Nigel Pearson says it has been "a pleasure" working with Richard Gould over the last 18 months as the CEO has now departed Bristol City to take up the post of chief executive of the ECB.
Gould returned to City in the summer of 2021, having previously served as commercial officer, and has presided over a period of significant change in the wake of the pandemic and the financial impact on the club.
The 53-year-old formed a close working bond with Pearson, which has been crucial in ensuring the necessary decisions have been made over recruitment, contract negotiations and the overall culture at the club, most notably at the Robins High Performance Centre.
In the background, Gould has also been instrumental in rebuilding bridges between supporters groups and the club - evidenced by the Supporters Club & Trust awarding him a honourary life membership - while he's helped set up the Former Players Association and was an influential figure in planning the tributes to the Ashton Gate Eight and Terry Cooper.
Gould’s final day proved a memorable one, as City signed Anis Mehmeti and Harry Cornick on the transfer deadline, with former Crystal Palace CEO Phil Alexander having immediately taken over and tasked with building on the previous good work.
“I’ve absolutely loved working with Richard,” Pearson said. “We were always on the same page but we’ve not always had the same perspective on things, but that’s what I also like about working with somebody like him. There is an integrity and honesty about him and he’s never shirked making really tough decisions and I really like that.
“He has my utmost admiration and I’ve really enjoyed working with him through what has been a tough time for all of us. Leadership is really important. In my or his sort of position, it’s critical football clubs have that and those people are visible to.
“What we have tried to do together is make decisions that are in the best interests of the club and always support each other in the football club, and privately too. When there are difficult decisions to make sure we’re on the same page in the public domain and that’s what is always really important for us.
“It’s been a pleasure. And he’ll be back watching the games, I’m sure.”
One of Gould’s final acts was to negotiate the termination of Chris Martin and Timm Klose’s contracts, six months ahead of schedule, as having been informed they were free to leave the club, neither player was able to find a destination over the course of the window.
Pearson therefore didn’t want to burden his squad, or more importantly the wage bill, with their salaries for the remainder of 2022/23, while their status as free agents also theoretically makes it easier for them to find a new club.
It has removed two of the more experienced professionals, and bigger personalities, from the dressing room, while club captain Dan Bentley - a mainstay of the squad for three-and-a-half years and a major presence in the squad - departed for Wolves earlier in the window. But Pearson is confident that it won’t have an impact on the team's leadership or overall chemistry of his group.
“New leaders will emerge. Just because players are experienced doesn’t mean they’re good leaders,” added Pearson. “Age doesn’t equate to leadership. Leadership is a skill, it’s something that is also very difficult to describe. There are leaders ouit there who people follow but they might not want to be a leader.
“We’ve got a really good chemistry within the dressing room. And if anybody was going to ask me about the captaincy, it’s the same as last week - I’ll let the players drive it. The new players coming in are going into a good environment, I think.”
SIGN UP: For our daily Robins newsletter, bringing you the latest from Ashton Gate
READ NEXT
