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United Appoint New Director of Operations (don’t be confused, it’s an admin position)
- Thread starter UnitedSofa
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David Harrison has been appointed Director of Football Operations at Manchester United, to lead all operational aspects of the club’s football activities.
He joins from Everton, where he held the same role for the Merseyside club.
David will report to John Murtough, Football Director, and be based at the Carrington Training Centre, with responsibility for ensuring that our football operations run as smoothly and effectively as possible.
This will include management of all our Football Operations at Carrington for the men’s, women’s and Academy teams, including crucial areas such as football administration, team travel and player support.
Rebecca Britain remains Club Secretary, reporting to David.
John Murtough said: “David is known as one of the most able and respected operators in football and we are delighted that he has chosen to join Manchester United. He will bring deep experience and knowledge to this important role, and add further strength to the support structure we are building around our football teams, to give our players and staff the best chance of success.”
David Harrison said: “I’m excited to be taking this role at time of such opportunity and promise for Manchester United. I will always cherish my memories of 27 years at Everton and wish everyone at Goodison and Finch Farm all the best for the future. Now, my focus is on helping Manchester United create the best possible operating environment to support success on the pitch.”
David grew up in Bury, Greater Manchester, and started his career in the ticket office at Old Trafford before moving to Everton in 1995 and rising through the club’s ranks. He will leave Everton at the end of February and start at Carrington next month.
David succeeds Alan Dawson, who is leaving the club after 11 years at the end of July to pursue new opportunities. John Murtough said: “Everyone at Manchester United would like to thank Alan for his huge contribution to the club and wish him well for the next chapter in his career.”
He joins from Everton, where he held the same role for the Merseyside club.
David will report to John Murtough, Football Director, and be based at the Carrington Training Centre, with responsibility for ensuring that our football operations run as smoothly and effectively as possible.
This will include management of all our Football Operations at Carrington for the men’s, women’s and Academy teams, including crucial areas such as football administration, team travel and player support.
Rebecca Britain remains Club Secretary, reporting to David.
John Murtough said: “David is known as one of the most able and respected operators in football and we are delighted that he has chosen to join Manchester United. He will bring deep experience and knowledge to this important role, and add further strength to the support structure we are building around our football teams, to give our players and staff the best chance of success.”
David Harrison said: “I’m excited to be taking this role at time of such opportunity and promise for Manchester United. I will always cherish my memories of 27 years at Everton and wish everyone at Goodison and Finch Farm all the best for the future. Now, my focus is on helping Manchester United create the best possible operating environment to support success on the pitch.”
David grew up in Bury, Greater Manchester, and started his career in the ticket office at Old Trafford before moving to Everton in 1995 and rising through the club’s ranks. He will leave Everton at the end of February and start at Carrington next month.
David succeeds Alan Dawson, who is leaving the club after 11 years at the end of July to pursue new opportunities. John Murtough said: “Everyone at Manchester United would like to thank Alan for his huge contribution to the club and wish him well for the next chapter in his career.”
Joined from Everton 
Finally things are looking up as a club! Exciting future ahead for us. Could have found someone better than someone who’s come from Everton though.
Was he good at Everton?
Director of football reports to football director. Cool.
Enjoy your few days in the job, mate.
this.Joined from Everton
Fecking hell. Is there a team in England whose footballing affairs have been worse run than Everton over the last few years?
Literally what I'm thinking.
Assistant manager and assistant to the manager
Joined from Everton
Does everyone think that all the “good” or “elite” guys go straight in at the top and not cut their teeth at lesser teams? The mind boggles.
Can't see much evidence of the brilliant job he did at Everton but I'll reserve judgement.
Coming from Everton doesn't give me hope, if he was coming from Brentford or Brighton it might make me feel better
Sincerely I know nothing about how good he is at his actual job though
Hard not to be pessimistic when he comes from that disaster of a club.
Probably not. But he’s coming from a club that’s arguably been run worse than us. Their football operations have been an absolute shitshow.
I couldn’t think of a worse club to headhunt club officials from than Everton at the moment 
Seems like weird timing considering the potential imminent sale of the club as well.
Seems like weird timing considering the potential imminent sale of the club as well.
It’s astounding that so many think that new owners will go in and just wipe out everyone at the club and replace them with new people. Which undoubtedly would ruin all the hard work everyone behind the scenes have been working on for the past year.
Think a lot of you are going to be very surprised that not many people are going to lose their jobs when new owners come in.
I don't want to sound mean or anything but shouldn't the club stop making high profile appointments at this point in time? I mean its disrespectful towards potential buyers who' might want to take the club into a different direction to that of simply bringing people from Everton or the university of Bristol.
Relax. If he isn’t up to the job the new owners will send him packing in no time.
Ours?
Hope it's a 6 week contract
If he'd come from a successful small team like Brighton i'd be estatic. This guys coming from the shitshow that is Everton.
I know nothing about the man other than he was involved in the leadership team of the current Everton - which i consider a really shite period, even by Everton standards.
He's been at Everton for 27 years and everyone is judging him on the last one
I hear @Niall is getting the sack and all.
The Chosen One
Doesn’t seem to be a very strategic role from the way its worded. More as a supporting and administrative roll to free up John Murtough’s bandwidth on more important matters that directly influence the sporting success.
With all due respect, I feel like we could have got someone better. Weird appointment. Classic Glazers really. New owners might have something to say about some of these people.
Football administration, team travel and player support. Sounds like a nothing job anyway so I'm not too bothered.
Was that the role that was rumoured for Michael Edwards (ex-Liverpool)?
Edit:
Edit:
Ok looks like it wasn't the one then.
In another world where Moyes was successful we could have been big Everton
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Exactly. The narrative that an owner would just come in and replace everybody is ridiculous. The football side is clearly moving the right direction, my guess is the whoever the new owner is will look to build on what we already have rather than destroying it all.
Read this as time travel at first!
Sounds like an admin job rather than a football job as such. Good luck to him.
As long as be plays alongside Casemiro he'll be fine
Doesn't sound like he'll be doing too much anyway:
Let's go back to 1999!
Dwight might do a better job.
Did anyone read what his responsibilities were before posting anything, I mean this is a dressed up admin role booking transport for the team and such like
interesting to make this appointment so close to a take over
makes me wonder if the new owners are already decided, or at least the current football ops staff are fairly sure the majority will remain in their roles
makes me wonder if the new owners are already decided, or at least the current football ops staff are fairly sure the majority will remain in their roles