Report claims Celtic Commercial Director set for Aston Villa move

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The Celtic Star

·17 giugno 2024

Report claims Celtic Commercial Director set for Aston Villa move

According to Glasgow World, Celtic are set to lose their key Commercial Director to Aston Villa. The English Premier League club is currently nearly £120 million in loss, far exceeding the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, which allow maximum losses of £105 million over three years, and they appear to be turning to the Celtic man to turn that situation around.

The outlet claims that the long-term Celtic Commercial boss, who has been at the club for the past 16 years and is primarily responsible for driving Celtic’s commercial revenue via sponsorship and merchandising deals with the likes of adidas, is heading to the English Premier League to join Aston Villa.

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Adrian Filby has had two spells at Celtic, working for the Daily Record in between. He started in 1997 as a ‘Special Projects Manager’ before moving in 2002 over to the media industry, returning in 2008 to lead the commercial operation, working closely with then CEO Peter Lawwell.

Well done Suzanne Mulvey hat trick hero and player of the match. Award presented by Commercial Director Adrian Filby
– domenica 13 marzo 2016

Filby is a graduate from Strathclyde Univeristy and like Peter Lawwell his is a Chartered Accountant. Filly’s success behind the scenes at Celtic has been one of the reasons Celtic has been able to dominate the Scottish game for a generation. In March 2020 he negotiated the most lucrative kit sponsorship deal in Scottish sport history with Adidas. This five-year deal, worth an estimated £30m to Celtic, was a real game changer.

Commenting on this at the time Peter Lawwell said: “This is a hugely significant new partnership for Celtic and our supporters and allows us to look to the future with confidence. To be able to create this fantastic new relationship demonstrates the strength and stability of the Club and the power of our enduring story.

“I would like to congratulate everyone at Celtic and adidas who have worked to deliver this fantastic new partnership between two of the world’s great sporting institutions, in particular, our commercial director Adrian Filby.”

Glasgow World state that they have approached Celtic for comment on this story, which should be clarified one way or the other shortly.

Jumping to the Aston Villa side of the story via claretvillians.com they report:

Aston Villa’s decision to bring Filby on board is a strategic move to address their precarious financial situation. The club is currently nearly £120 million in loss, far exceeding the Premier League’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, which allow maximum losses of £105 million over three years.

This financial pressure has made it imperative for Villa to find ways to balance their books, and Filby’s proven track record makes him an ideal candidate to help steer the club towards financial stability.

While Filby’s impact may not be immediate, his expertise in securing high-value commercial deals is expected to bring positive changes to Villa’s financial landscape. The club’s fans will be hopeful that his arrival marks the beginning of a turnaround, allowing Villa to focus on on-field success without the looming threat of financial instability.

Adrian Filby’s move to Aston Villa is a significant development for both clubs. For Villa, it represents a strategic effort to address their financial challenges, while for Celtic, it marks the end of an era of successful commercial partnerships. Both clubs will be looking to the future with anticipation, hoping that this change will bring about positive outcomes.

Villa fans will be eagerly awaiting the impact of his commercial acumen, hoping that it will translate into a more stable financial future for the club.

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