Yorkshire have today appointed Arnie Sidebottom (45) as Club Coach in succession to Doug Padgett who retired at the end of last season. His responsibilities will primarily involve working with the second eleven but he will have a specific role along with Steve Oldham in nurturing the abundance of quick bowlers at the Club including his own son Ryan who is a regular member of the Yorkshire first eleven.

Arnie has been Academy coach since 1988 combining his duties as Cricket Development Officer for Leeds City Council during the winter months. His 19 years experience as a cricketer with 449 First Class and One Day appearances for Yorkshire plus One Test Match for England as well as 7 years and 100 appearances in League football with Manchester United, Huddersfield and Halifax have made him the ideal candidate to prepare the plethora of young talent at Yorkshire for first team duty.

Director of Coaching, Martyn Moxon, said from New Zealand where he is coach to the England A team, that he was particularly pleased to have Arnie responsible for the Second Eleven and would also welcome his input with the First Eleven particularly as many of the younger players had been under his charge at the Academy.

Yorkshire also confirmed their faith in the existing coaching staff by the re-appointment of their Development Officers as coaches to the various county age group representative teams led by Cricket Development Manager, Steve Oldham, who will also assume new responsibilities relating to the Cricket School operation now managed by Mike Bore.

Ian Dews (YCB CDO North) is to relinquish his ties with York CC in order to captain the Academy side in the Yorkshire League.

Bob Platt, Chairman of Yorkshire's Cricket Committee, expressed his sincere thanks to everyone associated with the Academy and Development Squads and paid tribute to their unstinting efforts which had ensured such an exciting flow of talent through to the First Eleven which now boasted four representatives in the full England squad.