After months of courting and contractual disputes, Manchester United have finally reached an agreement to sign Dan Ashworth from Newcastle as their new sporting director.
Despite being one of the first names identified by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and recently incumbent INEOS setup, it’s taken months for Man United to get a deal ironed out for highly-rated English sporting director Dan Ashworth, who made no secret of his desire to take the job.
Ashworth, 53, was placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United back in February when he made it clear he wanted the move following an official approach and initially demanded a compensation package of a reported £20 million to let him go, with the Tyneside club refusing to budge on the matter.
However, a resolution has finally been found and after the two clubs reached a mutually beneficial agreement – one which reportedly helped the Saudi-owned club stay in line with profit and sustainability rules (PSR) – the former director of elite development at the FA will start work effective immediately.
🔴 Manchester United and Newcastle issue the following statement.#MUFC
Ashworth will join recently appointed technical director Jason Wilcox, who joined from Southampton, and ex-Manchester City and CFG executive Omar Berrada, who is also set to officially start work later this month.
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The three will operate under the stewardship of co-owner Ratcliffe and his right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford, head of the INEOS Sports division and who alongside the likes of Ashworth will help bridge the gap between the footballing side of things and the executive board.
With Brailsford having been part of the British cycling revolution within Team GB and Team Sky cycling (now the INEOS Grenadiers), and Ashworth going from PE teacher to a footballing director at West Brom, Brighton and then Newcastle, there’s some established know-how to the appointments.
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Ashworth was also a player himself once – representing Norwich City at youth level before joining non-league Eastbourne Town – and although he’ll be more involved with managing the overall structure, strategy and recruitment than anywhere near coaching or anything like that, there’s an understanding of the game at a core level.
Meanwhile, there is also talk of a coaching appointment that would certainly prove popular with the Old Trafford faithful.
Both the club and Ashworth were so keen on getting a deal across the line that there was even talk of taking the dispute to court and Ratcliffe himself made a point of pressuring Newcastle, telling BBC Sport: “It doesn’t make sense for [him] to be sat around doing nothing for 18 months”.
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Nevertheless, the two clubs have finally ended the stalemate and confirmed the appointment on Monday, 1 July in a joint statement. It reads as follows:
“Newcastle United and Manchester United have reached an agreement for the immediate release of Dan Ashworth from his contractual obligations at Newcastle United.
“The terms of this agreement remain confidential between the clubs. Newcastle United thanks Dan for his services and wishes him well for the future.” The question is, will his impact be as transformative when it comes to footballing infrastructure as he has been in the past?
Featured Images — TNT Sports (via YouTube)/The Manc Group
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Former Manchester City player Joey Barton found guilty of assaulting his wife
Danny Jones
Ex-footballer Joey Barton has officially been found guilty of assaulting his wife following his two-day trial in the capital this week.
Barton, who played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and a number of other clubs, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 25 March, following an incident back in June 2021.
The former midfielder left his wife, 37-year-old Georgia Barton (McNeil), with a bleeding nose and a bruise on her forehead following a drunken row at their home in London.
Barton is said to have grabbed and pushed her to the floor before kicking her in the head. Married in 2019, the two have four children and are thought to still be together.
The 42-year-old was still employed in professional football as the manager of Bristol Rovers at the time, but he was ultimately sacked in October 2023.
His wife called 999 at the time, telling police that he had hit her, but later retracted her statement.
Born in Huyton, Merseyside, the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring recognised that the one-time England has a history of violence.
He was given a 12-week suspended prison sentence, meaning he won’t serve time unless he commits another offence and has been ordered to pay £2,138.
Since dropping out of mainstream football, in particular, Barton has come under heavy criticism for allegations of racism, sexism and controversial right-wing politics; he even started an ‘anti-woke’ podcast called Common Sense with Joey Barton.
Back in June of last year, he was ordered to pay £35,000 in damages to settle a libel claim with presenter Jeremy Vine after a series of inflammatory comments made online.
The Radio 2 presenter sued Mr Barton earlier this year, after the former footballer wrote a series of posts suggesting Mr Vine had a sexual interest in children.
He also accused of threatening fellow former pro, Eni Aluko, after a torrent of abuse regarding her punditry online – the ex-England international even went so far as to say she no longer felt safe staying in the country.
The Hundred is calling for up-and-coming presenters to co-host this year’s tournament
Danny Jones
The Hundred 2025 is fast approaching and cricket’s fastest-growing tournament is once again asking for aspiring presenters to join their roster of co-hosts and help cover the action.
The fast-paced 100-ball format is entering its fifth year and next to T20, you find a more accessible and thrilling form of cricket, so it’s no wonder the competition is gaining a greater audience each year.
With that in mind, the need for a top-notch broadcast team is more crucial than ever but just like those who backed The Hundred in its infancy, they’re looking to invest in future creatives and on-screen talent.
Are you someone looking to get into presenting or know someone who is? Keep reading.
For the fifth year in a row, we want you to be part of #TheHundredRising! 🎤
So how does it work? Well, it’s pretty straightforward: The Hundred is looking for eight up-and-coming presenters to join their team of main venue hosts up and down the country.
Tasked with guiding and talking fans through an action-packed five weeks across all host cities, successful applicants will be responsible for building excitement and atmosphere inside the seven cricket grounds on each match day.
From player and pundit interviews to crowd engagement and interactive other activations with partnered brands, not to mention members of this year’s live music lineup, you’ll be a key part of putting out the top-quality sports and entertainment product they promise every year.
The best part of all is that no prior hosting experience is necessary – this is all about platforming you and The Hundred as a whole.
Successful applicants will be mentored by the main hosts at their respective venues and will attend a two-day workshop with special guests to get them ready to hit the stage this summer.
The ‘Rising Hosts’ scheme has been set up in tandem with their dedicated event production agency, Progress Productions, which will be in charge throughout the application and selection process.
Shortlisted applicants will then have their details shared with the ECB (English Cricket Board) who will be involved when it comes to making their final decisions.
It goes without saying that even if you just love sports or just want to find a way into the industry, this is an opportunity that is not to be missed.
Danny Jones -
1st July 2024 
