Bristol City CEO Richard Gould is set to be named the new chief executive of the ECB, according to reports, in what will be a considerable blow to the Robins.
The Telegraph state that Gould’s appointment will be confirmed “in the coming days” after the 52-year-old was selected ahead of Durham’s Tim Bostock to one of the most influential roles in English, and by extension world, cricket.
After the final round of interviews on Wednesday, the ECB board held a meeting on Friday to decide on their preferred candidate. Bristol Live understands Gould will remain committed to City throughout the January transfer window although it's unclear what compensation the Robins will be eligible for.
Bristol Live also understands that Gould was head-hunted for the role, having previously been unsuccessful in 2014, and the move will reunite him with ECB chair Richard Thompson, who was chairman during his 10-year stay at Surrey, having previously worked as the chief executive of Somerset.
City will therefore shortly be searching for their third CEO in the last 18 months after Gould replaced Mark Ashton last June after he had left City to join League One side Ipswich Town.
Since returning to Ashton Gate, having served as commercial director from 2001 until 2005, Bristol-raised Gould has proved a stabilising, respected and much-admired figure behind the scenes.
He has operated within a time of considerable financial turmoil for the club, and the Championship at large, amid record losses of £38.4million, and successfully brought the club’s wage bill down significantly, while ensuring the team remain competitive in the Championship.
Gould has remained largely out of the limelight, quietly going about his work and has been a driving force behind a number of initiatives to form a greater understanding of the club’s history, including the marking of the 40th anniversary of the Ashton Gate Eight, the establishment of the Former Players Association and the tributes around the death of former manager Terry Cooper.
Gould, as he did last year, is scheduled to attend the City fans forum in Southville this Thursday night, alongside manager Nigel Pearson and striker Nahki Wells, and the developments are unlikely to change those plans.
Bristol City have been approached for comment.
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