The 'under new management' signs were out at Headingley today after the setting up of a new Yorkshire team comprised of four people who are now responsible for running the debt-ridden club and charged with putting it back on its feet within the next six to 12 months.

One of the 'gang of four' is Colin Graves, chairman and managing director of the York-based Costcutter Supermarkets Group and chairman of Dunnington CC, where he was a player for 26 years.

Yorkshire president Robin Smith heads the group, which also consists of new club chairman Geoff Cope, the former Yorkshire and England off-spinner, and Middlesbrough-born chartered accountant Brian Bouttell, a former senior partner with KPMG.

Cope and Graves are full time appointments with Graves effectively taking over the chief executive's role from Chris Hassell, who is due to retire in November.

Graves, who was at Headingley this morning, said his role with Costcutter would be unaffected.

He said: "I have four very good directors back in York and they are very happy with the situation and have no problems with it. I am still at the end of a telephone."

Cope took over as club chairman from Keith Moss, who left the general committee meeting at Headingley yesterday after he had been stripped of his office and the new management group unanimously approved.

Smith said the general committee had invested all management authority in the group, whose first priority would be directed at implementing a turnover plan for the £6million or so which the club owed.

But he issued a stark warning that if they were to succeed, Yorkshire members at the extraordinary general meeting on August 29 would have to approve the rule change to increase the club's borrowing ceiling from £5m to £10m.

"If the members were to vote down the resolution then there is simply no recovery plan and we would be bankrupt," said Smith.

"I am confident, however, that they will understand the issues. There is no reason why the members should want to see the club go down if the bankers want it to stay and I am sure that more than two-thirds of them will get the message."

Updated: 11:59 Tuesday, August 13, 2002