England football’s first ever Head of AI

Did you know that Reading Football Club appointed England’s first ever Head of Artificial Intelligence? I had the pleasure of meeting Stuart Fenton this week:

⚽ ABOUT READING FC:

One of the oldest football clubs in England (founded 1871!)

Men’s first team competing in League One – third tier of pro men’s football, below the Championship.

Owned by Redwood Holdings, a company controlled by Rob Couhig (serving as club chairman) and Todd Trosclair.

Bold ambition to return to the English Premier League through innovation and culture change!

⚽ WHY AN INVESTMENT IN AI?

The club competes against better-resourced teams, so they see early adoption of AI as a way to leapfrog rivals.

The owners are embracing a culture change focused on data, evidence-based decisions, and long-term transformation.

⚽ IN ROB COUHIG'S WORDS:

*** “AI is going to be a big part of everybody’s life and everything we do, and football is going to be a big part of it… And AI has the potential to upgrade every part of the business.” ***

⚽ ABOUT THE HEAD OF AI:

Stuart Fenton is a lifelong Reading fan, a genuinely great guy, and brings over a decade of experience in tech and AI.

He is responsible for the vision for the club's AI adoption, working across departments and teams on and off the pitch.

With some early implementations and partnerships already underway.

❓❓ WHAT'S YOUR NEXT AI INVESTMENT?

Reading Football Club have taken a bold step by appointing a dedicated AI lead!

If you’re not quite there yet, Ready Sport Global can help define the strategy, structure, and opportunities to ensure AI supports your sporting and commercial goals.