On September 4th 1967, 16 representatives from each county (Worcestershire were on an overseas tour) met with Jimmy Hill and Cliff Lloyd of the Professional Footballers’ Association to discuss the proposed association.
Deciding to call it the Cricketers’ Association (it would become the Professional Cricketers’ Association in 1996), Northamptonshire’s Roger Prideaux was elected Chairman before resigning in 1968 and was replaced by Warwickshire’s Jack Bannister. John Arlott served as President from its formation, through to 1991.
Harold Goldblatt, a London-based accountant working for the Association, lobbied for a minimum wage to the Test and County board, with £4,000 a year for each player being agreed in 1975.
Goldblatt and Lawrie Doffman (Association legal advisor) also drew up the first standard cricket contract, challenged county registration regulations and negotiated a £400 player fee with the introduction of the John Player League in 1969, which ran on their traditional Sunday day off.
Image: Cricket and broadcasting legend John Arlott served as president for 24 years