Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell sacked: Rangers part company with chief executive and sporting director
Patrick Stewart joined Rangers as chief executive last December, following time at Manchester Utd; Kevin Thelwell left Everton in the summer before taking over as Ibrox sporting director; Chairman Andrew Cavenagh exclusively tells Sky Sports News: "We need something different"
Monday 24 November 2025 12:49, UK
Rangers have sacked chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, chairman Andrew Cavenagh said the club "need something different" to help move forward.
Stewart and Thelwell had come under pressure in recent months following a difficult start to the season, while questions were also raised over a number of summer signings.
In June, the duo appointed Russell Martin as head coach, but the club were forced to sack him after just 123 days - making him the shortest-serving boss in Rangers' 153-year history.
- Scottish Premiership games coming up live on Sky Sports
- Got Sky? Watch now on the Sky Sports app 📱
- Not got Sky? Get instant access with no contract 📺
Thelwell also led Rangers' summer recruitment drive, sanctioning a deal worth up to £10m for Youssef Chermiti, plus moves for 11 others - resulting in a net spend of around £20m.
Former Everton chief Thelwell - who started at Ibrox in June - was also questioned for appointing a number of former colleagues, including Dan Purdy as technical director, Jonathan Hunter-Barrett as academy director and his son Robbie as head of recruitment.
However, Cavenagh confirmed to Sky Sports News none of the additional appointments are expected to depart Ibrox following the dismissals of Stewart and Thelwell.
He added: "Everybody who's contributing to the club has the chance to stay. In a high-performing organisation, everybody is accountable, and that starts with Paraag [Marathe, vice chairman] and myself and goes all the way through the organisation."
While Thelwell's hiring was announced prior to the US takeover of the club, Cavenagh did confirm he sanctioned the appointment.
Stewart - who joined last December following a spell at Manchester United - and Thelwell were also involved in the process to appoint current head coach Danny Röhl, which was widely criticised following attempts to land Steven Gerrard and Kevin Muscat.
Exclusive: Cavenagh explains decision to sack duo
Cavenagh confirmed the search for replacements has already begun, and he is leading the process alongside Marathe, with director Fraser Thornton taking on the role as acting CEO.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, he said: "Paraag and I have analysed the club's needs, and as we reflect on what the club needs today, and where Kevin and Patrick are, we think we need something different."
When asked what had changed after backing the duo last month, he added: "Our focus the first part of this season, the first part of our ownership period, has been on the sporting side and that's where all of our attention went to for obvious reasons.
"With Danny coming in, he has started to improve the on-pitch performance, and that has created the space to allow Paraag and I to look at other parts of the club with new eyes and assess what we need going forward.
"I think responsible change has to be measured. I don't think you can come in and tear something completely apart all at once. You're likely to get something wrong.
"It's very common when new ownership comes into a club that changes are made. We've taken six months to make these changes. We believe they're the right changes for the club going forward, and I think our supporters would understand that."
'New appointments must appreciate and understand the club'
When asked about the search process, Cavenagh confirmed meetings with candidates had already started and added: "Our focus, as you would hope and expect, is on quality and fit and not on speed, so it might take us a little bit of time.
"We have positioned the club with Fraser coming in as the acting CEO so that we can allow ourselves the time to make the right choice, but we know that some of the people we're talking to are in other positions and they may have notice periods, and we want to make sure that we're absolutely ready as we head into the spring and summer.
"The most important thing for anyone in this club is to have an appreciation for and understand the club.
"You can do that without having grown up in the club, and I actually think Danny is a great example of that.
"I think he gets it and the fans get him, so I think it's possible to create that relationship without having been in this club, but our executives must understand what it is to be a part of this club and what it means to our supporters."
