Off The Record: Why Adelaide’s cricket chief is offering fans the chance to own a piece of Lord’s

THIS week in Off The Record; How you can own your own piece of Lord’s cricket ground, the Libs plans to recapture the seat of Mayo take an interesting twist, our State Library director checks himself out and faked potato anyone?

Lord's Cricket Ground in London. Photo Shaun Botterill/Getty.

THIS week in Off The Record; How you can own your own piece of Lord’s cricket ground, the Libs plans to recapture the seat of Mayo take an interesting twist, our State Library director checks himself out and faked potato anyone?

Howzat? Lord’s up for sale

EVER wanted to own a piece of Lord’s, the home of cricket?

Adelaide Oval chief executive Keith Bradshaw has been in London this week launching an innovative investment scheme, that by one estimate could raise up to $1 billion and leave investors with a stake in the venerable old ground.

Before running the Adelaide Oval, Bradshaw was in charge of the prestigious Marlyebone Cricket Club, which owns Lord’s. Or at least most of it.

The key to it all is a property developer called Charles Rifkind.

In 1999, Rifkind outbid the MCC to buy some abandoned railway tunnels that run underneath the Nursery End at the cricket ground – a decision the Daily Mail newspaper called “the biggest blunder in the club’s 235-year history’’.

Turns out Lord’s used to have its own railway station.

It was closed in 1939, but the tunnels are still in place.

Over the years, Rifkind has made various proposals to the MCC to develop that end of the ground. All have been rebuffed.

Rifkind also owns the ground above the tunnels but the MCC has 119 years left on a lease granting it the 46cm of soil above the tunnels, including the hallowed turf.

Lord's Cricket Ground on July 19, 2015 in London. Photo Ryan Pierse/Getty Images.

In London on Wednesday, Bradshaw launched the New Commonwealth Consortium, an investment vehicle which will buy the property from Rifkind.

Also on board with the investment scheme are former England players David Gower and Allan Lamb, as well as former West Indies captains Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards.

The shares are worth around $920 each and New Commonwealth is hoping up to 1 million people will buy into the scheme, which will be heavily marketed in cricket-mad countries such as Australia and India.

Adelaide Oval Chief Keith Bradshaw. Picture Dean Martin.

For their money, investors will receive a token made by the Royal Mint.

The token will be listed on the London Block Exchange – a platform for trading cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

“It’s a chance for people to own a piece of Lord’s,’’ Bradshaw told Off the Record.

He also said the land had been valued at as much as $550 million by the MCC.

“It’s absolutely prime real estate in central London.’’ A similar scheme will also be used to give investors a chance to buy property in the upmarket Mayfair area.

The future value of the investment is likely to depend on whether the MCC and New Commonwealth eventually agree to redevelop the Nursery End at Lord’s

“This could be an investment for my children or my children’s children,’’ Bradshaw said.

If the offer is enthusiastically received, it is expected it will put more pressure on the MCC to move. Potential investors can go to newcommonwealth.com to register an interest with a full prospectus expected next month.

OFF THE RECORD: THE SA POLITICS PODCAST

Stirling effort for Mayo — Downer heads back to Hills

THE Liberals’ battle to recapture their former blue ribbon seat of Mayo has taken an interesting twist, with Georgina Downer appearing at the Stirling Anzac Day dawn service.

Flanked by colleagues from both Liberal factions, Melbourne-based Downer’s showing at a prominent community event effectively confirmed her continued interest in vying for the seat once held by her father, Alexander Downer.

Georgina was joined by Senator David Fawcett (Liberal Right but on the picture’s left), newly minted Heysen MP Josh Teague (Moderate on picture’s right) and Stirling RSL’s Ian Holland.

She had been said to have scuttled plans to relocate to her childhood hometown to contest Mayo, in favour of staying in Melbourne and again vying for a seat there.

Senator David Fawcett, Stirling RSL's Ian Holland, Georgina Downer and Heysen MP Josh Teague.

She clearly has not been dissuaded by an electoral redistribution this month, which produced draft boundaries with some minor changes.

But the Downer dynasty’s continuation might be complicated by Liberal plans to lure Mayo incumbent Rebekha Sharkie back into the fold.

The former Liberal staffer this month ruled out joining the party before the next election but some still hold out hope she might be convinced.

The looming High Court decision against Labor’s Katy Gallagher is an important factor, because the Nick Xenophon Team’s Sharkie faces similar dual citizenship issues.

This creates the potential for a by-election, ahead of a federal election expected within the year. We might yet see Downer v Sharkie for Mayo.

Library big boss checks himself out

STATE Library director Alan Smith has left the job after deciding not to return from three months of long-service leave.

A former curator of museums and historic homes, Smith has headed up the State Library since 2004, having previously been the director of the SA Maritime Museum and Carrick Hill.

Smith went on leave in mid-January and was due to return on April 16.

State Library director Alan Smith has decided not to return to his position after three months of long-service leave.

However, he apparently enjoyed himself so much has chosen to extend the leave until his entitlement expires. Officially, he will leave the Library’s top job in early June and retire. For now, associate director of public library services Geoff Strempel is the acting director.

In 2016, Smith spearheaded a Library restructure that focused on digitisation, research and community engagement.

At the time, he said the Library had to find efficiencies of up to $800,000 per year.

Smith is understood to have stressed his departure is unrelated to public sector changes by the Liberal government.

Ridgy chips in for China mission

THE prize for the first minister in the new state Liberal government to head overseas is — a giant potato.

Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ridgway has been in China this week, helping Adelaide Convention Bureau spruik for business.

Off the Record was provided with a picture of one of the delegation’s events (below), in which Ridgway is posing behind an item that looks remarkably like a fake potato.

Liberal Tourism Minister David Ridgway in China.

While we can’t tell you what it is, we understand Ridgway was co-opted to support a bid for a business event that would bring many heavy hitters to Adelaide.

“The mission was about supporting the Convention Bureau, strengthening trade partnerships in China and beginning the process of establishing a Shanghai trade office, as per our first 100 days document,” a government spokesman said.

Ridgway might be busy — other offices are planned for Japan, Malaysia, Dubai and the United States.