Newcastle United have launched a search for a commercial partnerships manager as the Magpies attempt to boost revenues in order to spend even more in the transfer market.
Eddie Howe, himself, admitted on Friday that Newcastle have not got the 'free rein' to 'sign who we want and pay extortionate fees' and the head coach does not believe the club will be in a position to do so for 'some period of time' because of Financial Fair Play. The club, therefore, need to increase revenues so, in turn, more money can be spent on new players and this is where the commercial partnerships manager will come in.
According to the job advert, the new recruit will be tasked with increasing commercial growth through the 'acquisition and retention of commercial partners to ensure the club meets challenging new business acquisition and revenue growth targets'. It will fall to the commercial partnerships manager to pitch and present 'high quality, bespoke propositions' to potential partners and 'identify valuable emerging markets through ongoing research'.
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Newcastle ideally want to appoint someone who has knowledge of the 'Premier League/top European football marketplace in terms of sponsorship sales, existing partnerships and potential future opportunities in relation to specific brands and industries'. Languages are also seen as an advantage which, perhaps, hints at the foreign markets the club are attempting to break into.
It is easy to see why Newcastle have created the new position. According to Newcastle's latest set of accounts, which take in the 11-month period up to June 30, 2021, the club's turnover fell to £140.2 million during former owner Mike Ashley's final full season as owner after Newcastle played just one game in front of some form of a crowd at St James' Park during the height of the pandemic. Commercial income, meanwhile, decreased by 32% to £17.6m as a result of reduced income from 'two of the club's primary commercial partners together with loss of revenue from events, match day catering, club shop and other commercial activities'.
The return of crowds will boost these respective numbers in the next set of accounts but, regardless, Leicester City, Wolves and Everton are among those clubs who brought in more money in 2020-21 when it was quite the opposite when Ashley first bought Newcastle in 2007. Newcastle's comparatively modest sums have limited what the new owners can do in the transfer market somewhat - even if they have still spent around £153m on signings to date - because of the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations, which restrict clubs to maximum losses of £105m over a three-year period.
Rather than gambling and maxing out their allowance in their first year, Newcastle's owners want to ensure there is money to spend in future windows while they continue to look at ways to boost revenues with new sponsorship deals. On that note, the arrival of Darren Eales be significant later this month as the new CEO will be tasked with driving commercial revenues and putting Newcastle on the global stage.
Amanda Staveley has previously vowed that 'we are going to get the best deals the club needs' at a time when the Premier League decides whether such arrangements are of fair market value. Newcastle announced a deal with Middle East shopping giant noon to become the club's official sleeve partner for the new season back in June and more will be required.
Going forward, after all, the club's owners also have to be mindful of UEFA's new financial rules, which will curb the amount clubs competing in European club competitions can spend on wages, transfers and agents fees to 70% of revenue in 2025-26. Newcastle are, obviously, not playing in Europe yet, but that is the ambition of those at the top in the years to come.
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