Bristol City CEO Richard Gould has been linked with a shock return to cricket with the 52-year-old reportedly among the front-runners to become the new chief executive of the ECB.
The Cricketer reports that Gould is on a shortlist of candidates being considered for one of English cricket’s top jobs with Durham CEO Tim Bostock supposedly his main rival for the post.
Having served as commercial director at Ashton Gate in the early 2000s, Gould moved into cricket as CEO for Somerset from 2005-2011, followed by Surrey from 2011-2021, before moving back to his native Bristol last summer to replace Mark Ashton following his departure to Ipswich Town.
Gould, son of former City and Rovers striker Bobby, has previously applied for the ECB role when working for Surrey, finishing second in the interview process in 2014 behind Tom Harrison.
As City CEO, he has been a hugely stabilising and popular figure behind the scenes during a time of considerable financial turmoil as the Robins posted record losses last year of £38.4m. The former Bristol Grammar School pupil has, alongside manager Nigel Pearson, helped significantly reduce the club wage bill while City have remained competitive in the Championship.
Gould and Pearson have a strong relationship and unlike previous regimes, the former has not tried to interfere with on-field sporting matters, allowing the latter to manage the team as he sees fit. He also maintains constant levels of communication with both chairman Jon Lansdown and owner Steve Lansdown.
Bristol Live understands there is no indication Gould is unhappy in his role at City and a feeling he is, in reality, only just getting started in terms of his work in BS3. The nature and seniority of this role means, should he be in the running for the post, he would have been head-hunted, as opposed to actively applying for the job.
He has also been instrumental behind the scenes in helping City recognise their past with the establishment of the Former Players Association, led by former chairman Scott Davidson, and the tributes to Terry Cooper and the Ashton Gate 8.
He has also involved himself in the greater governance of the game as an outspoken critic of parachute payments while trying to work with the EFL over recognising the impact of Covid-19 on their Profit & Sustainability rules.
The Cricketer reports that ECB chair Richard Thompson, who had previously worked alongside Gould at Surrey, already has a preferred candidate in mind.
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