Canada-based Golf Town named BILL GREGSON chair. Gregson has "led turnarounds at furniture retailer The Brick and restaurant specialist Cara Operations." Golf Town also named Canadian Tire FGL Sports division COO CHAD MCKINNON president (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/12). ... GAVIN GLEAVE was confirmed as a shareholder and non-exec director of Premiership side Gloucester Rugby with immediate effect. Gleave will work closely with the club's Chair MARTIN ST. QUINTON, CEO STEPHEN VAUGHAN and Rugby Dir DAVID HUMPHREYS, assisting with the implementation of the club's strategy. He will also focus on ways in which the reputation of Gloucester can be strengthened beyond matchdays (Gloucester Rugby). ... The head of Russia's Olympic Committee, ALEXANDER ZHUKOV, is stepping down, "in the biggest change at the top of Russian sport since a doping scandal led to the country's track-and-field athletes being excluded from the Rio Games." President VLADIMIR PUTIN said that Zhukov had told him "he wanted to leave the role so he could concentrate on his other job as first deputy speaker in the lower house of parliament" (REUTERS, 10/12).
COACHES/MANAGERS: China football Manager GAO HONGBO "resigned on Tuesday after a 2-0 defeat in Uzbekistan further damaged" the team's hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Gao said, "I spoke with the heads of the Chinese Football Association before the match and we agreed if we couldn't reach a positive result against Uzbekistan I would stand down from my post." Tuesday's defeat left China eight points away from the automatic qualification spots, and it trails "third-place South Korea by six points with six games remaining" (ESPN.com, 10/11). ... League Championship side Aston Villa Owner TONY XIA announced STEVE BRUCE has been "confirmed as the new manager." Bruce, 55, replaces sacked ROBERTO DI MATTEO and "his first game in charge will be Saturday's Midlands derby against Wolverhampton Wanderers." Bruce, who "quit as manager of Hull City in July, has also been at the helm of Villa’s arch-rivals Birmingham City among his previous jobs" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 10/12). ... J.League side Kawasaki Frontale Manager YAHIRO KAZAMA "is set to step down at the end of the season" when his five-year contract expires, a J.League first-division club source said. The 54-year-old, who assumed the role early in the '12 season from NAOKI SOMA, "was asked to stay by the club but replied he wanted to close his chapter at Frontale and has already informed the players of his decision" (KYODO, 10/12). ... STEVE MCCLAREN has returned to League Championship side Derby County as manager "only 17 months after he was sacked by the Championship club in acrimonious circumstances." The former England manager held talks with Derby on Wednesday "with a view to taking over" from NIGEL PEARSON and the two parties reached agreement on a contract that runs until the end of next season. Out of work "since being dismissed by Newcastle United in March," McClaren "fell out" with the Derby board at the end of the '14-15 season. McClaren, however, "has patched up any differences" with club Owner MEL MORRIS and "is ready to go back to the club for a fourth time" (London GUARDIAN, 10/12). ... League One side Alloa Athletic has “installed midfielder JIM GOODWIN” as its new manager. The 34-year-old Irishman replaces JACK ROOS “who last week was unveiled as the St. Mirren boss.” Goodwin has made “more than 400 league appearances in England and Scotland, including at Hamilton and St. Mirren” (BBC, 10/11). ... Algeria sacked national team coach MILOVAN RAJEVAC on Tuesday, “just over three months after he took charge.” Assistant coaches NABIL NEGHIZ and YAZID MANSOURI are “expected to replace the 62-year-old Rajevac on an interim basis until a successor is appointed" (AFP, 10/11).
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