The six Championship clubs operating without a Sporting Director or equivalent - including Preston North End

Rotherham United appointed their first Director of Football last week in Rob Scott - making the Millers the 18th Championship club to employ someone in such position or equivalent.

Preston North End remain one of the six clubs to operate without one, along with Cardiff City, Coventry City, Sheffield Wednesday, Queens Park Rangers and Hull City. Peter Ridsdale has been club director at Deepdale since 2021 - prior to that he had worked under the title of owners' representative as of 2012.

The job of a DoF/Sporting Director/Technical Director - a role which has increased in prominence over the last decade - is to oversee the club's football operations. It is a strategic position, with a focus on all aspects of the club from recruitment, contracts, scouting, academy, club identity, infrastructure, finances, data analytics, sports science and more.

With the appointment of a 'head coach' also a growing trend, the DoF's work is designed to allow the coach or manager to focus on his team and on-field matters for match day. Scott is the latest to take up such a position in the second tier, as part of 'behind-the-scenes restructuring' at Rotherham. Renowned football website Training Ground Guru has now provided an overview of the sporting director scene in the Championship.

Technical Directors, Championship

Birmingham City (Craig Gardner), Bristol City (Brian Tinnion), Leeds United (Gretar Steinsson), Stoke City (Ricky Martin)

Directors/Heads of Football, Championship

Blackburn Rovers (Gregg Broughton), Ipswich Town (Gary Probert), Leicester City (Joe Rudkin), Middlesbrough (Kieran Scott), Millwall (Alex Aldridge), Plymouth Argyle (Neil Dewsnip), Rotherham United (Rob Scott), Southampton (Jason Wilcox)

Sporting Directors, Championship

Huddersfield Town (Mark Cartwright), Norwich City (Ben Knapper), Sunderland (Kristjaan Speakman, Swansea City (Paul Watson), Watford (Gianluca Nani)