Ian Ayre set to leave LFC at end of February Ian Ayre is set to leave Liverpool FC at the end of February following a successful 10-year tenure at the club. In March 2016, Ayre announced his plans to leave LFC and he has since played a pivotal role in completing a 10-month transition plan to put a robust structure and operating framework in place that will ensure continued stability across the club and pave the way for the new CEO, who is expected to join in the summer. During his 10 years at Liverpool, Ayre has transformed and modernised the club, leading a complete overhaul of Liverpool’s financial, commercial and operational structure. He was instrumental in masterminding the successful exit of the previous owners and brought much-needed stability right across the club following the Fenway Sports Group takeover in 2010. In the same year, Ayre secured the shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank - believed to be one of the most lucrative shirt sponsorship deals in football - and significantly increased commercial revenues for reinvestment into the team. More recently, he played a pivotal and crucial role in not only the redevelopment of the Main Stand but also the wider regeneration of the Anfield area. Ayre will leave LFC at the end of the month to join TSV 1860 Munich at a date to be confirmed. Earlier this season, changes were made to the football structure of the club, with Liverpool's owners moving to significantly extend the contract of manager Jürgen Klopp and promoting Michael Edwards to the role of sporting director. As part of this plan, Academy director Alex Inglethorpe also agreed to extend his contract, keeping him at the club for the long term. Also last year, and as part of this structured transition period, FSG promoted Billy Hogan and Andy Hughes to take on more of the off-pitch responsibilities. Hogan, previously chief commercial officer, now also assumes the title of managing director and has seen his portfolio increase to include management of the club's marketing and digital media departments. Hughes, previously chief financial officer and now chief operating officer, will lead all of the club’s operational matters as well as maintaining responsibility for finance operations. please log in to view this image Play Now Free video: Ian Ayre on leaving LFC Speaking on behalf of Fenway Sports Group principal owner John W Henry and chairman Tom Werner, FSG president Mike Gordon said: “Although this transition has been nearly a year in the making, today is still a difficult day - we are officially saying goodbye to Ian. “On behalf of John and Tom, I would like to place on record the outstanding contribution Ian has made to Liverpool Football Club over the past 10 years. It goes without saying that his leadership of LFC has been instrumental to the club’s progress under our ownership. It is a measure of his character and his commitment to LFC that we have been able to collectively plan and execute such a gradual, natural transition. On both a professional and personal level, he will be missed. “Over the past year, we made a number of changes to our management structure by promoting several of our top employees to more senior positions in recognition of their exceptional service to LFC. Though some of these changes are already public, today we are formally announcing the promotion of Billy Hogan to managing director and chief commercial officer, and Andy Hughes to chief operating officer. The promotions are a reflection of their first-rate performance as executives and carry additions to their respective roles and responsibilities. These changes have already ushered in improvements to the club’s operations and they will also serve to ensure management stability during the transition to new executive leadership. “The last step remaining is to conclude the process of identifying and hiring a successor to Ian. We are very pleased with the search progress and fully expect to have our new CEO in position by our original deadline of the summer of 2017. We are quite confident that LFC will have the right structure and the best people operating within that structure to fulfil the lofty ambitions of LFC and its supporters.” Chief executive officer, Ayre, added: “There is no greater professional satisfaction for me than to leave Liverpool Football Club in much improved health throughout than when I joined the club in 2007. “This has always been more than just a job for me because of the emotional connection I have with the place. So, the only yardstick that has ever mattered, for every decision I have taken here, is whether or not it is in the best interests of Liverpool Football Club. “My journey here over the last decade has been a rich mix of challenges and opportunities, a journey only made possible by the outstanding people I have had the honour to work with along the way both inside and outside the club. As the club transitions to its next chapter, I made clear some time back that I felt that 2017 was the right time to step aside. As the club’s new structure starts to unfold, this is a natural point for me to say goodbye to the role of chief executive and to many friends, but my love and support for this great football club will continue as it has my whole life.” Liverpool will announce the new chief executive officer in due course.
I'll reserve judgement until the next transfer window...who knows what direction we're going to head!
would love to see thier "offical" org structure. all FSG have done here is give incumbants new rolea and wages and signed them up here... and the same promise of a ceo they made when they ended up just giving ayre the job. Gordon as sporting director is a bad bad joke.
Still have a feeling that they're gearing up to sell. Balance sheet will look pretty healthy right now after a positive net spend plus a ton of TV money.....reducing headcount in players and staff and associated cost by promoting within and salary of Ayre all adds to the bottom line.....which ultimately is what the business will be valued on...to an extent anyway.
They are being consistent with their actions in first 6 months of their tenure. They really do "make do" the bottom line seems to have to have a positive balance sheet this financial year surely? we were "breaking even" by some dark magic of accountancy before we had a negative net spend last summer. we should have a higher cash on hand surely this next financial year... barring i suppose the vast pay off to rogers and his staff... We will see i suppose. Their stadium investment is directly owed back to them, they don't seem in the slightest bit willing to go another 70mil in the hole for any more stadium work.... maybe they are getting to the point where "this is right at the top lets sell" in the end barring a sugar daddy arab like city have (which btw is still wrong and silly but being let away with and yet they have not succeeded in building even the biggest team in Manchester let alone england, let along europe) what more can LFc do?
Dont think they are making do. They clearly said when they came in wasn't going to just throw endless money at club for transfers and to be fair, none of us really want that do we? They're business men that got the club cheap so only a fool would think they did t for the love, they're clearly at some point going to sell to make profit on their investment. But theyve stabalised the club, brought in one of best managers in Europe, finally done something with the stadium and although rather belatedly, listened to the fans on ticket prices. Theyve supported managers worh money. Net spend hasn't been high but that doesn't mean they haven't let managers spend. We've just actually started getting good money for players we didn't need. Previously under rafa and kenny we sold players we didn't need for 2-3m so made about £15m in outgoings then spent about £20m. Under them, we've managed to sell players like Carroll, benteke, Ibe, smith, Borini for very good money. Ha shade our net spend look low but we've still spent a hell of a lot, especially when we got £125m for Suarez and Sterling. Klopp isnt a chequebook manager, gone on record saying he wants to develop players rather than sign finished article. But when he wants someone that we need to spend on, club have backed him. Mane and Gini are the 2 big expenditures that he's been backed with. We've not missed out on anyone due to haggling over 2/3m like we have done in the past. Fsg have given him money when he's asked and I'm sure they'll continue to do so. They won't throw £400m down and say go buy 5 WC players, but they'll give him sufficient money to do what he wants with it. I find it baffling when people badmouth owners (not specifically you) because look at some of the other clubs like hull, Newcastle, Sunderland, Leeds, Blackburn and see what bad owners are really like.
Ive not said they have not stabilised the club in terms of commerical revenue and balancing the books. I am saying they make do when clearly there are better peopke out there. Ayre as ceo and having a big say in transfers prove it and putting edwards anywhere near a directorship really proves it.
You need look no further than our previous owners to see how bad things could be. Some fans will never be happy regardless of what happens, and some will always fear the worst, because they're made that way.
Life under Tom Hicks and George Gillet was hell on earth. They both did damage to Liverpool FC than anyone in memory.
Obviously, I'm wrong but I had it in my head that it was announced before the end of last season that he was leaving that summer.
