Geoffrey Boycott ‘disappointed’ with Yorkshire chairman’s snub

Former Yorkshire opener Geoffrey Boycott is “disappointed” chairman Steve Denison has asked members not to back his return to the board. Boycott, 75, is unhappy with the level of debt at the club, which is reported to be above £20m.

“I’m not trying to cause any problems, I’m not trying to create any trouble – I want to help the club,” he said. “If you carry on with the debt as it is, there won’t be a club in existence as it’s a recipe for bankruptcy.” Yorkshire announced a profit for 2015 – their first since 2009 – of £368,000 after tax. Former England batsman Boycott received 91.09% of the vote when he was voted club president in 2012, a role he held for two years.

“The debt’s gone from £5m in 2002 to £24m in 12 years, so the businessmen on the board haven’t done a very good job have they?” he added to BBC Look North. “I’m a bit disappointed really – the chairman wrote to me and said there are four vacancies on the board. They’re going to ask for Robin Smith to be re-elected, the chief executive (Mark Arthur) and Sir Gary Verity – fine, so there’s one vacancy. “If the members voted me on, I would have to persuade seven other people (on the board) – so what’s to be worried about in a democracy?”

Test Match Special summariser Boycott acts informally as an overseas ambassador for the club and his return to the board would need to be approved by members at their annual general meeting on 26 March. “I love Yorkshire cricket, it’s in my blood,” added Boycott. “I’m not going to turn away if the members don’t vote for me, but I hope they will. (BBC News, 2016)