Image Credit- Yorkshire CCC
With his approval to become a new non-executive
director of the club, Colin Graves is one step closer to taking up his position
as chair of Yorkshire.
The following Annual General Meeting of Yorkshire is
anticipated to approve Graves’ appointment. Nonetheless, he is scheduled to be
chosen as the next club head at the board meeting on Friday morning, following
Yorkshire’s receipt of the Financial Conduct Authority’s approval for pertinent
modifications to the club’s regulations.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, the acting chair, will
be succeeded by Graves. She will continue to serve as a non-executive director
on the board. Harry Chathli was the previous chair.
Having founded the Costcutter grocery business, Graves
first became involved in the organisation in 2002 when his bailout kept them
out of bankruptcy. He served as Yorkshire’s chair from 2012 to 2015.
The club still owes his family trust, which is
overseen by independent trustees, close to £15 million. Last week’s Emergency
General Meeting saw 88.3% of valid votes in favour of his refinancing plan. He
rejoins the board together with Phillip Hodson, Sanjeev Gandhi, and Sanjay
Patel, the other members of his consortium.
“It is an honour and privilege to be appointed
and be back at Yorkshire CCC,” Graves said. “I will work tirelessly
with the board to resolve the financial position in which the club currently
finds itself, and to restore financial stability and sustainability to
Yorkshire cricket for generations to come.
“Equally, it is my personal pledge to members and
to the entire Yorkshire public that, regardless of background, community or
ethnicity, all will be welcome in the fully inclusive culture and environment
of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. There will never be any exceptions.
“I have unreservedly apologised for any, and all
mistakes either I or the club has made over the painful and difficult years of
the recent past. Lessons have been learned and will continue to be acted on as
we move forward and focus on the future of our great club. Yorkshire CCC will
become a sporting institution of which everyone can be proud.”