Robert Elstone Joins Truro City as Advisor

Robert Elstone, the former Everton chief executive and Super League executive chairman, has stepped back into football – this time at the sharp end of the pyramid with National League South side Truro City.

The 60-year-old has agreed an advisory role with the Cornish club, who are trying to regroup after relegation from the National League last season. His brief is clear: guide a small but ambitious outfit as it tries to punch above its weight again.

Elstone will work alongside Truro’s leadership, offering strategic advice as the club rebuilds on and off the pitch. For a side operating far from the glare of the Premier League, this is heavyweight experience.

He knows that world well. Elstone joined Everton as chief operating officer in 2005 and was promoted to chief executive in 2009, overseeing the club during a turbulent, transitional era in the top flight. In 2018 he crossed codes, taking over as executive chairman of Super League, England’s rugby league governing body, a role he held until 2021 before moving into advisory work with PwC.

Lower down the football ladder, his fingerprints are already on one success story. Elstone previously advised Stockport County during their stint in the National League, a period that ended with the club’s return to the English Football League. Truro will hope that experience translates.

After meeting Truro’s hierarchy, Elstone made it clear he had been won over by what he found.

“Having met the club's senior management, I could not help but be impressed with the clarity of vision and determination for both the club and football charity to succeed,” he told the club’s website.

He spoke of a career spent at the top level, but a fascination with what makes Truro different.

“I have been fortunate to have worked at the highest level in English football but find the uniqueness of this Cornish club compelling, and I see huge potential for success.

“Working at all levels of the club, I hope to help them in achieving their ambitions.”

For a team trying to climb back from the drop, it is an intriguing move: a seasoned operator from Goodison Park and Super League now embedded in a project on England’s far south-western edge. Truro have their direction. Now they must prove they can follow it.