The Jockey Club Director Joins FA
The FA has announced the appointment of Andrew Crean, group finance director of The Jockey Club, as its group chief financial officer from the end of April 2013. His new role at The FA Group will incorporate the governing body of football in England, Wembley Stadium, the England International Teams and the new St George’s Park complex.
Andrew Crean joined The Jockey Club in September 2010, after 10 years with Compass Group plc, where he was finance & commercial director of its £300m turnover Sport Leisure & Hospitality Division.
Simon Bazalgette, group chief executive of The Jockey Club, British horseracing’s largest commercial group which runs the likes of Cheltenham, Aintree, Epsom Downs and Newmarket racecourses, said: ‘Andrew has done a great job for us since we recruited him in 2010 from our catering joint venture partner, Compass. We’ll be sorry to see him go later in the year and he will do so with our thanks and very best wishes. The FA headhunting Andrew for this executive position is testament to his ability and, we’re told, down to word being out within the sports industry about the good things going on at The Jockey Club.’
Andrew Crean added: ‘I’m really looking forward to the challenge of joining The FA at an important time for the organisation and in its 150th anniversary year. It’s a fantastic role and an opportunity I’m grateful for. But I’m very sad I’ll be leaving a great team of people working for The Jockey Club.’
‘The journey The Jockey Club is on commercially is something I’ve really enjoyed being part of. It’s also important to racing and something the sport can be proud of because despite the economic climate, today The Jockey Club is putting more back into British racing than ever before.’
