Barnsley FC's progress has not been hindered by having no chief executive in place during the January transfer window, says chairman Maurice Watkins.
In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle, the former Manchester United board member and high-profile sports lawyer said the search for Linton Brown's replacement as chief executive is underway and has become the main focus following the January transfer window. He also denied allegations from sections of the fanbase that the club have shown a lack of ambition by selling key players in the last month.
Since Brown left Oakwell in the second week of January, Watkins has been assisted by Andrew McGregor, an associate at his law firm Brabners. Financial director Robert Zuk, director Barry Taylor and head coach Paul Heckingbottom have all also taken on extra responsibilities pending the recruitment of a new chief executive.
The chairman would not discuss Brown's reasons for leaving, but he said: "Barnsley Football Club has not suffered from not having a chief executive during the transfer window. The manpower and expertise has been there from the board, the owner and the head coach as well as some outside help. We have coped very well and done a serious amount of business.
"We will be recruiting a new CEO and the process will accelerate this week. We hope we will find the right person sooner rather than later but it needs to be a proper and meaningful process because we need the best candidate."
After the sales of captain Conor Hourihane, top-scorer Sam Winnall and homegrown teenager James Bree, some fans have questioned the club's ambition to compete in the Championship. Owner Patrick Cryne has previously stated that developing and selling players is part of the strategy and that he hopes to make the club self-sustainable. Watkins pointed out that the Reds are working towards that while also moving to within two points of the play-off places.
Watkins said: "There isn't a lack of ambition. We have very high hopes for the club and want to take it as far as possible but we just have to manage ambition with realism. We all know what football is like as a business and that players have their own aspirations. We want the best possible team but we have to be canny in our negotiations and create something that is sustainable.
"It's not all a money-making exercise but we have to take each case by its merits and we feel we have made the right decisions for the club during this window. We have had some significant transfers out but we have also been very active in bringing players in. There was a lot of work put into other deals which, for various reasons, didn't come to fruition. Now our focus will turn to reviewing the contracts of some of our existing players and making plans for our summer transfer activity.
"You just have to look at where we have come from and where we are now. We have had a fantastic journey up the leagues and hopefully we will be in an even better place come the end of the season. We're very pleased with the season so far. Although it was disappointing to lose to Wolves on Tuesday, we are still in a very exciting position and we have a shot at getting into the play-offs."
Cryne, a long-time friend of Watkins, revealed earlier in the season that he is battling cancer and would be reducing his input into the running of the club. The owner has not been to any games since then but Watkins says he is still playing a major part in the club's key decisions.
The chairman said: "Patrick is still very involved. "He contributes as much as he can and he makes the final financial decisions. The rest of us are all there to help him and Barnsley Football Club."
As well as his Oakwell role – which he has occupied since the summer of 2013 – and his job as a senior partner at Brabners, Watkins is also the chairman of British Swimming and has positions at Lancashire County Cricket Club and the Rugby Football League among other organisations. He insists that he has plenty of time for Barnsley, adding: "All of my roles are manageable. When emergencies crop up, it is 'needs must' and you have to prioritise certain areas such as Barnsley in the last month. We've all put a lot of hours in and I have enjoyed it."
Around the turn of the century, Watkins was chairman of the FIFA/UEFA legal committee which was in negotiation with the European Commission and the Players World Governing Body. The commission's challenge (commonly known as Bosman 2) led to a change in football transfers and the introduction of transfer windows including the mid-season window, which he has never been in favour of.
He said: "I think the January transfer window is too much of a free for all and it disrupts the sanctity of a players' contract. Initially it was hoped that there would be a transfer window opening at the end of a season and closing at the start of the next but a short window was introduced for January, only to be used for 'strictly sporting reasons'. This, of course, was capable of wide definition but it was intended to cover situations where there was a management change at a club or serious circumstances affecting a playing squad such as illness or tragedy.
"That 'strictly sporting reasons' concept has been eroded over the years and no longer appears in the rules – resulting in the problems clubs now face in keeping a team together for a season and discouraging the transfer activity which we see every year in January."
