Levy axes Spurs commerce chief
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's ruthless approach to football business has been demonstrated by the sacking of the club's commercial director Charlie Wijeratna.
Former London 2012 executive Wijeratna, who helped bring in an extraordinary ?ú700million worth of sponsorship for LOCOG, was only employed by Tottenham in November 2010.
But Wijeratna, who was recommended to Levy by Spurs director and LOCOG vice-chairman Sir Keith Mills, was dismissed after Tottenham's home draw against Wolves last month.
He paid the price for failing to bring in any relevant sponsorship, although he was granted little more than a year at White Hart Lane.
Wijeratna had made a commercial update presentation to the Spurs directors the day before the Wolves match.
But it so failed to impress them that he was called to a meeting 24 hours later with Levy and Mills and told he had lost the confidence of the board.
It will be an expensive parting for Spurs with Wijeratna understood to be on an annual salary of around ?ú350,000 on a three-year contract.
He said he was 'proud' of his work at Spurs in overhauling the brand and expanding in Asia.
But there have been no headline deals brought in by Wijeratna, with Investec's shirt sponsorship for cup matches expiring at the end of the season and the ultra-demanding Levy somehow looking for an unrealistic ?ú20m-a-year new stadium naming rights partner.
The club have appointed headhunters F1 Recruitment to find a head of sponsorship and a commercial director.
Former Spurs marketing boss Paul Barber, who is leaving his job as chief executive of Vancouver Whitecaps to return to the UK, will be an obvious candidate.
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