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Fabio Paratici - Consultant

Are we even in the market for one?! I agree it would be a good idea, but there don’t seem to be any rumours coming out of the club we’re looking to recruit a DoF.
 
The Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Trevor Birch as Director of Football Operations. Trevor has extensive industry experience and has held several prominent roles within football, including having previously been Chairman of Swansea City FC and CEO of Chelsea, Sheffield United, Derby County, Everton and Leeds United. Trevor will focus on the development of the Club’s Football Operations.

As part of a wider external remit Rebecca Caplehorn will take on the role of Director of Football Administration and Governance. This newly created role will lead, drive and embed football governance processes, contractual matters and best practice across the Club. It will also allow time for Rebecca to extend her work with the European Club Association, the FA and various related footballing governing bodies and working groups where she represents the Club.

Steve Hitchen has been promoted to Technical Performance Director. This new role will focus on building capabilities to support a world class football infrastructure across senior and youth teams. As Technical Performance Director, Steve will have responsibility for scouting, performance and recruitment analysis and youth recruitment.

These management changes will lead to the creation of a Football Board consisting of Trevor Birch, Rebecca Caplehorn and Steve Hitchen, chaired by Daniel Levy.

 
Was hoping for something far sexier then that to be honest.

At this point i feel we are just going to wheel pleat out of his coffin and go shopping in the lower leagues.

I do think the is some talent down there but thats not the point.
 
It could be very good news if he is there to help facilitate a sale
An owner with actual investment potential would be great
Of course there are plenty of clown shoe owners too to avoid
 
More seriously, Steve Hitchen being promoted just doesn't sit right with me. We don't really know what he does, but he's no doubt had a big part in us signing wasters like Tubby Ndombele without apparently knowing about his abysmal work rate and fitness issues. And his reward for that is...getting promoted?
 
Cheaper than firing his arse.
Move him to a more suitable/less dangerous area?

Possible. Get an actual chief scout in who knows his arse from his elbow, maybe.

It could be very good news if he is there to help facilitate a sale
An owner with actual investment potential would be great
Of course there are plenty of clown shoe owners too to avoid

Absolutely. Especially now that FFP is dead and buried - sky is limitless.
 
More seriously, Steve Hitchen being promoted just doesn't sit right with me. We don't really know what he does, but he's no doubt had a big part in us signing wasters like Tubby Ndombele without apparently knowing about his abysmal work rate and fitness issues. And his reward for that is...getting promoted?

He's meant to be highly rated but like you say, we don't know what he does.
 
Blimey, sounds like all Trevor Birch does is to sell clubs, pocket some dosh and disappear. I don't like the sound of this at all.


In 2002, he left Ernst & Young to become Chief Executive of Chelsea, where he led the £180 million sale to Roman Abramovich in 2003.[4] After the sale, Birch chose not to stay at the club and in October that year was appointed Chief Executive of Leeds United, overseeing the takeover by a local consortium. He then moved to Everton in June 2004 to become Chief Executive. Birch was given the task of overhauling the Merseyside club's finances, but resigned after a disagreement over strategy with the board and major shareholders.[5]

Since then Birch has been a partner at Deloitte and Chief Operating Officer of Sportfive, the largest football rights agency in Europe,[citation needed] as well as holding other Chief Executive roles at Derby County and Sheffield United.[6]

He returned to the accountancy profession in 2011 and undertook the role of Administrator at financially troubled Portsmouth. Under his stewardship the club was sold to the Pompey Supporters' Trust, with Birch performing a similar feat as Administrator at Heart of Midlothian in 2013.[citation needed] He subsequently undertook an advisory role to the Board at Bolton Wanderers in late 2015 which finished in March 2016 on the sale of the club.[citation needed]

He joined the global valuation and corporate finance advisors Duff & Phelps as a Managing Director in January 2017, having previously led the professional sports group at global advisory firm BDO International.[6]

In March 2017 Portsmouth confirmed that they had retained the services of Mr. Birch during a period of negotiations with Mike Eisner and his investment vehicle Tornante regarding a takeover of the club.[7]

He became chairman of Swansea City on 18 March 2019.[8]






Trev, Becky, Steve and Dan. Not very cosmopolitan is it?




Hitchen was born in Salford, England. A defender, he played for Blackburn Rovers and Macclesfield Town in the Football League and Bangor City.

After his playing career ended, he worked as a football talent scout . He started at Tottenham Hotspur in the mid-2000s as a part-time European scout, and played a part in the signings of Luka Modrić and Benoit Assou-Ekotto. He moved to Liverpool in 2010 to join Damien Comolli who was once his superior as the director of football at Tottenham. He helped signed Luis Suárez to Liverpool in 2011.[1] He then became head of European scouting for Queens Park Rangers, and in 2016 joint director of recruitment at Derby County. He was appointed the chief scout for Tottenham Hotspur in February 2017 as a replacement for Paul Mitchell.[2]




Rebecca Caplehorn graduated from Loughborough University with a Joint Honours Degree in Physical Education, Sport Science and Mathematics. She subsequently qualified as a Chartered Accountant via the NHS Graduate Management Scheme and has worked in senior finance roles within both tennis and football. Rebecca joined the Club in March 2015, after spending over five years at Queens Park Rangers FC.
 
Scenes from the @parklane1 household if Levy actually sells up -


(Only joking, mate!);):D

Well IF he does get us sold what will you do with all you Levy Voodoo dolls that you have built up over the years.

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OIP.RY5W5biGRnIhu2wXNT7U1wHaLJ



Only joking mate :D:p
 
This looks to me like Levy bringing in someone experienced in running football clubs and setting up a team to support them, so that he can concentrate on what he is best at.
 
There's way too many finance people having input into football decision in the club.
Levy (amazon spoiler) knows even less bout football than I feared.

Well run clubs (City, Liverpool, Bayern) don't have their CEO making football recruitment decisions.

And from someone who is as pro ENIC as it gets.
 
There's way too many finance people having input into football decision in the club.
Levy (amazon spoiler) knows even less bout football than I feared.

Well run clubs (City, Liverpool, Bayern) don't have their CEO making football recruitment decisions.

And from someone who is as pro ENIC as it gets.

Agreed, I'm hoping get someone onto that new board who is experienced in transfers and scouting beyond Hitchen, someone like Campos would be ideal.
 
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