Brentford supporter Simon Bazalgette is to join the EFL Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director. As the current Group Chief Executive of The Jockey Club and Chairman of Jockey Club Racecourses, Bazalgette brings a wealth of experience in the sport, gambling and commercial sectors to the EFL. Considered to be one of the most influential figures in UK sport, Bazalgette has been head of The Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British horse racing, for more than a decade.

Prior to that, he was the founding Chairman of Racecourse Media Group (RMG), which manages the media rights of more than half the racecourses in the UK. He remains a non-executive director of RMG, as well as the Racecourse Association; Great British Racing the sport’s marketing arm; and Britbet, which manages the pool betting service at 55 British racecourses.

Bazalgette, who is a lifelong Brentford fan, has considerable experience of working in multi-stakeholder environments, where the ability to build and maintain mutually-beneficial relationships is essential to long-term sustainability and prosperity, such as between the League and its Members. His sporting credentials were further enhanced when he became Senior Independent Non-Executive Director of the London 2017 IAAF World Championships, the most successful world athletics and para-athletics games ever staged.

EFL Interim Chair Debbie Jevans CBE said: “We are delighted to welcome Simon on to the EFL Board. Simon is well known and is widely respected across both business and sporting circles. He brings with him a wealth of commercial knowledge across a number of platforms that will be invaluable to the EFL over the coming years. “I am very much looking forward to working with him.”

Simon said: “I’m excited to join the EFL Board at such an important time. I’m looking forward to working closely with the other Board members, using the experience I have gained in complex sports and media business environments to contribute towards a really positive future for the EFL and EFL Clubs.”

The EFL Board comprises three Directors from the Sky Bet Championship - including Brentford FC Chairman Cliff Crown, two Directors from Sky Bet League One and one Director from Sky Bet League Two, each elected by the 24 Clubs in their respective divisions. The remaining members are Senior Independent Non-Executive Director, currently fulfilling the role of interim Chair, and the EFL Chief Executive Officer. Bazalgette’s appointment takes the current number of directors to nine.