Tottenham Hotspur confirmed last Tuesday that former Swansea chairman Trevor Birch will take over as director of football operations.
Spurs revealed that there had been a restructuring at the top of the club, with Birch being part of a three-person football board, including the director of football administration and governance, Rebecca Caplehorn and technical performance director, Steve Hitchen.
The Athletic have now come out with a detailed report shining a light on the 62-year-old’s past and what he will bring to Tottenham.
A former player himself who came through Liverpool’s academy, Birch has forged a successful career in the game as a representative, having served as the CEO at Everton, Leeds United, Derby County, and Sheffield United.
As an insolvency specialist, he has also worked with clubs with financial problems such as Portsmouth and Bolton.
The report claims that Birch’s is likely to be handed what is effectively a managing director role at Spurs, which would allow Daniel Levy to take a step down from the day to day running of the club.
Birch’s ability to bring people together and mend broken relationships between the fans and the board are listed as his main strengths, with members from the Pompey Supporters Trust (PST) and the Swansea Supporters Trust both speaking highly of him in the report.
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It is said that the former Swansea man’s financial expertise and intimate knowledge of how football works from top to bottom appealed to Levy.
The report also claims that Birch is extremely well-connected and trusted in the game, and both his connections and his business acumen will come in handy for the Lilywhites in the transfer market.
Birch is also reportedly an impressive negotiator, with Spurs expecting him to be a huge help when it comes to making deals, renegotiating contracts, and ensuring the club keep hold of their most coveted assets.
Spurs Web Opinion
The one thing that the Amazon documentary made clear for all to see, is how heavily Levy is involved in the day to day running of the club and how he likes to micro-manage everything. While I certainly do not belong to the anti-Levy brigade, I view his decision to restructure and relinquish some responsibility as a step in the right direction. I still expect Levy to spearhead negotiations for transfer deals and contracts but after reading the Athletic article, I am hopeful that Birch could be a positive influence on the Spurs chairman.
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