"Evolved" Leadership Structure To Drive Long-Term Stability & Success

[FoxesTalker]

On 03/03/2026 at 13:45, ClaphamFox said:

I knew Kevin Davies growing up. He lived around the corner and was mates with my younger brother. Nice kid. As he grew up in my hood and I was friends with his older brother, I wish him all the very best and feel inclined to give him a chance to show what he can do. I appreciate others may feel differently. 

This part of what he said was good to read: “Having been born and raised in the city, I know what it means to the people in our communities and the passion that exists among our supporters.”

[AjcW]

I don't particularly have a problem with Davies being CEO. The previous finance director was significantly more responsible than him for our current situation, he somehow found himself at Newcastle as a result as well! 

 

FD to CEO is the most common trajectory in business, so again, no real issues there. 

I think the optics of it being the cheapest and easiest option are clear for all to see though, and it would have been nice to have fresh eyes at the very top. 

[Pita]

40 minutes ago, FoxesTalker said:

This part of what he said was good to read: “Having been born and raised in the city, I know what it means to the people in our communities and the passion that exists among our supporters.”

Actions speak louder than words let’s see what mess/ division we are in next year. 

[Stadt]

24 minutes ago, AjcW said:

I don't particularly have a problem with Davies being CEO. The previous finance director was significantly more responsible than him for our current situation, he somehow found himself at Newcastle as a result as well! 

 

FD to CEO is the most common trajectory in business, so again, no real issues there. 

I think the optics of it being the cheapest and easiest option are clear for all to see though, and it would have been nice to have fresh eyes at the very top. 

Capper was probably issuing the same warnings Davies was, it’s just Rudkin paid no attention. “We need to sell in January to get through PSR regs”

> buys Souttar and Kristiansen for £30m+

As you’ll know CEOs get promoted after time served stints as FDs, COOs, MDs or whatever, not from a mid management position to the most senior in a matter of months.

 

It looks like Top/Rudkin were struck by somebody just actually doing their job well they’ve given him the keys to the most senior business role at the club.

[TonyN11]

I'm soooo happy 

[oxtonfox]

Clearly the summer internal review of 2023 didn’t achieve anything; if it happened at all. What has been just announced should have been done back then as a minimum, 3 seasons ago. 

To do this series of announcements says they’ve been in a self induced coma for 36 months with the club about to be relegated for the third time in 4 seasons. And to cap it all the key architects of failure have been reincarnated into higher levels of responsibility.

 

This is Hollyweird material. 

[murphy]

6 hours ago, Les-TA-Jon said:

He's still "Football Operations Director"

So we have a football operations director, a sporting director and a chief footballing officer? 

 

The club is a farce. 

[AjcW]

1 hour ago, Stadt said:

Capper was probably issuing the same warnings Davies was, it’s just Rudkin paid no attention. “We need to sell in January to get through PSR regs”

> buys Souttar and Kristiansen for £30m+

As you’ll know CEOs get promoted after time served stints as FDs, COOs, MDs or whatever, not from a mid management position to the most senior in a matter of months.

 

It looks like Top/Rudkin were struck by somebody just actually doing their job well they’ve given him the keys to the most senior business role at the club.

Capper seemed to be very in with the 'kick it down the road' approach. It was him who changed the accounting period just before he left, which meant we got away with the case Di Marco got us out of. 

 

Great at the time but only prolonged the issue.

[AjcW]

Something that didn't make the release....

 

Tony has a new title of Communications and Marketing Director. Marketing being the addition.

So despite the fact we've just hired a Commercial Director who is a seasoned Marketing Pro.... we've given Tony responsibility of our already shocking marketing department... Tony being someone who has zero professional or educational experience as a marketer. 

 

****... Me... 

[Danizen]

1 hour ago, oxtonfox said:

Clearly the summer internal review of 2023 didn’t achieve anything; if it happened at all. What has been just announced should have been done back then as a minimum, 3 seasons ago. 

To do this series of announcements says they’ve been in a self induced coma for 36 months with the club about to be relegated for the third time in 4 seasons. And to cap it all the key architects of failure have been reincarnated into higher levels of responsibility.

 

This is Hollyweird material. 

