county cricket is in a state of paralysis over the future of the domestic game with the larger Test match counties complaining of Twenty20 overkill and opponents, led by Essex and Somerset, refusing to countenance a reduction. No decision on county cricket's future is expected until November and, until it is made, sponsors are shying away. Davidson remains a vociferous advocate of Leicestershire's right to survive, "I am proud of my seven years' service as chairman and that Leicestershire is in the process of proving that even small counties can develop players for England with the right motivation and infrastructure," he said. But support for the county has been thin even in its home city. Leicestershire's Twenty20 crowds at Grace Road were not only tiny but eerily quiet, membership is below 2,000 and Leicestershire have markedly failed to tap into the cricket fanaticism of Leicester itself, the second largest Hindu population outside India. Davidson said: "Throughout this episode my sole concern has been the club's financial position and the looming crisis which I could see developing from early June with membership and other revenues well below the budget written by former chief executive, David Smith, and compounded by the poor home performances in the Friends Provident t20. "The full extent of the damage done to the club's finances became obvious in August with a projected loss for the year of over £300,000, which is £250,000 worse than Smith's budget forecast. Indeed, cash flow problems were so severe in August that I had to loan the club more than £100,000 to pay the players' wages, which is not something I have wanted to reveal but which has nevertheless found its way into the public domain. "It is not my style to walk away from difficult situations but trying to deal with a financial crisis whilst yielding management authority over the club's biggest single item of expenditure, the cricket team, is an impossible position." Leicestershire responded to Davidson's statement with a retort of their own, firmly lining up behind Hoggard. "Following Neil Davidson's resignation as chairman today, he has issued a personal statement to the press. The board of Leicestershire CCC wishes to distance itself from the statement he has made," the club's statement read. "The off-field problems of the club can be traced back to the resignation of the former chief executive at the end of June and it is unfair to place any blame on the captain and players, who ended the season with some exceptional performances. "Matthew Hoggard has had an excellent first season with the club, has taken 50 Championship wickets and has grown into the captaincy as the season progressed. Matthew is highly respected within the dressing room and he and all the players have the full support of the board. "Whilst the board recognises the positive contribution Neil Davidson has made during his seven years as chairman, it now wishes to put recent events in the past and get on with the job of addressing the day-to-day running of the club."