Champions League nights at St James' Park
A Companies House update has officially confirmed a major change at Newcastle United.
Last month, Newcastle United announced that Darren Eales would be stepping down from his role as chief executive officer after three years.
Eales was replaced as Newcastle CEO by former Madison Square Garden Sports president, David Hopkinson. It was Hopkinson’s first role back in football since being head of global partnerships at Real Madrid.
“I am incredibly honoured to join Newcastle United at such an exciting time in the club's history,” Hopkinson told the club after his appointment was confirmed. “This club represents something truly special. It has extraordinary history and heritage, incredibly passionate supporters, and ownership, players and staff who are committed to excellence.
“Having worked with iconic teams across different countries, I understand what it takes to build sustainable success at the highest levels of global sport. I greatly admire what has been achieved by the club so far, and I am excited and motivated by what is ahead as we strive to position Newcastle United among the world's elite clubs.”
Darren Eales announces Newcastle United departure
Throughout his time at Newcastle United, Eales has often been the public face of the club, particularly following the departures of Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
On his departure from the club being confirmed, Eales said: "On behalf of my family and I, I want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone connected to this special football club for welcoming us into the Newcastle United family. To all supporters, staff, players, coaches and ownership, you have made my three years here so incredible and I'm immensely proud of what we have achieved together.
"I have made memories that will stay with me forever, and I'm also excited about what the future holds and the successes the club can go on to achieve. I want to warmly welcome David Hopkinson as the club’s new CEO. Newcastle United is in great hands, and I’d like to wish David and the executive team every success as the club continues on the next part of its exciting journey."
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Darren Eales’ departure confirmed via Companies House
Eales was listed as a director of several Newcastle United-related Companies House companies.
But a Companies House update issued on October 22 confirmed that Eales officially resigned from all positions on September 17, 2025. No new appointments at the companies have been confirmed with Newcastle’s chief financial officer, Simon Capper, listed as the sole director of 24 Newcastle United-linked companies on Companies House.
Eales was never listed as a director of the club itself, which has six named directors, including PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan, RB Sports & Media’s Jamie Reuben.
Other directors include Jacobo Solis, Abdulmajid Al-Hagbani, Asmaa Rezeeq and Roger Thornton.
Changes behind the scenes at Newcastle United
After a busy summer and plenty of movement on the transfer front at Newcastle, there were also some major changes behind the scenes with Eales departing and being replaced by Hopkinson.
In addition, Ross Wilson arrived from Nottingham Forest as Newcastle’s new sporting director following the departure of Paul Mitchell from the role in June.
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