Gloucestershire Cricket CEO Will Brown believes the county has "taken a positive step forward" with the decision to re-name its home stadium, according to Gary Baker of the STROUD NEWS & JOURNAL. The County Ground will now be called the Brightside Ground, Bristol, which "reflects new sponsorship" from a local insurance organization. Brown said that 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: "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." The county tested its new "state-of-the-art floodlighting for the first time on Monday evening, which is another huge step for them" (STROUD NEWS & JOURNAL, 4/4).
