Trevor Birch quits as Spurs’ director of football operations after 15 months to become EFL chief

Tottenham Hotspur’s director of football operations has been revealed as the next chief executive of the English Football League, less than three months after he arrived in north London.

Trevor Birch will take over at the EFL on January 1, after the current chief, David Baldwin steps down.

The appointment of Birch, who has held prominent roles within football including chief executive of Chelsea, Everton, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Derby County, as well as chairman of Swansea City, was announced by the EFL on Thursday.

Trevor Birch is leaving Tottenham Hotspur to take over as chief executive of the EFL

Birch has experienced the national game at every level. He is a former footballer who began his career at Liverpool, before spells with Shrewsbury, Chester, Marine, Runcorn and Northwich Victoria.

The 62-year-old is a chartered accountant who worked for Ernst & Young before he became Chelsea’s chief executive in 2002 and was involved in the 2003 takeover by Roman Abramovich.

He is credited with playing a pivotal role in the development of the Blues into a modern super-club. 

As well as chief executive roles at Leeds and Everton, he has held high-ranking positions at Derby and Sheffield United.

Birch has been involved at every level of the national game from player to chairman

In addition, he has played administrator roles at Portsmouth and Hearts and took over as chairman at Swansea City following the departure of Huw Jenkins in 2019. 

Birch joined Spurs on September 1, 2020. 

He was recruited by Spurs as part of a restructure that created a new Football Board at the club, which consisted of Birch, Rebecca Caplehorn as director of football administration and governance, and Steve Hitchen as technical performance director. 

The board is chaired by chairman Daniel Levy.

Matthew Collecott, the club’s finance and operations director, will oversee football operations until the end of the season.

One of Birch’s many achievements has been to help Portsmouth out of administration in 2013

Birch has often moved quickly from one challenge to another in football. He spent little more than a year at Chelsea, at Leeds he oversaw a takeover by a local consortium, before moving onto Everton, where he was tasked with overhauling the club’s finances. 

However, he resigned from the club after six weeks following a reported disagreement with the board over strategy.

Among Birch’s many achievements is his work to help Portsmouth move out of administration and be purchased by the Pompey Supporters’ Trust in 2013.

In between stints at football clubs, he has worked as an accountant in senior positions. 

Birch was involved in the 2003 takeover of Chelsea by billionaire Roman Abramovich

EFL chairman, Rick Parry, thanked Levy for allowing Birch to take up his new role ‘so promptly’.

He added: ‘Trevor’s vast experience has impressed me throughout our discussions in regards to the role, and having been a strong candidate in 2019 before withdrawing from the process, I am delighted that he has opted to take up the position.

‘I have no doubt that his acumen and experience will prove valuable for the EFL as we look to navigate our way out of the unprecedented set of circumstances presented to us by Covid-19 alongside considering the challenges of future reform to the pyramid as we look to develop long-term sustainability in the EFL.’

The current chief executive at the EFL, David Baldwin, is standing down at the end of the year

In a statement, Birch said: ‘I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of Spurs, however the opportunity to play a role in the EFL at such a crucial time is one I couldn’t turn down.

‘There is a big job to be done dealing with the effect of the pandemic, together with participating in discussions on the future structure of football and I hope I can make a meaningful contribution to that process.’

Spurs posted a statement on the club website wishing Birch well in his new role. 

Birch joins at a challenging time for football. The EFL has just agreed a £250million package with the Premier League to support clubs that are in financial difficulties after nine months without fans in stadiums due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

In addition, the future structure and the governance of the game is the focus of a national debate. Parry recently backed Project Big Picture, a proposed restructure that was seen by critics as a power grab by the country’s biggest clubs. However, the need for reform is widely accepted, even if there is little agreement on what it should be.

EFL chairman Rick Parry said he was sure Birch’s ‘acumen and experience will prove valuable’