GLOUCESTERSHIRE Cricket chief executive Will Brown believes the county have taken a positive step forward with the historic decision to re-name their home stadium.

The County Ground will now be called the Brightside Ground, Bristol, which reflects new sponsorship from a local insurance organisation.

Brown said the decision to re-brand the ground was taken for financial reasons above all, but was not something done lightly.

The deal with the Brightside Group also includes shirt sponsorship for the team’s T20 kit, extensive branding and signage throughout the newly-named Brightside Ground, Bristol and season-long hospitality and staff event opportunities.

Brown said: “It is an historic moment for the club. It is a good partnership for us as they are a good local company, and crucially, the finances that this brings helps us invest in the future.

“At the end of the day, we are trying to invest for the benefit of cricket in the county and they will play a major part in this.

“Three or four years ago, we set out a clear objective that this was an opportunity to improve the finances of the club that we had not taken advantage of in recent years. We have been working on it in the background for two-and-a-half years.

“These things don’t come without a certain amount of legwork. We have had to keep it pretty quiet on who the sponsors are likely to be.

“But speaking with the people who do know, it has been supportive. So long as people can see the benefit it brings to the club – which clearly there is one in this case – I think they will be happy with it.”

The county tested their new state-of-the-art floodlighting for the first time on Monday evening, which is another huge step for them.

And with the new Women’s Super League side, which is being jointly hosted with Somerset this summer, and international games scheduled for this summer and 2017, Brown said they will ‘take a breath’ for now.

“It is about moving forwards. It is a crazy season ahead and my biggest fear is that we will break at some point! The Women’s Super League cricket will be huge and we are really looking forward to having Western Storm here.

“It will be great when they come here and play Surrey at the beginning of August. We have the England women’s team coming for an IT20 against Pakistan on July 3, and then we have the men’s game against Sri Lanka on June 26.

“That’s huge and also we have now got more men’s and women’s international cricket at the Brightside Ground than any other cricket venue in England over the next four years so that is unbelievable.

“When you look at where we have come from – from being almost a part-time international facility to having more than anyone else in the next four years.

“The Women’s World Cup next year, we haven’t found out exactly who we are going to have playing here but the chances are we will have seven, eight or nine international matches and we will have England v West Indies next year.

“It is exciting. It is not without its’ strains but it is all good and provides money back for Gloucestershire.”

But, said Brown, the ambitions and targets are not simply for short-term gain. “It is definitely a long game we are playing. If you try and change things overnight for the season we are playing, you are not going to make any impact.

“For the ground and the members, it is about where do we want to be in three or four years’ time and how do we want people to view us? The longer game is much more sustainable.”

And the other crucial factor is to have a successful team on the pitch which Gloucestershire were in 2015, capturing the Royal London One-Day Cup in September.

Brown added: “Last year was amazing and many of us still have to pinch ourselves. Obviously, the players delivered on the pitch but to bring Richard Dawson (head coach) in plus Ian Harvey (assistant coach) and all the new staff was great.

“Richard only joined the club in January or February that year and, within six months, we had won a major trophy. There is definitely something there in that he has brought a new spirit and accountability to the playing staff.

“I think we can go a very long way this season – fingers crossed that it will happen.”