Newly appointed Brisbane Roar sporting director James Gow has promised to bring “clarity” to the struggling A-League club.
In an appointment the Roar have described as “one of the most significant” in the club’s history, Gow will control Brisbane’s men’s, women’s and youth development pathway, with a mandate to “establish a unified club identity, a distinctive style of play, and a modern pathway for Queensland’s best young footballers”.
“I’m excited to be joining Brisbane Roar at such an important moment for the club,” said Gow, who previously held a similar job at Danish outfit Aalborg BK, and has also had roles in England with Liverpool and in the United Arab Emirates with Al-Jazira.
“There’s a clear ambition here to build something sustainable and aligned across all areas of football, which attracted me to the role.
“This is a club with huge potential and a strong connection to its community, and I see a real opportunity to create something the region can be proud of.
“My focus will be on bringing clarity in how we play, how we recruit, and how we develop players, so that everything across the club is aligned.
“This means establishing a strong football identity, creating a clear pathway for Queensland’s best young players, and building towards consistent success on the pitch.”
After a positive start to the season, the Roar’s A-League men’s team has fallen in a heap under coach Michael Valkanis, with the side not having won since mid-January and dropping to second-last place on the ladder.
However, Valkanis – who signed a two-season contract last year – seems set to retain his position.
The appointment of Gow will lead to Zac Anderson, whose previous responsibilities included being the club’s head of football, will focus on “infrastructure, commercial growth and day-to-day operations” in his role as Brisbane’s chief operations officer.
