Julian Winter returns to Sheffield United to take up top job

Wed 14th Sep 2011 | Football Club Management

Julian Winter is the new group chief executive of Sheffield United PLC.

The former Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town player takes up his post from next week.

Winter has been appointed by owner Kevin McCabe to continue the re-building of the club which currently tops League One after relegation from the Championship last season.

His role will be to lead and run the overall business of the Sheffield United Group, permitting the McCabe family (other directors include Scott McCabe and Simon McCabe) to reduce their time commitments and concentrate their principal efforts on other UK and international business interests.  Current football club managing director Dave McCarthy will work closely with Mr Winter.

For Julian, it is a return to the club, where he started out as a young footballer.

“I’ve always looked out for United, keeping an eye on their results,” said Julian. “It is an exciting club with rich potential on and off the pitch. Danny, who I know well, has the team off to a terrific start. I will be looking to help him all I can.

“The McCabe family has a clear view for the club going forward, recognising that this is a family and community club where the development of ‘home grown’ talent from our highly regarded academy is key alongside the development of the club’s commercial opportunities and long-term sustainability.”

Director Scott McCabe said: “This is a very important appointment to Sheffield United PLC and as such we needed to be sure we had the right man. Julian has a lot hard of work ahead of him which needs to be completed in a timescale dictated to us by the changes in football governance.

“Good progress has been made in the last 12 months to streamline Sheffield United’s off-the-pitch activities, Julian will continue that work as the Board are determined that the Blades operate within Football’s new financial fair guidelines. Our income and expenditure must therefore continue to be examined thoroughly, so to put it simply, we are living within our means.”

Born in Huddersfield, Julian is a former professional footballer, who enjoyed spells with Huddersfield and Sheffield United (including a loan spell at Scunthorpe) before injury brought his playing days to a premature end at the age of 27. He went onto gain a honours degree in recreation management from Sheffield Hallam University..

Julian joined Watford in April 2006 as Community Director, overseeing the club's award-winning Community Sports & Education Trust. Previously he was with Sheffield Wednesday, where he managed the club's community and trust programme for three years.

Two and a half years later he was appointed Chief Executive Officer, a post he left earlier this year following the arrival of new owners at the Hertfordshire club.

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