Regan steps down at Yorkshire

Pakistan celebrate an Australia wicket in last week's Test at Headingley Carnegie, which Stewart Regan helped negotiate

Yorkshire have announced that chief executive Stewart Regan has resigned from the club to take up a position with the Scottish Football Association.

Regan, a former businessman and director of the Football League Championship, will take up the role of SFA chief executive on October 5.

Regan has overseen a period of substantial change at Headingley Carnegie since his arrival in March 2006, including the construction of the £21million Carnegie Pavilion at the Kirkstall Lane End of the ground.

Most recently, Leeds hosted the second MCC Spirit of Cricket Test between Pakistan and Australia, the first neutral Test series held in England since 1912.

In a statement issued by the club today, Regan said: “It has been a great honour and privilege to be chief executive of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club.

“I will look back with pride at the progress we have made both on and off the field. In so many ways we have a great organisation with passionate supporters and I sincerely hope we can win some silverware this season to top it off.

“Whilst we have experienced a difficult few months from a cashflow perspective we have some fantastic financial backers, not least our own chairman Colin Graves. The club will survive and grow again.”

Other welcome developments in Regan’s tenure have been an increase in turnover and profitability, the implementation of new drainage and irrigation systems, a new replay screen and additional seating at the Kirkstall Lane End.

Regan leaves Yorkshire in a healthy position on the field, with Andrew Gale's men in sight of a first championship since 2001

Graves will take over a position as executive chairman for the next six months, until the Yorkshire board decide on Regan’s long-term replacement.

Graves added: “We will be sorry to see Stewart go but the position he has been offered is a huge opportunity for him and we all fully understand his decision to move on.

“He has contributed enormously to the development of the club over the past four years and has delivered everything that we have asked of him. We have made improvements in all areas of our business and have the foundations in place for a very bright future.

“Much has been said of the club’s cashflow problems following last week’s neutral Test match between Pakistan and Australia but that is a temporary blip.

“We will recover and with the support of our partners continue to build for the future. I have told my board colleagues that I intend to take the role of executive chairman for a period of at least six months after Stewart’s departure after which we will then decide on the most appropriate structure to manage the club going forward.”

Yorkshire are currently top of the LV= County Championship after their first 11 matches, and also head Group B of the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition.