What Stewart Donald's new appointments mean for Sunderland and the key concerns that still remain

David Jones, presenter of Sky Sports flagship shows Super Sunday and Monday Night Football, is set to join alongside Tom Sloanes, commercial director at GVC group.

So what will they do, what are their key skills and crucially, what issues still remain for the Black Cats?

With the club languishing in 12th position, we take a broader look at the latest developments from the Stadium of Light….

What will their roles be?

Pending EFL approval, Jones and Sloanes will join the club’s board, currently made up of Donald, Juan Sartori, Neil Fox and Angela Lowes.

However, their appointment as non-executive directors means that they will not have day-to-day roles in the running of the club.

As such, it is fair to surmise that their primarily roles will be advisory, offering advice to the board and input on Sunderland’s long-term direction.

This is a role that Jones has experience of in the past, working in a similar capacity at Oxford United.

In an interview with Roker Rapport in October 2018, he outlined what the role entailed and why he eventually moved on.

“I was advising on everything to do with how to run a football club,” he said.

“I was contributing in board meetings on various things. The first thing I was asked to do by the Chairman was to work with the manager, who was Michael Appleton. They were struggling, he was trying to play football a certain way, the fans weren’t having in.

“One of the things I’d spoken to the Chairman about was, what happens if you go on a bad run? Do you change, stick with it, find the manager better resources?

“We were aligned on supporting him as long as we believed in him. My first job really was just reminding him of all that stuff.

“I got involved in recruitment, selling players, I had a role in the sale of Kemar Roofe to Leeds, Callum O’Dowda to Bristol City, Marvin Johnson to Middlesbrough.

“In recruitment, it was not about saying, sign him or him, but to make sure they were going through the right processes. Helping Michael, and challenging him [when required].”

Jones left his role when the club was taken over, with the new owner wanting to take the side in a different direction despite Craig Bellamy being on the brink of being named the club’s new manager.

His role with Sky Sports and various footballing projects over the years means he brings with him a wealth of contacts and experience from in the game.

Exactly what role and areas Jones will advise on at Sunderland remains to be seen.

Sloanes currently works as commercial director for the GVC group, a multinational sports betting and gaming group.

He was a key figure in the deal that saw BETDAQ become the club’s shirt sponsors at the beginning of last season.

As Donald mentioned in the club’s statement announcing the appointments, both are Sunderland fans.

“We warmly welcome David and Tom to the club,” he said.

“As lifelong Sunderland fans, they share a tremendous passion for the football club and bring with them a wealth of football knowledge and commercial experience.”

What gaps does it fill?

Sunderland had lost two board members this season, with Tony Davison leaving his role as managing director.

Davison had been a key part of the club’s day-to-day operations on the commercial side, playing an important role in bringing summer concerts back to the Stadium of Light.

Charlie Methven also had a significant input in the club’s off-field operations, and officially stepped down from his position on the board last Thursday.

As such, the appointments of Jones and Sloanes will offer a fresh voice at boardroom level and address some key gaps that had opened up during this tumultous season.

What are the big questions still left?

Nevertheless, many supporters will still rightly have significant concerns over the club’s short and long-term direction.

As non-executive directors, Jones and Sloanes will have a significant input but will not be responsible for day-to-day operations.

That element of Sunderland’s structure remains one with many questions.

Davison’s daily role has not yet been replaced, and though Methven was not a permanent presence on Wearside, he was relatively hands on at times.

At a recent meeting with the Red & White Army and supporters groups, Donald insisted he was hands on and that Sunderland were in a ‘strong position off the pitch’.

He does not, however, have a full-time presence in the North East, and before his departure, Methven told the Echo that Neil Fox’s role was a part-time one.

There remains a strong argument that a full-time role in overseeing the club’s commercial and financial operations would be welcome, despite these appointments.

Though Juan Sartori is said to be stepping up his involvement and has recently been in the UK, he has been seen on Wearside only once this season and has been elected as a senator in his native Uruguay.

On the football side, Phil Parkinson is working closely with Tony Coton ahead of the January window.

Donald told that supporters meeting that Coton was doing a ‘great job’ in leading the club’s recently expanded scouting network, and that there was a ‘clear synergy’ ahead of next month.

Jones may well offer strategic advice on footballing matters but Parkinson remains the sole senior footballing figure based on Wearside.

Richard Hill played a key role in Parkinson’s appointment, and in his role of Head of Football operations has primarily worked on negotiations for players.

With the club languishing in the League One table and with the football increasingly poor in recent weeks, it’s an area in which Sunderland fans have significant concerns.

Will FPP appoint to the board?

FPP have not appointed a representative to the board since their dela to inject £9 million into the club, though Methven told fans at a recent talk-in that there would be a representative at last week’s meeting.

They have not discussed their role at the club, though Donald has said that they are keen to leave the day-to-day running in his hands.

Donald expanded slightly on the agreement with supporters, saying that it would bring ‘secondary benefits’ such as: “analytics, medical science, sponsorship and concert opportunities.”

Verdict

The appointments have been well received by Sunderland supporters, and it is certainly a boost for Donald to bring in a highly-respected figure in Jones at a time when he has facing more criticism than he ever has done since arriving on Wearside.

A fresh voice at board level detached from the current ownership is one that many supporters certainly welcome, though concerns understandably remain not just over Sunderland’s direction as a football club, but how it can be executed on a daily basis.