Newcastle United club badge change - executive gets green light after surprise exit
Creator at heart of Newcastle United badge change is handed club promotion as another driving force walks away.
A member of the design team for the flawed Newcastle United club crest change has been handed a promotion just days after another driving force departed.
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Club employee Kenny McIvor has revealed to the world on LinkedIn that he has taken up a key role created by CEO David Hopkinson, one week after colleague Dan Ginger, the face of the club crest change drive, walked away.
NUFC club crest change - what happened and how fans reacted
Newcastle United fans were in uproar last May when the club revealed they wanted to change their club crest - and NewcastleWorld exclusively published the shock leaked image of what it could look like.
Images shared with the publication show exactly how designers on the project - including McIvor and Ginger - had reimagined the badge, as the Magpies confirmed their want to alter the current crest, which has been in place since 1988.
Plans were revealed on Friday, May 9, 2025, and were instantly hit with almost blanket condemnation by supporters on social media.
A press briefing by Ginger, Newcastle’s director of brand, marketing and digital media, explained the club did not see the status quo as an option. Back then, he stated the current badge will either be redesigned, revived or refined. The preferred option, as outlined by Ginger, is for it to be revived and refined, confirming it will 100% be changed for the 2026/27 campaign.
However, as we now know, there's been a real change of direction from within on this - driven largely after the arrival of Hopkinson at the top of the tree. A tidying up of inconsistencies on the crest now seems the most likely, common sense approach.
And while Ginger has walked away from the club, another member of the creative arm driving crest change has been rewarded with a promotion.
LinkedIn post reveals promotion for NUFC exec - and exit for another
Speaking to his LinkedIn followers, McIvor shared a photo of himself with the late Pavel Srnicek, with the words: “Proud and honoured to be promoted to Chief Creative Officer for our amazing football club. Grateful for the trust and excited for what we can collectively deliver.”
Last week, Ginger also revealed to his LinkedIn audience: “Friday was my last day at Newcastle United Football Club. You may know the words of the late Sir Bobby Robson: "It's the noise, the passion, the feeling of belonging, the pride in your city. It's a small boy clambering up stadium steps for the very first time, gripping his father's hand, gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him and, without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love." It's cliché, but I was that small boy.
“Growing up in the North East, Newcastle United wasn’t a choice - it was simply part of you. It shaped your weekends, your moods, your friendships and your memories. So to spend the last three years not just watching from the stands, but helping to shape the future of this special club… I’ll never quite find the words for what that means.
“Thank you to the club, the city, and everyone who makes it what it is. I’m especially grateful to Peter Silverstone, Darren Eales and Dominica O'Neil for hiring me and backing me with unwavering trust from day one. The opportunity to learn from three of the very best in the industry – leaders of integrity, ambition and calm strength – has been one of the greatest privileges of my career. Together, over three years, we changed the trajectory of the club: - ~130% commercial revenue growth- 24% brand value growth - third-fastest among the world’s top 50 football clubs- One of the fastest-growing global brand communities in elite sport, and the fastest-growing social audience in the Premier League- A return of Champions League nights- Winning our first domestic trophy in 70 years, resulting in the greatest celebration this city has ever seen- International tours across the USA, Australia, Japan, Korea & Singapore- Exceptional growth of the Mags Membership proposition.
“None of this would have been possible without my incredibly talented team, led by Natalie Raine, Kenneth McIver, Jonny Excell, Phillip Porter, Simon M., and Hilbre Philipson. Growing the department from 16 to around 50 people has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career. Thank you for your trust, your leadership and your belief. The club is in very safe hands.
“To my fellow Commercial Directors - Yvette Thompson, Simon Lilley and Jonathan Kane - it has been quite a ride. Thank you for being exceptional colleagues, leaders and friends.
“And David Hopkinson - I wish you every success. It's a special responsibility, and I have no doubt you'll carry it with real energy, purpose and ambition.
“For anyone who hasn't experienced it, Newcastle is a rare place. Club and community are inseparable here. I've known that since I was old enough to climb those steps. Getting to serve it has been the privilege of a lifetime.”