Aston Villa have welcomed an experienced Celtic figure to their ranks in an effort to maintain their upward trajectory.
Adrian Filby, former Celtic Commercial Director, says he is leaving Glasgow with a ‘tinge of sadness’ and a ‘huge dose of enthusiasm’ after joining Premier League club Aston Villa.
Back in June, Glasgow World reported that Filby had opted to quit Parkhead after a total of 21 years with the Hoops during two spells.
Filby, a trained chartered accountant who graduated from the University of Strathclyde, served as Celtic’s Special Projects manager from 1997 to 2002 before moving for a position in the Scottish media industry.
He returned in 2008 to become Hoops’ Commercial Director, and he leaves 16 years later after his second term with the Glasgow giants.
Traditionally, the function of a commercial director in an enterprise includes activities such as billing, labour organisation, cost analysis, and material price negotiations. A commercial director would typically oversee the commercial and management parts of a project to ensure that it is finished on time and within budget.
In an emotional Linkedin post, Filby explained: “So an odd thing happened recently……..instead of heading to Celtic Park to start work, I went to Villa Park!! After 16 years of service to Celtic FC, I headed down the M6 with a mix of melancholy and excitement to take up the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Aston Villa.
“Over the years at Celtic we’ve had a huge degree of commercial success, in reality due to a great team of commercial people behind the scenes who never get the credit they deserve.
“There are too many to mention here but they know who they are. We did deals aplenty with local and global brands culminating in the current deals with brilliant long term partners Dafabet John Cruces, adidas Alasdair Daggett, JD Sports – Michael Armstrong and Joe Simpson, Intelligent Car Leasing Martin Brown and Magners George Kyle. We sold a fair number of jerseys and merch all over the world through our stores, our partners and bringing our online retail operation in house.
“We sold out the stadium with tickets and hospitality helping create amazing atmospheres, grew Celtic TV to new levels and grew our social channels whilst winning marketing awards. Oh, and our Christmas ads became fan favourites along the way.
“Amongst all of that we took the women’s team, made it a central part of the club, turned it professional, won the cups and the league and qualified for the champions league creating opportunities for young women to play the game and earn a living from it. A hugely proud moment.
“So, from the highs of events like the Lions 50th and Player of the Year at the Hydro through to the amazing work the Celtic Foundation do and all of the above, I close this chapter of my career with immense pride. Pride that I got to work with such great people who came together to achieve all of the above in the name of Celtic FC. I will now watch them continue to grow and raise the bar from a distance.”
Filby joins Aston Villa, which recently qualified for the Champions League for the first time since 1982. The former Commercial Operator will rejoin with many of his old colleagues on January 29th, when Celtic face Aston Villa in the league phase’s last game.
He added: ”And so a new chapter at one of the founding fathers of English Football and which is on an absolute tear. This club is going places under a brilliant leadership team and one of the world’s best Managers. And the club captain is a Scot!!
“If you haven’t been to Villa Park then come along!! A stunning new club shop, Fanzone, over £30m invested in best in class hospitality all while remaining sympathetic to an amazing traditional stadium with an incredible matchday atmosphere….and just an hour from London – have I whetted your appetite? I hope so because we are very much open for business, so reach out!
“I always fancied myself as a bit of a villain but now I have found a new home where All Our Heroes Are Villans!!
“Sincere thanks to those who have been with me or helped me on my journey so far – I couldn’t have done it without you!! Now join me and let’s have some fun on the next leg of the journey.”
