Summary
Gloucestershire Cricket will no longer compete in the T20 Blast under the county’s name, following a decision to rebrand to Bristol from 2027.
Details
The decision has been met with a furious response from some fans in the north of the county, with one describing it as a “betrayal” The club have played all formats of the county game since 1870 as Gloucestershire but are taking the strategic decision to change identity in a bid to “reach a new audience” to address falling ticket revenue and heralded it as “an exciting new chapter”, the BBC reported.
The club revealed the plan at a club strategy meeting for members in the pavilion at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium on Wednesday evening, followed by another meeting in Cheltenham last night to discuss the plans.
Neil Priscott, the club’s chief executive officer , and Jenny Hall, head of audience development , informed members of the club’s strategic direction and future plans, with members of the club board also in attendance.
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Priscott told members they plan to “invest in Gloucestershire’s future – strengthening our club identity as we pursue our top-eight ambition, while creating a distinct Bristol-based T20 team to reach a new audience”. While overall attendances are increasing, the Blast – which creates 20% of the club’s ticketing revenue – is declining.
A club statement said players, members, key stakeholders and the ECB had been consulted over several months in order to “shape an exciting new chapter in our evolution”. It added: “Building on more than 150 years of proud heritage, Gloucestershire Cricket will always remain our overarching identity and the foundation of everything we do.
“As part of our wider strategic vision to grow domestic cricket, attract new audiences across the region, and drive commercial reinvestment back into the sport, we will be creating a new dedicated T20 identity for our men’s and women’s teams.” Fixtures for the 2027 Blast will be released on 24 November with Gloucestershire’s new name, kit and logo expected to be released at the same time.
However, Stephen Fletcher, a lifelong Gloucestershire supporter who lives in Cheltenham, told Punchline: “It’s disgusting. I’ve followed Gloucestershire since my first Cheltenham Festival in 1977 with my grandad in the glory days of county cricket.
Report source: Punchline Gloucester
