20.1.09

membership in Marylebone


MCC has 18,000 full members and 4,000 associate members. Members have special rights to use the Pavilion and other stands at Lord's for all matches played at the ground.

In order to join the waiting list of candidates for membership one must get the vote (of which each full member has one a year) of three members, and the additional sponsorship of a person on the List of MCC Sponsors (which consists of members of all MCC Sub-Committees; MCC Committee; MCC Out Match Representatives; and the Current, Past, and Designate President). As the demand for membership always is greater than the number of places available each year (there being just over 400 places in 2005), there is a substantial waiting list for Full Ordinary Membership, namely 18 years (although this compares favourably to the 30-year wait which was the norm in the 1920s). There are, however, ways to lessen the time it takes to become a full member. One may become an Umpire Member, Playing Member, or Out-Match Member (although this carries none of the privileges of membership, apart from being able to play for the club).

Alternatively, one may be awarded Honorary Life Membership, yet this is a very rare honour to be bestowed on someone. Current Honorary Life Members include Sir Garfield Sobers, Sunil Gavaskar, Henry Olonga, Andy Flower, Hashan Tillakaratne, Dickie Bird, David Shepherd, Aravinda de Silva, Alec Stewart and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint.

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