Cricket: Yorkshire move attacked

Yorkshire are facing the threat of a special general meeting over their decision to move from Headingley to a green-field site near Wakefield.

The Tory MP Keith Hampson made the call as he attacked the club's president, Sir Lawrence Byford, at a meeting of more than 350 concerned Yorkshire members at Headingley.

"Sir Lawrence is living in a dream world. It is not a democracy but an autocracy," said Hampson, who represents Leeds North West. "I hope Yorkshire members will call for a special general meeting to force the committee to reconsider."

The pressure group "Headingley Is Home", which is close to obtaining the 400 signatures they need to demand an SGM, are to approach the Yorkshire chief executive, Chris Hassell, in an attempt to get the committee to reconsider their decision.

Yorkshire are tenants of the Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Company, which was taken over last month by a consortium headed by a property developer, Paul Caddick. "Our aim is to encourage cricket and we are holding weekly meetings with Leeds City Council to overcome various off-site problems such as car parking," he said.

The new media centre at Lord's received planning permission from Westminster Council yesterday. The centre, situated at the Nursery End, will cost pounds 2.6m and should be completed in time for the 1998 season.