IT is a very Yorkshire coup. The cricket club has been taken over by president Robin Smith, one of a gang of four which has usurped the committee system that ran things for years.

Mr Smith talks of a brave new era - yet his vision relies on the backing of two-thirds of the members, some of whom may have cast their vote already without fully realising the consequences of saying no. A typical Yorkshire muddle.

We hope that Mr Smith gets the majority he needs. Without it, the remarkable history of this great club could come to an abrupt end.

Yorkshire's descent seems sudden, from long-overdue championship celebrations last season to bottom of the league and the brink of bankruptcy this.

But committee rule, which has led to so many personality clashes during the years, planted the seeds for the present crisis long ago.

Although the team had not been champions for 33 years before last season, advocates of the Yorkshire way said the committee system worked. But it was exposed when the decision was taken to redevelop Headingley.

Suddenly, well-meaning amateurs were overseeing multi-million pound stand-building projects. Financial control was so lax that West Yorkshire police were brought in to investigate missing stock and money from the club shop.

As so many sports teams have already discovered, all the fan loyalty and goodwill in the world is not enough to keep them solvent. We live in a professional era, and clubs need professional management.

The expertise of people such as Colin Graves, Dunnington-based boss of the Costcutter chain, is vital if Yorkshire are to survive and then prosper. Members should take heart: he is a cricket nut, too.

Sadly, departing chairman Keith Moss feels he is a scapegoat, but members respect his tireless efforts on the club's behalf.

Yorkshire still have many problems, not least the fact that they are denied income from perimeter advertising and ground catering. But the club finally looks set to grasp the nettle, before it chokes the white rose.

Updated: 10:30 Tuesday, August 13, 2002