They came to the only logical conclusion. Jon Rudkin needs more power and influence 

 

[HankMarvin]

 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Where did the post in the Anthony Herihly thread about his promotion go?

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

On 03/03/2026 at 13:45, ClaphamFox said:

I knew Kevin Davies growing up. He lived around the corner and was mates with my younger brother. Nice kid. As he grew up in my hood and I was friends with his older brother, I wish him all the very best and feel inclined to give him a chance to show what he can do. I appreciate others may feel differently. 

Let’s see. I can sort of see the logic of promoting the finance guy, but he’s been in post 15 years and has been partly to blame for it all unravelling, though he has begun to tidy up his own mess. But is it a case of being hesitant to bring in new faces because they might be more critical? I’ve said before it feels full of KP career yes men. Stale, no new ideas or direction.

 

[AjcW]

4 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Where did the post in the Anthony Herihly thread about his promotion go?

Was it annoyingly polite like mine or did you say what I wanted to say?  

[Sol thewall Bamba]

3 minutes ago, AjcW said:

Was it annoyingly polite like mine or did you say what I wanted to say?  

It wasn't my post tbf, but weird that it has now presumably been deleted!

[AjcW]

1 minute ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

It wasn't my post tbf, but weird that it has now presumably been deleted!

He’s obviously working late  

[FoxesTalker]

7 hours ago, Pita said:

Actions speak louder than words let’s see what mess/ division we are in next year. 

Yep, absolutely. Just thought the quote was worth posting.

[Claudio Fannieri]

8 hours ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

Let’s see. I can sort of see the logic of promoting the finance guy, but he’s been in post 15 years and has been partly to blame for it all unravelling, though he has begun to tidy up his own mess. But is it a case of being hesitant to bring in new faces because they might be more critical? I’ve said before it feels full of KP career yes men. Stale, no new ideas or direction.

 

Have to agree here surely if you have been part of the finance team at the club for the past 15 years which has also included a decent length of time in charge of it, then you must carry some level of accountability for what has been allowed to happen.
 

Yes credit maybe due for the work that has been done to clear up the mess and perhaps the promotion is recognition for that and reward for helping Rudkin and Aiyawatt clear up a collective mess.
 

All it says to me is jobs for the boys and very much keeps any new fresh ideas or outside challenge out the building. 
 

It’s the KPFC self preservation society. We will see little difference in how we operate. Even the new commercial director has a strong record in growing Asian markets and partnerships so expect to see more obscure partnerships such as FBS, BC Game, K Bet and 8Win 

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

1 hour ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

Have to agree here surely if you have been part of the finance team at the club for the past 15 years which has also included a decent length of time in charge of it, then you must carry some level of accountability for what has been allowed to happen.
 

Yes credit maybe due for the work that has been done to clear up the mess and perhaps the promotion is recognition for that and reward for helping Rudkin and Aiyawatt clear up a collective mess.
 

All it says to me is jobs for the boys and very much keeps any new fresh ideas or outside challenge out the building. 
 

It’s the KPFC self preservation society. We will see little difference in how we operate. Even the new commercial director has a strong record in growing Asian markets and partnerships so expect to see more obscure partnerships such as FBS, BC Game, K Bet and 8Win 

Shit organisations with shit leaders always appoint shit people because they don’t know how to appoint good capable people and by appointing shit people the shit people in the organisation won’t be threatened

[Claudio Fannieri]

1 minute ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

Shit organisations with shit leaders always appoint shit people because they don’t know how to appoint good capable people and by appointing shit people the shit people in the organisation won’t be threatened

Plus keeping the appointments in house potentially keeps a lid on just how bad things are. Let’s be honest a new CEO may drive a bus through certain decisions, ways of working and question things like the sponsorship deals, the draw down facilities with Macquarie bank against future earnings, the wages and contracts to players, the level of outstanding liabilities and debt etc. 

 

Much better off for all involved to maintain the status quo and keep everything under wraps. 

[Iwebema]

1 minute ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

Plus keeping the appointments in house potentially keeps a lid on just how bad things are. Let’s be honest a new CEO may drive a bus through certain decisions, ways of working and question things like the sponsorship deals, the draw down facilities with Macquarie bank against future earnings, the wages and contracts to players, the level of outstanding liabilities and debt etc. 

