Former chairman of the Championship Clubs Committee Geoff Irvine will step away from Bedford Blues at the end of the season after 20 years in charge at Goldington Road.
Part of the group that saved the club in 1999, Irvine leaves a long-standing legacy when stepping aside from the board of directors and will now assume the Honorary role of Club President.
The departing chairman was due to retire at the end of the 2019/20 campaign, but with the early termination of that season, and the consequent turmoil in the rugby world caused by the pandemic and RFU funding cuts, it was in the club's best interests for Irvine to remain on board for the following 12 months.
He had stepped down from the Championship Clubs Committee in 2019 after nine years of representing the second tier's interests within the rugby pyramid.
With the new season getting underway on March 6, Irvine has confirmed he will now be relinquishing the chair.
“I have spent over 20 years on the Board of Bedford Blues, taking the Chair following the tragic passing of my great friend David Ledsom. There have been some incredible highs during that time, such as the winning of the Powergen Shield at Twickenham in 2005, and the away win in the B&I Cup at Munster in 2018. Inevitably, there have been some lows too, but through it all, I have continually tried to keep Bedford Blues moving forward both on and off the field.
“I am proud of the fact that Bedford Blues are widely respected as one of the most consistently successful clubs in England's second-tier; we are a club that attracts quality players through our brand of rugby and our unique and close relationship with our supporters.
“Although, in many ways, it will be a sad day for me, I have always said that all businesses have an obligation to ensure the right succession is in place, and I am confident that my colleagues on the current board will ensure the continuing prosperity of the club. At the end of the day, the club is always bigger than any individual.
“I am pleased that the board has asked me to assume the honorary role of President, and I have accepted this position. I will leave the board and stand back from the day-to-day business of the club. Its welfare will always be close to my heart and Sara and I will continue to support the Blues.
“Perhaps this is the right time to pay tribute to my wife's dedication in all of this: Sara's support has been unwavering, and I could not have carried out either my role at Goldington Road, or at Twickenham, without it.”
After a bye last weekend, Blues travel to Castle Park to take on Doncaster Knights on Sunday aiming to improve on their mid-table standing of seventh in the Championship.
Irvine will be replaced by Bedford director David Gunner who labelled the work of his predecessor as ‘invaluable'.
“Under Geoff's stewardship, we have developed a Club model which is the envy of many in English rugby,” Gunner said. “His service to Bedford Blues has been in a word, invaluable.
“This is very clearly not a goodbye to Geoff, more of an au revoir. When we have a clearer idea of the shape of next season, we will be organising a proper evening in the Marquee to say thank you to Geoff and Sara in the traditional Blues fashion.”
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