The Gloucestershire Exiles
The Gloucestershire Exiles is a part-social, part fundraising founded in 1971 and boasts a membership of several hundred Gloucestershire supporters from across the country and even around the world.
Originally conceived to bring together supporters from outside the county, the membership now includes many who live in Gloucestershire and Bristol who wish to enjoy the benefits offered by the Exiles.
We organise events both during the cricket season and winter months – you can read about them below. These include an Annual General Meeting at Lord’s, a day at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival for members and friends and also a 'Meet the Players' evening during one of our matches in London. Every other year we hold a Fundraising Dinner in the Lord’s Committee Dining Room.
We also produce our Exiles magazine, Outside-edge, which is the only print publication exclusively about Gloucestershire cricket. It is published twice a year and sent to all of our members. Outside-edge keeps our members in touch with the Club news through articles submitted by members and contributions from county players past and present, cricket writers and other cricket-lovers.
How can I get involved?
Membership of the Gloucestershire Exiles has an annual subscription cost of just £20 ( £25 for joint membership). To find out more and to receive a complimentary copy of Outside-edge, please contact our Membership Secretary, Matt Davies, at matt.davies@bbc.co.uk or on 07970 730267.
2024 Exiles Day at the Cheltenham Cricket Festival
Now firmly established as one of the highlights of the Cheltenham Festival, the spiritual home of the Exiles, this year’s Exiles Day will take place on Monday 1st July, the second day of the County Championship match against near neighbours Glamorgan. The event is held in a private marquee and is always a popular event. It enables Exiles and their friends to mix and mingle in one of the country’s most iconic cricket settings. Tickets are on sale now, available at £62.50 each and includes morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea as well as entry to the ground. Exiles are very welcome to bring guests and the ticket will include ground entry. There is also a pay bar. If you have not been able to join us before we hope that you can do so this year.
For more information about the Exiles Day and how to secure your tickets please contact Mark Brunt at: mbrunt@solventis.net
2023 Gloucestershire Exiles dinner at Lord's
The Exiles launched their social activities for the year in early February when they gathered in a packed Committee Dining Room at Lord’s for the return of what had been, pre-Covid, the Exiles Biennial Dinner, and what a good night it was.
Exiles Chair, Sarah Blowen, welcomed members and guests, who included Gloucestershire Cricket Chair David Jones, the County’s Performance Director Steve Snell, and the very promising Ben Wells from the playing staff. She thanked everyone for their continued support of the Exiles, especially in recent difficult times, and spoke of the organisation’s twin roles, both as a fundraiser, in this case for the Gloucestershire Cricket Trust, but also as a vehicle for the Gloucestershire cricket community, wherever they may be.
After pre-dinner drinks where David, Steve and Ben had been able to mix and talk with Exiles, the evening took its familiar course. Event organiser Jon Paine hosted an auction as well as running a raffle before dinner was served. After the meal David Jones addressed the room and covered a wide variety of topics including the future of international cricket, the Strauss Report, diversity in cricket, and The Hundred, after which Steve Snell spoke in more detail about Gloucestershire’s performances in 2022 and hopes for the season to come. All three guests then took part in a Q&A session, where among other topics, Ben spoke candidly about the impact of franchise cricket on a young player embarking on a career as a professional cricketer.
Previous dinners at Lord’s have ended with such things as a heavy snowfall and once even with a fire alarm. Fortunately this one closed with smiles all round. Thanks were extended particularly to Jon Paine for his organisation and to the Exiles Committee in general. As one Exile commented, “You offered us gold and you delivered platinum".
Outside-edge
To give you a wider picture of the history of the Exiles and its link with the County Club, below is a link to the 100th edition of Outside-edge which includes highlights and pictures through the years from the formation of the Exiles in 1971:
Click here for the 109th Edition of the Outside-edge.
Outside-edge editor Martin Jones welcomes all contributions and ideas for articles. We would be delighted to hear from you, especially with your 150 words. Please email him at jonitiramsen1986@gmail.com