Brighton and Hove Albion have appointed a new sporting director and a new technical director, the club said yesterday (Monday 15 September).
The announcement comes days after former technical director David Weir left the club.
Albion said: “Jason Ayto has joined the club as sporting director and will take up the position with immediate effect.”
Albion chief executive Paul Barber said: “We are delighted to welcome Jason to the club. We are all very much looking forward to working with one of the most talented young sporting directors in the country.”
The 40-year-old will be based at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre, in Lancing, and report to Paul Barber. He will work closely with men’s and women’s team head coaches Fabian Hürzeler and Dario Vidosic.
Ayto will also oversee all footballing areas of the club, including player recruitment, performance and medical for the club’s senior men’s and women’s teams and academies.
He said: “I’m honoured to be appointed sporting director at Brighton and Hove Albion and I’m very grateful to Tony Bloom, Paul Barber and the board for this opportunity.
“This is a special club, admired across the footballing world for its culture, ambition and smart thinking, all of which has underpinned some remarkable progress in recent years.
“To be joining at a time when there is such a strong desire to build on those excellent foundations, innovate further and bring success is incredibly exciting.
“I’m looking forward to getting started and working with and supporting both our head coaches Fabian Hürzeler and Dario Vidosic and their respective playing squads.”
Albion said: “In a further organisational change, assistant technical director Mike Cave has been promoted to the role of technical director.
“Reporting to Jason, Mike will work in close partnership with our new sporting director across all technical areas, including men’s and women’s teams and both academies, and men’s first-team medical and performance areas.”
Ayto said: “I’m also delighted to have the opportunity to work with Mike, who is an excellent operator, incredibly well respected within the game, and with his working knowledge of the club, it will be hugely beneficial working alongside him.
“Together, our focus will be on supporting all of our players, coaches and staff to help us achieve our aims on the pitch.”
Albion added: “Jason left Arsenal at the end of last season, where he held a number of technical roles, including assistant sporting director to Edu, during more than a decade with the Gunners.
“He was promoted to the role of interim sporting director at Arsenal last November, following Edu’s departure – a role he fulfilled until May of this year.
“Hailing from Nottinghamshire, Jason studied at the University of Leicester, and is multi-lingual, speaking Portuguese and Spanish as well as his native English.
“He joined Arsenal from Norwich City, where he worked in a senior role in academy recruitment, during a period when the Canaries won the FA Youth Cup in 2013.
“Prior to that, he had a spell in the US with a start-up football club in Chicago and has several years’ experience from his time working at a sports management company in London.”
Cave joined Albion from Fulham in November 2022 as assistant technical director.
Barber added: “Mike’s work since joining us three years ago has been hugely impressive and I have been delighted at the impact he has made across our technical areas.
“Mike fully deserves this promotion and I would like to congratulate him on his new role.”
Cave said: “I’d like to firstly thank Tony Bloom and Paul Barber for their continued support during my time at Brighton.
“I’d also like to put on record my thanks to David Weir for the opportunity and support he’s shown me since I joined.
“Having this new opportunity to further grow my role and involvement at the club is an exciting next chapter for me personally.
“Having the chance to take on this role working alongside Jason is something I’m extremely excited about. Jason’s reputation amongst his peers and within the wider game is outstanding.
“We have complementary skills and experiences that I believe will allow us to continue to innovate and develop our technical areas towards our goals as a club.”
