Ron Gourlay exit from West Brom ‘can’t be good’ amid ‘financial issues’ – Simon Stone
Ron Gourlay’s confirmed departure from West Brom has set alarm bells ringing and the move “feels like bad news” according to BBC Sport’s Simon Stone.
The club announced on Wednesday (31 May) that the CEO would be leaving on 14 June after submitting his resignation in March, with the move being kept confidential until now.
The former Chelsea and Reading chief only arrived at The Hawthorns on 2 February last year after the departure of Valerien Ismael, and Stone doesn’t like the sound of what is now happening.
Posting on Twitter Thursday morning (1 June) the BBC journalist wrote: “This feels like bad news re WBA. Ron Gourlay had opened a line of communication to fans at a time of huge uncertainty around various financial issues. It can’t be good he is leaving.”
Major concern
If the only figure at the top providing any sort of obvious direction and information is on the way out then it spells an uncertain time at best.
But it isn’t hard to join the dots between his resignation coming in March, and the fact the accounts for 2021/22 were released that month, showing the £5million loan to majority shareholder Guochuan Lai was written off after three missed repayment deadlines [The Athletic, 30 March].
It appeared obvious at the time that the financial situation was perilous going forward, not least if the team missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
To now find out that the CEO handed in his notice at or around that point feels like it puts some writing on the wall, and the message certainly isn’t welcome.
Carlos Corberan may have managed to lift the team from relegation candidates to falling just short of the play-offs, but in regular circumstances he would need investment in the playing staff to mount a challenge again next season.
Instead it seems that player sales on a large scale are going to be necessary amid a “material uncertainty” for the club’s future from the auditors of the March accounts [The Athletic, 31 March].
Gourlay may have gone for another reason but with the vacuum of information that his departure will leave it is difficult not to put two and two together.
He might not have been the answer to all the club’s many woes, but somebody was better than nobody, and the fact that he is going feels like it represents an ominous sign.
In other West Brom news, Gourlay was on the receiving end of scathing criticism over his record.