Western Daily Press (Saturday)
NEW CHIEF EXEC AT BRISTOL CITY
FAMOUS DAD:
BRISTOL City have appointed Richard Gould as the club’s new chief executive officer, with the 51-year-old joining from Surrey County Cricket Club.
Gould, the son of ex-Bristol City player and Bristol Rovers manager Bobby Gould, replaces outgoing chief Mark Ashton, who ends his five-year term in charge of the Robins’ football operations on May 31.
Gould, who previously worked as commercial director at Ashton Gate from 2001-2005, will start work in his new role from mid-June. He said: “I am really excited to be returning to Bristol City and the area. I understand the scale of ambition and also the energy required to fulfil that.
“There is a lot of hard work ahead and I am looking forward to meeting the challenges we face alongside Steve (Lansdown), Jon (Lansdown), Nigel (Pearson) and the rest of the people at the club.”
The announcement of Gould as CEO coincides with the release of 11 first-team players from City’s squad by boss Pearson, who was given a three-year contract shortly before the conclusion of the 2020/21 season. It begins what is becoming a summer of sizeable change in BS3, with Pearson holding considerable control over the direction of the club as the Ashton-era comes to an end.
Gould, pictured, was consistently one of the front-runners for the job and his experience in the sports industry and knowledge of the club are notable attributes.
A former tank commander in the British Army, Gould was educated at
Bristol Grammar School and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Cranfield University and Harvard Business School. He was also chief executive at Somerset CCC prior to his switch to Surrey.
“Richard has the right qualities. He has a sport, military and business background, as well as a strong local connection. He is the right person to lead this club forward,” chairman Jon Lansdown said.
It remains unclear if Gould’s brief will be as wide-ranging as Ashton’s with his predecessor overseeing the recruitment operation along with his day-to-day running of the club.
The indication has been that boss Pearson wants a head of recruitment to work in tandem with.
Meanwhile, City have confirmed their retained list of players for 21/22 – with 11 of 13 out-of-contract senior players leaving the club.
Discussions over a new contract continue with just Andi Weimann and Danny Simpson, and it is understood that those talks may not be plain sailing, and that they might not ultimately stay.
The released players are: Rene Gilmartin, Adrian Mariappa, Liam Walsh, Marley Watkins, Famara Diedhiou, Jack Hunt, Henri Lansbury, Hakeeb Adelakun, Nathan Baker, Jamie Paterson and Tommy Rowe.
Pearson said in a statement: “I have spoken with each departing player and wish them all well in the next stage of their careers.
“We are entering into a significant transition period for the club and central to that is deciding which players can take this club forward.”
Attention will now turn towards recruitment with City down to a senior squad of around 25, but with several young players expected to go out on loan.
City players Over 24 and contracted to the club: D Bentley, R Cundy, T Kalas, C Martin, T Moore, A Nagy, C O’Dowda, M O’Leary, K Palmer, Z Vyner, N Wells, J Williams, J Wollacott. City players Under 24 and contracted to the club: K Allen, T Bakinson, S Bell, A Benarous, L Britton, W Buse, T Conway, J Dasilva, O Edwards, M Francois, P Henry, S Janneh, J Low, H-N Massengo, J Morton, G Nurse, J Owers, S Pearson, J Porton, C Pring, A Scott, A Semenyo, B Soady, J Taylor, R Towler, H Wiles-Richards, N Williams, C Wood.