Welcome to Sideline Moves, Insider Sport’s weekly roundup spotlighting the key moves shaping the business of sport.
Every Friday, we bring you the latest executive appointments, strategic hires, boardroom shifts, and behind-the-scenes deals from across the global sports industry – all in one place.
Peter Silverstone leaves Newcastle United amid shake-up
Newcastle United’s Chief Commercial Officer Peter Silverstone has been placed on immediate gardening leave and is reportedly set to take up a commercial role at Juventus later this year.
Silverstone joined the Premier League club three years ago and played a key role in securing the club’s Adidas kit partnership, reportedly worth $39.3m (£30m) per season.
His exit comes as new chief executive David Hopkinson completes a 100-day review of the club’s operations, a process expected to lead to further senior departures. Hopkinson, who previously oversaw global partnerships at Real Madrid, has reportedly set a firm tone for his time in charge, emphasising that staff are “either with us, or with yourself.”
Silverstone’s exit follows a series of significant exits across St James’ Park. Sporting director Paul Mitchell left earlier this year, with Ross Wilson stepping into the role, while co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi recently sold their 10% stake in the club.
Staveley and Ghodoussi leaving saw the end of a three-year involvement which began with the Saudi-backed takeover in 2021. Their period at the club included hiring Eddie Howe as manager and achieving Champions League qualification, as well as growing Newcastle’s commercial presence and announcing stadium expansion plans.
Hopkinson’s review is part of an effort to increase the club’s revenue by an estimated £100m per season and adjust the leadership team to support its long-term ambitions. According to the Daily Mail, Silverstone’s departure is on good terms.
Novak Djokovic serves up new snack venture
Novak Djokovic has expanded his off-court portfolio with the launch of Cob, a new clean snack brand built around ancient grains.
The tennis player is the lead investor and co-founder of the company, which launched on November 1 following a $5m funding round.
Djokovic partnered with founder Jessica Davidoff, whose discovery of the grain sorghum inspired the product’s development. He said his own interest in nutrition and recovery made the venture a natural fit.
“I have a wealth of knowledge in the areas of clean eating, functional foods and recovery,” he said, adding he is passionate about “translating my knowledge and experiences into focused investments in these areas where I can add value.”
The move builds on Djokovic’s shift toward long-term business projects, describing entrepreneurship as similar to elite sport. He also highlighted Cob’s commitment to being plastic-neutral and environmentally conscious.
Cob joins a growing portfolio of Djokovic-backed ventures, including wellness platform Sila. In August, he was also named among the investors in a major new funding round for Le Mans FC, led by Brazilian sports group OutField and OakBerry founder Georgios Frangulis.
Kelly Fairweather named Managing Director of SportAccord
Kelly Fairweather has been appointed Managing Director of SportAccord, joining the global sports body after a four-decade career across some of the industry’s largest organisations.
Fairweather, a former chief executive of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), also previously held senior roles with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Hockey Federation.
His appointment was confirmed by the SportAccord Executive Committee following last week’s International Federations Forum in Lausanne.
SportAccord President Ugur Erdener said Fairweather’s experience working with international federations made him an ideal fit for the role.
“Kelly brings decades of experience in working with our key stakeholders – the International Federations that are responsible for deciding the directions of their sports,” Erdener said.
Fairweather said he looked forward to building on SportAccord’s reputation as a hub for collaboration and knowledge-sharing across global sport.
“Throughout my career, whether at the IOC or leading IFs, there has been one constant: the SportAccord Convention and IF Forums have remained great places to learn with and from colleagues, to share our stories of best practice and chart a course for the future,” he said.
This news comes after the ITF named Ross Hutchins as its next CEO, succeeding Fairweather after nine years in charge.
Alex Chang takes lead commercial role at Gotham FC
Gotham FC has appointed former San Francisco 49ers executive Alex Chang as Chief Revenue Officer, aiming to strengthen the NWSL club’s commercial leadership.
Chang will lead Gotham’s partnerships, ticketing and game day operations, working alongside senior executives including Chief Business Officer Ryan Dillon to expand the club’s revenue streams and long-term strategy.
Gotham governor Carolyn Tisch Blodgett said Chang’s experience across major US sports organisations, including the NFL, Samsung, American Express, Wasserman and IMG, would be “invaluable” as the club continues its growth.
During more than five years as the 49ers’ chief marketing officer, Chang helped transform the team’s brand strategy, launched its “Faithful to The Bay” platform and contributed to the Bay Area’s bids for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl LX.
“I’m thrilled to join Gotham FC,” Chang said. “Their commitment to building a world-class club – both on and off the field – is truly inspiring. With the incredible momentum surrounding women’s sports, this is an exciting moment to see how far we can go together.”
Snapshot Moves
Robert Lewandowski has been named a global ambassador for Visa ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
John Barton has joined EPCR’s senior leadership team as chief commercial and marketing officer, leading commercial, broadcast and marketing functions.
Craig Dootson has been appointed chief operating officer at Oldham Athletic, overseeing day-to-day operations as the club continues its post-promotion growth.
Racing and Sports has appointed Ronnie Tay as head of Asia, leading operations and partnerships as the company expands its presence across Hong Kong and the region.
Quantum strengthens leadership with Dimitris Papamichael and Luke Watkin joining as commercial and marketing directors.
We’re spotlighting the movers and shakers shaping the sports business every Friday.
Submit your people moves to Insider Sport’s Editor, Rachael Kennedy, at [email protected] and be featured in Sideline Moves.
Catch up on last week’s Sideline Moves to learn about the former Premier League appointed to the board of Bristol City, click HERE to read!
