No power switch, claims Kenyon successor at United

DAVID GILL’S first task as Manchester United’s new chief executive yesterday has been to play down the significance of predecessor Peter Kenyon’s shock defection to rivals Chelsea.

In stepping up from his role as managing director, Gill faces the onerous task of softening the potentially damaging blow created by the departure of Kenyon, a man who has the inside financial track on Manchester United. Kenyon will join Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich's Chelsea revolution in a few months' time after serving a period of what is being described as "garden leave" during which contracts and compensation will be resolved.

In his six years at Old Trafford, the latter three of which were as chief executive, Kenyon's marketing genius saw him turn the club into a global brand and attract the likes of Nike and Vodafone in multi-million pound sponsorship deals.