Warwickshire County Cricket Club Chairman Norman Gascoigne has announced that he will stand down from his position following almost a decade in the role.
Following election to the Committee in 2004, Gascoigne spent time as Chairman of the Membership & Marketing Committee and as a member of the Masterplan Steering Group, being appointed as Vice Chairman in 2008. He was appointed Chairman in 2010, to replace Neil Houghton, and oversaw the club’s major £32 million redevelopment of the South Stand, which opened in 2011 for England’s famous Test match win over India.
It has been a great honour to be Chairman and I will step down with pride at what the Club has achieved in the last decade but also with an optimism for the future.
cite=”Norman Gascoigne
Having been in post for seven Test matches, 23 One-Day Internationals – including three ICC global events – and five International T20s, Gascoigne, with the huge support of his wife Carolyn, has played a key role in the development of Edgbaston’s reputation as one of the leading international venues in the world. He has also overseen the club’s major match applications during this period, including the most recent award of a further 31 days of High-Profile Matches between 2020 and 2024, and the right to host a team in the ECB’s new competition, The Hundred.
“Warwickshire CCC is in a far stronger position on and off the field thanks to Norman’s hard work and dedication over the last 10 years,” said Warwickshire CCC Chief Executive Neil Snowball.
“From a team perspective, the Bears men have won five major trophies and are one of only two counties to have been champions across all formats in the last 10 years. Additionally, the women’s team recently won their first piece of silverware whilst there has been a substantial increase in the investment into boys’ and girls’ pathways, resulting in a growing number of young players graduating from our Academy.
“Norman also leaves the club in a solid financial position, which is underpinned by the extensive programme of major match days that Edgbaston will host over the next five years, as well as the continued development of our conference, events and hospitality business, Edgbaston Experience Limited.”
Gascoigne, who will remain in his position until a successor has been identified, has been an advocate for progressive change of the club’s governance structure to meet strategic and operational demands.
In 2017/18, he instigated a review that led to the forming of a new Board of Directors, that while maintaining a strong member elected presence, allowed for a diverse and broad range of skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the scope of the Club’s activities. The need to retain a close engagement with members was recognised in the re-structuring with the creation of a Members Committee.
Recognising the importance of effective engagement with the communities within Birmingham and Warwickshire, Gascoigne was also instrumental in the formation of the Edgbaston Foundation, the Club’s official charity.
Gascoigne, having been appointed thereto in his own standing, will continue to serve on the board of the ECB’s new competition, The Hundred, which will be launched in 2020.
“The accelerating need for cricket to create strategies to deal with the challenges posed both from within and surrounding the game, has provided the backdrop for my years on the Warwickshire committee,” Gascoigne commented.
“It has been a great honour to be Chairman and I will step down with pride at what the Club has achieved in the last decade, but also with an optimism for the future. This has been made possible with the guidance of fellow Board directors, and the efforts of a highly committed team, past and present, of executives, management and staff, bonded by a pride in the Club and a passion for excellence. I thank each and every one of them for making my time as Chairman so satisfying.”
The search will now commence to find Gascoigne’s successor and this process will be overseen by Warwickshire CCC’s Nominations Committee, chaired for this purpose by Board Director, Mike Wright.
