[The Athletic] Andy Howe was asked to step up by the board to lead the window when Mitchell left last summer. Hierarchically, the 31-year-old was previously below Steve Nickson. Now a “senior football executive”, he reports directly to Ross Wilson & remains a critical recruitment voice.

Chris Waugh: “The message from inside the club is that the tweaked title is a greater reflection of his current role following a summer in which he was tasked with overseeing incoming transfer business once Paul Mitchell departed as sporting director. Previously the assistant head of recruitment, Andy Howe was asked to step up by the board to lead the window when Mitchell left on May 30.

Hierarchically, the 31-year-old was previously below Steve Nickson, the head of recruitment, who leads the club’s scouting operation. Rather than slotting back into that rank, to represent the responsibility placed upon him during an extremely challenging summer, Wilson sought a new title for Howe, the nephew of Eddie, which is senior football executive (and he reports in to the sporting director).

In practice, insiders insist that Andy Howe’s day-to-day role and general influence is largely unchanged and that he remains a critical recruitment voice who is trusted by Eddie Howe, the head coach. The title change is to tidy up a club structure which, on the recruitment side at least, has seemed opaque, given Andy Howe’s level of influence relative to his previous positions (at least in name).

Andy Howe has been integral to Newcastle’s post-takeover recruitment operation and an influential voice during transfer discussions, as shown during video calls on the 2023 Amazon Prime documentary, We Are Newcastle United.

He identifies players, whittles down target lists, scouts and speaks to agents (and clubs) regarding deals. He pushed for the signings of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, two of Newcastle’s most expensive overseas imports, as well as Anthony Gordon, Tino Livramento, Elanga and Jacob Ramsey.
“He’s played a huge part in recruiting some key players,” Eddie Howe said of Andy Howe during a press conference in March 2024.

The nepotism allegations have followed the pair from Bournemouth, where they previously worked together, to Tyneside, when Andy joined Eddie soon after the latter’s appointment in November 2021. Those accusations are easy to level, given their familial connection, but the fact Andy Howe is still at the club and has a senior executive title suggests his work and input has been valued by at least some within the hierarchy.”

FFS

No one involved with last summers transfer disaster should receive a promotion.

Andy Howe being employed is reason enough to sack Eddie Howe. Pure nepotism.

If this was politics, people would be calling it corruption

Waste 250 mil and get a promotion. Make it make sense

Even if, and I don’t think this is true, but even if he is any good at his job, the conflict of interest alone should prevent this in my opinion – we should have literally anybody else with the same skill set in the position rather than a relative, it’s so weird

Wish at my job I could make a total hash of it and get a promotion

This is going to be so mentally draining this summer for us, honestly if we stopped caring it won’t be, but that’s not what we do.

Feels like a PR puff to clarify that he doesn’t have the influence he used to but is ‘still a critical part’ which is often corporate-speak for ‘not that critical’ in fuzzy contexts like this.

Oh this will go down well with the fans

Where’s all the people at who insisted he wasn’t put in charge?

Last summer was a massive fail, he should have no say. At least he’s not the one sinking the ship anymore, that will be on Ross Wilson.

Failing upwards, proper British that

Fantastic

/s