Gloucestershire have named Alan Haines as their new chairman following John Higson's decision to stand down from the post at Tuesday's annual meeting.

Haines acted as vice-chairman to Higson during his six years in charge and is delighted to have been appointed to the top position. "It's a great honour and I never thought it would come my way," he said.

Haines is well known to Gloucestershire members, having been on the committee for a long time. He has also been chairman of the club's Gloucester area supporters and is managing director of a company in the Forest of Dean which supplies wooden barrels and plastic containers for garden centers.

Haines will have Ray Parsons as his vice-cahirman, while Higson and Arthur Anderson have been elected as vice-presidents by the club.

There were several questions at the AGM about Gloucestershire's financial performance during the year ending September 30, 2001.

The club made a pre-tax loss of £127,000, although treasurer Jim Harris pointed out that this was a £48,000 deficit before depreciation.

Harris said there was no need for "doom and gloom" but acknowledged that the "whole game was in a fairly precarious position" and that "it was going to be very tough to make a profit this year."

However, Harris said that every effort was being made to ensure that any pruning of the budget did not impinge on the playing side. For instance, the club will again be touring South Africa in pre-season.

He also said that Gloucestershire do not have a loan with the bank, unlike many other counties.

Chief executive Tom Richardson outlined eight aims that the club hope to achieve over the next five years.

"We need to be clear where we are going," he said. "Talk is cheap, but in five years we would like to be the most successful club in England, to have won the County Championship, to have an accredited and extended academy, to own the County Ground, to have hosted more England internationals, to have established Gloucestershire as a centre of excellence, to have provided value for money for members and other customers and to be profitable."

The club also announced at the meeting the launch of a new money-raising initative, the Gold Bond draw. Outgoing chairman Higson urged supporters to back the scheme, and said: "It's very easy to criticise the financial situation, but it is also easy to support it."

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