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ALASTAIR SAVERIMUTTO: THE MAN BEHIND
WIRRAL'S NEXT OLYMPIANS
By Ian Ross
The problem for Alastair Saverimutto has, in essence, always been
one of balance and perspective.
At the age of 50, Saverimutto has already achieved the sort of
business successes which would prompt most – if not all – of his
contemporaries to run up the pole a flag bearing the legend, "mission
accomplished – kindly applaud." That he has always regarded these
accomplishments as mere rungs on a seemingly endless ladder
surprises few who know him and, indeed, many of those who have
never actually met him but have heard the rumours. But, it could just
be that the much-travelled Saverimutto is now, at last, finally within
touching distance of his greatest triumph – the realisation of a longheld
dream on home soil.
Without any great fanfare, slavishly in keeping with his personal
belief that the aforementioned balance and perspective are as
significant in terms of building blocks as are concrete and steel, he
is shortly to open the doors to a very special private independent
sports school in New Brighton, close to his family home.
LIFE Wirral – Learning Individualised For Everyone – is a unique
establishment which combines academic excellence with the
pursuit of world-class sporting achievement. A small, not-for-profit
organisation with no shareholders, LIFE Wirral, which will shortly
be the subject of a thorough OFSTED inspection, is an independent
day school where children between the ages of seven and eighteen
with sporting talent will be offered high quality education running
parallel with elite level human performance and sports coaching.
"Whenever someone uses the word ‘unique’ they always run the very
real risk of being shouted down, contradicted, and whilst unique
is perhaps an overused word in today’s society, we do know from
what has been extensive and exhaustive research that there is no
comparable institution in this region," said Saverimutto.
"My dream has always been to create a bespoke and premier
education business on the Wirral. I know that I am not the first
to target that particular goal but LIFE Wirral is different, it stands
alone, insomuch as it seamlessly combines both the education and
the coaching of some of the region’s most gifted youngsters," he
added.
Saverimutto is fully aware that there will be doubters and naysayers
– quite possibly inside traditional, mainstream education – who will
label him as over-ambitious, perhaps even blinded by his own vision
but he is a man with a proven, and much admired, record as a strong
decision-maker and deal-broker.
In 2003, at the age of just 33, the Everton chairman Bill Kenwright
installed him at Goodison Park as the Head of Commercial
Operations, a key role which carried with it the onerous responsibility
for driving forwards – and upwards - the club’s faltering revenue
streams.
Under Saverimutto within three years Everton’s commercial revenues
had risen from £45 million per annum to in excess of £64 million,
including securing one of the longest standing shirt sponsorships in
premier league history – Chang Beer.
"I loved my time at the club," he said. "I talk about LIFE Wirral being
a unique, singular proposition but football as an industry is a real
stand-alone case… some would say a basket-case!
After three years working with Coral and Netsurf Entertainment
heading up sports sponsorship acquisitions and having secured
a multi-million pound rights deal with Premiership Rugby,
Saverimutto returned to professional football in 2008 when
appointed the CEO at the then-struggling AFC Bournemouth.
"When I took over at Bournemouth the club was, quite frankly, in
a total mess," he said. "It was stuck in administration with a minus
17pt penalty handed down by the Football League and facing almost
certain relegation into the football conference. It truly was a failing
business however I rolled my sleeves up and committed every bit
of experience and expertise I had to turn the club around both
on and off the field, and in 2009 I managed to lead them out of
administration paving the way for its sale and new investment.
"The thing I am most proud of is replacing and then restructuring
the first-team management – twice in the first five months leading to
the appointment of Eddie Howe, at the time the youngest manager
in the Football League.
"Eddie took the club up through the divisions, spending five years
in the Premier League before, sadly, they were relegated to the
Championship at the end of the fractured season just finished.
"Some people thought I was crazy to gamble on such a young
and inexperienced manager but it worked. The fact that a small,
provincial club like Bournemouth could make their way into
England’s elite League and then hold their own against the likes of
Liverpool and Manchester City is absolutely remarkable. I still keep
in touch with Eddie; he’s a talented man and I’m sure he will be back
in football shortly," he added
Saverimutto’s next career step was, well, obvious… Bournemouth
to… Azerbaijan!
"What an adventure – one I undertook with the Arsenal legend Tony
Adams," he said. "I was appointed CEO of the Premier League club,
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