Turbulence at the top of a Championship club has led recruitment specialist John Park to resign from Blackburn Rovers after just five months.
Park, who previously worked with Rangers and Celtic, returned to Ewood Park in the summer to head up the recruitment department. He had initially held the role during the 2021-22 season but left following the departure of manager Tony Mowbray.
Journalist Alan Nixon has reported “power struggles” within Blackburn’s hierarchy, describing the current structure as “top heavy.” These internal issues are believed to have played a significant role in Park’s decision to step down.
During a career spanning several clubs, Park has held key recruitment roles at Hibs, Motherwell, Hamilton Accies, Maccabi Haifa, Vancouver Whitecaps, Legia Warsaw, and Birmingham City.
At Celtic, he served as Football Development Manager before becoming head of recruitment, while more recently, he took on a senior scouting role at Rangers.
Upon his return to Blackburn in the summer, Park spoke enthusiastically about rejoining the club:
“It was a club that was close to my heart when I left, and I’ve always kept in touch with the people at the club, so I’m really looking forward to the challenge of trying to put another team together.
“I enjoyed it immensely first time around. I loved the area and I loved the people. The staff were really kind to me and I felt a good affinity with everyone here, and I think that’s what endeared me to come back.”
Now, however, his second stint at Blackburn has ended prematurely amid the club’s off-field upheaval.