Top names recruited
to board of Yorkshire
County Cricket Club

The club announced yesterday that the Look North presenter and the chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire have been co-opted with immediate effect and will attend their first board meeting later this month.

It is hoped both men will be able to help to raise the profile and widen the appeal of the club.

Mr Verity was instrumental in bringing the Tour de France to Yorkshire in 2014 in his role as chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, the region’s tourism agency.

Gration, who became an MBE for services to broadcasting this year, has worked for the BBC for 35 years, presenting both news and sport, including seven Olympic Games.

He told the Yorkshire Post he hoped to be able visit schools to champion the club and the more traditional forms of cricket to younger generations.

He said: “I have been a passionate supporter of Yorkshire County Cricket Club all my life, so being given the chance to work on the board is an incredible honour.

“I think my main role will be to promote the club. One thing I would really like to do is to go into schools to make people more aware of the purest forms of cricket rather than just Twenty20.”

He said it was exciting to be joining the club at a time when it was in with a chance of winning the County Championships. It is also the club’s 150th anniversary year.

Gration added: “When I received the MBE this year I thought ‘well this is as good as it gets’ but now I have received this honour as well. I remember going to my first game, it was at Park Avenue in 1958. Yorkshire were playing Surrey and I think I am right in saying that Bryan Stott hit a hundred. He was always my hero. This was in the days before Geoffrey Boycott of course.”

Mr Verity said: “I am very honoured and immensely proud to have been co-opted onto the board at this historic club. I hope that together we can carry on the good work that’s already been done there and also bring something extra to the mix for the good of the club and county.”

Club chairman Colin Graves said: “The club has a matrix of desired skills and experiences which it uses to regularly assess the construction of its board and both Harry and Gary bring a wealth of marketing and profile raising abilities.

“Their knowledge and their standing across the county will enable us to raise the profile of the club and tap into new areas widening our appeal as an institution.”