 

Much better off for all involved to maintain the status quo and keep everything under wraps. 

Its exactly this, bad leadership and arguably corrupt given the sponsorship deals, do not let outsiders in unless forced to do so, every decision is made with the sole objective of having full control and no challenge. 

 

Just look at the DoF, took them so long to sort it despite all the pressure so they just promoted Rudkin to create a shield and take away some of the DoF power, he will ultimately report into Rudkin who will protect Top from difficult conversations when the DoF is finding it impossible to do his job.

 

The whole thing, even by their pitiful standards of the last few years is quite shocking, they are taking the piss out of us and hoping idiots will see it as progressive change when infact its exactly as you say, self preservation, they had to do something there was too much pressure, yes men get promoted and any new people get shielded from the ownership until we can be sure they wont rock the boat.

[ClaphamFox]

1 hour ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

Have to agree here surely if you have been part of the finance team at the club for the past 15 years which has also included a decent length of time in charge of it, then you must carry some level of accountability for what has been allowed to happen.
 

Yes credit maybe due for the work that has been done to clear up the mess and perhaps the promotion is recognition for that and reward for helping Rudkin and Aiyawatt clear up a collective mess.
 

All it says to me is jobs for the boys and very much keeps any new fresh ideas or outside challenge out the building. 
 

It’s the KPFC self preservation society. We will see little difference in how we operate. Even the new commercial director has a strong record in growing Asian markets and partnerships so expect to see more obscure partnerships such as FBS, BC Game, K Bet and 8Win 

Not necessarily. The argument that ‘he worked in the finance department during the mess so he must be responsible for it’ is basically guilt-by-association dressed up as analysis. It’s an easy assumption to make from the outside, but that doesn’t make it accurate.

 

If an organisation has been drifting toward an iceberg for years, someone inside it warning about the danger isn’t responsible for the situation simply because they were on the ship. And if that same person is later promoted and helps steer the organisation back to safer waters, they probably deserve credit for the recovery rather than blame for the previous mess.

 

The club could easily have appointed someone from outside just to avoid the optics of promoting internally. But optics aren’t competence. If the club were in a healthier place, promoting someone with Davies’ local roots and strong work behind the scenes would probably be welcomed. Instead, the reaction seems driven largely by the fact he comes from within the KP group. That may be understandable emotionally, but it isn’t necessarily fair to him.

[Stadt]

5 hours ago, ClaphamFox said:

Not necessarily. The argument that ‘he worked in the finance department during the mess so he must be responsible for it’ is basically guilt-by-association dressed up as analysis. It’s an easy assumption to make from the outside, but that doesn’t make it accurate.

 

If an organisation has been drifting toward an iceberg for years, someone inside it warning about the danger isn’t responsible for the situation simply because they were on the ship. And if that same person is later promoted and helps steer the organisation back to safer waters, they probably deserve credit for the recovery rather than blame for the previous mess.

 

The club could easily have appointed someone from outside just to avoid the optics of promoting internally. But optics aren’t competence. If the club were in a healthier place, promoting someone with Davies’ local roots and strong work behind the scenes would probably be welcomed. Instead, the reaction seems driven largely by the fact he comes from within the KP group. That may be understandable emotionally, but it isn’t necessarily fair to him.

He just isn’t a CEO, he’s barely even been FD for two years.

 

Given the total lack of experience elsewhere in the organisation overpromoting an FD when we’re going through the biggest sea change in the club’s history is incredibly short sighted. It’s nothing personal against him but we need a fresh pair of ruthless and experienced eyes to come in and enact massive change.

Edited 5 March by Stadt

[CL Fox]

The internal review involved Rudkin blaming the commercial side of the club for not raisinh enough money, and Whelan was sidelined ever since that.

[Free Falling Foxes]

2 hours ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

Shit organisations with shit leaders always appoint shit people because they don’t know how to appoint good capable people and by appointing shit people the shit people in the organisation won’t be threatened

Cheered me up over my porridge this morning.

Straight out the Harvard Business School manual that is.