A very interesting interview with Newcastle United Chief David Hopkinson as a very ‘interesting’ summer has developed,
The Newcastle United CEO speaking with less than three weeks to go until the 2026/27 season kicks off.
A change of manager, a huge shift in the playing squad.
Yet for David Hopkinson this is simply part of something bigger.
The Newcastle United Chief has been talking to George Caulkin of The Athletic about progressing from “Newcastle United 1.0” to “Newcastle United 2.0” on Tyneside.
George Caulkin explaining: ‘Late last week, David Hopkinson invited club staff to the Platinum Club, a hospitality suite at the stadium, for what he described as a “conversation”. It was in the aftermath of The Athletic reporting that Howe was stepping down, which could only feel like a significant, angsty moment given the scale of his contribution. Hopkinson offered bullish reassurance and then invited feedback. “We have a plan here, we have an ambition and we’re right on track,” he told his audience.
David Hopkinson stating: “There’s no Newcastle 2.0 without Newcastle 1.0…It ignited this community and allowed us to dream. It brought us spectacular nights here, it brought us a trophy and a parade and watching those scenes is one of the reasons I decided to uproot my life and come here. It was a great chapter, but we were living beyond our means. And, at some point, you’ve got to pay the credit card bill.”
The Newcastle United Chief going on to say: “We’re going forwards, in a way that is built to last…We are pivoting in line with our reality, but we will surge forward from here and get into a position where we can win consistently. This Newcastle 2.0 team will be young, hungry, ambitious, relentless. They want to be here and they will fight for everything. This is exciting. This is transformational. This is intentional. Let’s go.”
David Hopkinson on Eddie Howe (and ‘Newcastle 1.0’…): “Eddie is the architect, the leader, the author of Newcastle 1.0. He did an extraordinary job. There is so much about him I truly admire, including his total commitment. I’ve been in this business more than 30 years and I can’t think of anybody who outworks Eddie, but there’s nothing that gives that doesn’t also take. Eddie has done that at a tremendous cost, with time away from his family and, as his friend, I think it has impacted him. He loves this club so much, but when he put his hand up and said ‘I’m not sure I can go on’, we were faced with a choice. Do I talk him into staying or do we need to accept that answer and accept that Eddie knows what’s best for himself? Eddie also made this decision through a lens of what’s best for Newcastle and knowing we need a level of energy, passion, commitment and work that, in his own estimation, he’s unable to deliver right now.”
The Newcastle United CEO on the new manager: “We had a succession plan for Eddie, just as there’s a succession plan for every key role at the club, including mine and Ross’s. That is our duty. We have an incredible data team, we activated the plan and I believe we sifted through something like 178 names. We had a clear set of criteria of what we want from the manager that succeeds Eddie. MJ (Matthias Jaissle) fits every one and exceeds others that we hadn’t even contemplated. This guy’s a born winner…I have every confidence MJ is the right man to lead us into the future and build on everything Eddie has done for this club. This guy is really impressive. This guy is fire. He is a rock star.”
Credit: Newcastle United FC
David Hopkinson explaining: “There’s a growth plan and we’re in the middle of executing it. Anchoring that growth plan is raising our revenues, so that we can move on to credibly and consistently compete…Ross is a spectacular executive, we work incredibly closely together and in the next chapter it will be him, MJ and I. We are completely aligned. Ross has been bringing in young athletes with high ceilings, huge growth potential, and we want to see that growth unlocked here at Newcastle.”
The SCR era, David Hopkinson states: “SCR is the most unfair salary system I’ve ever heard of. My experience is as a commercial expert in the sports industry. I’m used to a North American model where you have some version of a salary cap, which means everybody gets about the same amount of money to work with. The idea that the amount of money you’re able to work with is indexed to your ability to generate revenue is a unique challenge. I want to be really clear: our owners are not taking profit out of this. There’s no one more frustrated by the constraints of SCR than our owners….All successful clubs have some level of trading in their model, and we will going forward….”
The CEO on the Newcastle United owners: “Not only is PIF committed to Newcastle 2.0, they demand it. The ambition I’ve articulated has been generated in concert with the owners. I refer to the owners there because it’s not exclusively PIF, but also the Reuben family. I talk to our owners multiple times a day. They commit time, energy, people, resources, consulting, advice. They are the most leaned-in owners I’ve ever worked with. All they want to know is how they can help. They challenge our thinking and push us. They’re absolutely extraordinary partners. There’s no one that wants to see Newcastle 2.0 succeed more than they do.”
David Hopkinson concluding with…“I firmly believe this is the greatest project in professional sports globally.”
The very lengthy interview is well worth a full read over at The Athletic.