Brisbane Roar Football Club is proud to announce the appointment of James Gow as the club’s new full time Sporting Director, marking one of the most significant football appointments in the club’s recent history.
Gow arrives in Brisbane with more than 13 years at Liverpool Football Club, a UEFA Pro Licence, a Masters in Sporting Directorship, and senior leadership experience across some of the most respected football environments in the world.
At Liverpool, Gow held roles spanning performance analysis, academy coaching and international academy direction, working under the likes of Kenny Dalglish and former Pep Guardiola assistant Rodolfo Borrell. He went on to lead the academy at UAE champions Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi, one of the most decorated development programs in the Middle East. Gow oversaw a period of huge player development success at Jazira – with 13 players making debuts for the first team from the academy.
Most recently, Gow served as Sporting Director at Danish club Aalborg BK (AaB), a founding member of the Danish Superliga and four-time national champion. He arrived in 2023 with the club freshly relegated from the top flight for the first time in 36 years and guided AaB to immediate promotion back to the Danish Superliga in his first season. His tenure was marked by record transfer revenues for the club and the promotion of 11 academy players into the senior squad, several of whom went on to secure significant moves of their own, proof of a recruitment, development and trading model built to last.
In his new role at Brisbane Roar, Gow will oversee the Men’s, Women’s and youth development pathway, with a clear mandate to establish a unified club identity, a distinctive style of play, and a modern pathway for Queensland’s best young footballers.
This additional appointment allows Brisbane Roar Chief Operating Officer Zac Anderson to increase his focus on the operational and commercial engine of the football club, whilst still supporting Gow in his role. Anderson has driven the club’s recent player trading success, including the transfers of Thomas Waddingham to Portsmouth, Sharn Freier to VfL Wolfsburg, Leia Varley to 1. FC Nürnberg and Lucas Herrington to Colorado Rapids. With Gow now leading the technical side, Anderson can concentrate on infrastructure, commercial growth and the day-to-day operations that underpin the club’s long-term ambitions.
Brisbane Roar CEO Kaz Patafta said, “Bringing James to Brisbane Roar is a statement of where this club is headed and our focus now to have a club driven approach. His experience at Liverpool, Al Jazira and AaB speaks for itself, but what excited us most was his personal drive and clear plan to build sustainable success on field. He understands how to build a football identity, how to develop young players, and how to build successful teams. That is exactly what this club, this city and our supporters deserve.”
“With James leading our football and Zac Anderson able to fully apply himself to the operational and commercial side of the club, whilst still supporting James, we have the right people in the right seats to build Brisbane Roar into the club our members, partners and city expect.”
James Gow said, “I’m excited to be joining Brisbane Roar at such an important moment for the club. There’s a clear ambition here to build something sustainable and aligned across all areas of football, which attracted me to the role.
“This is a club with huge potential and a strong connection to its community, and I see a real opportunity to create something the region can be proud of.
“My focus will be on bringing clarity – in how we play, how we recruit, and how we develop players – so that everything across the club is aligned. This means establishing a strong football identity, creating a clear pathway for Queensland’s best young players, and building towards consistent success on the pitch.
“I look forward to working closely with Kaz, Zac, head coaches and everyone at the club. It’s an honour to be a part of the Roar family.”
Gow will commence his duties on May, 1 2026. Welcome to Brisbane Roar, James.
