Robert Elstone Joins Truro City as Advisor

Robert Elstone, the former Everton chief executive and Super League executive chairman, has stepped back into football with an advisory role at National League South side Truro City.

For a club battling to recover from relegation, this is a heavyweight appointment.

Truro dropped out of the National League last season and are trying to piece together a route back. Elstone has been brought in to guide that journey, offering strategic advice and support to the club’s leadership as they attempt to turn frustration into momentum.

His CV carries serious clout. Elstone joined Everton in 2005 as chief operating officer and rose to chief executive in 2009, overseeing a period of relative stability and consistent Premier League finishes at Goodison Park. In 2018 he crossed codes, taking on the role of executive chairman at rugby league’s Super League, where he stayed until 2021 before moving into advisory work with PwC.

This is not his first brush with the game outside the top tiers. Elstone previously advised Stockport County during their spell in the National League, a stint that ended with the club climbing back into the English Football League. Truro will hope that experience translates into another promotion story.

Speaking to the club’s website, Elstone made it clear the project in Cornwall had grabbed his attention.

“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 said. “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 Truro, operating on the far edge of the football map and often fighting geography as much as opposition, the appointment signals intent. A club that has just absorbed the sting of relegation has turned to a figure who has navigated boardrooms in the Premier League and at the top of rugby league.

Now the question is simple: can that boardroom know-how help turn a remote, ambitious Cornish side into a rising force again?