It follows  the election of Leandro Negre as the new president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and his subsequent resignation as president of the EHF.

 

The Executive Board unanimously agreed to appoint Gotheridge, a retired lawyer who had been serving as the EHF's vice-president, should replace him until the official election of a new president at the EHF's General Assembly to be held in Amsterdam on August 21, 2009.

 

Gotheridge was elected president of England Hockey at the 2005 annual meeting, a position that sees him sit on the board in a non-voting, observational role.

 

During his hockey career, Gotheridge's involvement in the sport has included a playing and umpiring as well as spells as being chairman of the competitions committee of the old hockey association, competitions secretary of the EHF, president of the Midlands region, chairman of England Hockey's Regional Consultative Committee, a member of the FIH competitions committee and secretary of the judicial commission of the FIH, in addition to his current roles.