The Villans, who were also linked with Paul Robinson prior to his move to Blackburn, have also seen keepers Scott Carson and Thomas Sorensen leave the club this summer for West Brom and Stoke City respectively.
Prior to dinner, Paul Morris, the founding director of the show, gave guests a preview of the art that will be on display and a presented a brief history of its modest beginnings at the former Gramercy Hotel to its move to the 69th Street Regiment Armory and finally to its current home at Piers 92 and 94.
He was jeered by some at the Hampshire ground when he suggested that changes would not be made for the sake of it at the top of the order, despite the continued struggles of Ravi Bopara, Matt Prior, Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood.