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| Lee Hoos to become chief exec at QPR |
Hoos is moving on to pastures new and will join QPR in a similar role this summer; his decision having been made for family reasons with them being based in the south east of the country.
He's has been with the club since December 2011, starting on the day that the club held its annual staff Christmas party. He came in to replace Paul Fletcher who had tendered his resignation some weeks earlier.
His role was to be very much different to that carried out by Fletch who had worked alongside Barry Kilby and more so Brendan Flood. Hoos was the man in charge on running the club, with our two co-chairmen both London based.
Within ten months of taking over he headed the search for a new manager when Eddie Howe left for Bournemouth. He was one of the team that singled out Sean Dyche as the most likely candidate, and this from a chief executive who had twice appointed Nigel Pearson.
It's sometimes difficult to judge the work of a chief exec and he was certainly nothing like any of the three previous occupants; he didn't resemble Heinrich Himmler, he hadn't worked at Lancashire County Cricket club, nor could he head a ball, score overhead kicks or run across the road screaming at street traders.
But our club has progressed during his tenure and are in a much stronger position financially than they were at the time of his arrival and that is certainly a positive entry on his CV.
There have though been negatives. He'll always have retainergate hanging over him alongside the shockingly high match day charges during this last season, and my biggest argument with him was over the shocking changes made to the club shop, changes brought about by his appointments.
We've had a number of heated debates on that one, but overall I've found him fine to deal with in a lot of meetings I've attended during his time at Turf Moor although he wasn't able to keep to his promises of sorting out some of the issues Clarets Mad has with certain departments within the club.
His replacement is a very different kind of character altogether, of that there is no doubt. My first meeting with Baldwin was by chance in the club shop ahead of the England under-21 game but I've been involved in several meetings with him since and am currently involved in a working group alongside him of which there will be news very soon.
I'd like to wish Lee the very best in his new role at QPR. If he can sort their finances out then he's a better man than any of us probably thought possible.
I'd also like to congratulate David on his new role at Turf Moor. I think this is a really positive step by the club although I wish he'd stop hinting at adding amber to the claret on the club's playing kit.
I know he's from t'other side in Yorkshire, but I can confirm he was spotted sporting a red rose in his lapel last Saturday. We are part way to converting him. Now for that talk about the amber.