AMANDA DOCHERTY has been appointed communications director of The FA. Docherty will lead the reformed communications division in operation at Wembley Stadium and the national football center at St. George's Park. As a member of The FA's senior management team working for CEO MARTIN GLENN, she assumes overall communications responsibility for the organization including its four-year strategic plan, England teams, the Emirates FA cup, women's football, the grassroots game and CSR. She will be supported by GREG DEMETRIOU, who steps up to become head of communications having previously led on corporate communications within The FA's strategy team. The new appointments follow SCOTT FIELD's departure from The FA to join the British Olympic Association as director of communications. For 12 years, Docherty was the communications chief at Arsenal and part of the senior exec management team (The FA). ... JAMES MURDOCH is to return to Sky as chair, "almost four years after he was forced to stand down in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal." Murdoch, who was CEO and then chairman from '03 to '12, stepped down because of the "fallout from the phone hacking scandal at News International, publisher of the Sun, Times and now defunct News of the World, where he held the role of chairman." Murdoch, who remained a Sky non-exec director after stepping down as chairman, "replaces NICK FERGUSON who is leaving the company after 12 years." Murdoch "was the sole candidate put forward to Sky's board by the nominations committee" (London GUARDIAN, 1/29). ... GARY LOCKE has resigned as Scottish Premiership side Kilmarnock manager, the club announced. Locked "reached his decision after the 1-0 home defeat by Hamilton on Saturday that kept the Ayrshire club in the relegation play-off position." He will be replaced by LEE MCCULLOCH "on an interim basis pending a permanent appointment" (PA, 1/30). ... The Injured Jockeys Fund announced that ANTHONY MCCOY "is to become its president, replacing JOHN FRANCOME, who took up the role in 2012" (LONDON TIMES, 1/29). ... Liga MX side León Manager JUAN ANTONIO PIZZI has been announced as the next manager of Chile's national team, "succeeding the departed JORGE SAMPAOLI, who left his post to pursue other opportunities." Pizzi "will take over as the manager of the defending Copa America champions next week and will stay in the position until the end of the 2018 World Cup." Argentine-born Pizzi, 47, has managed León since '14 and "was the boss at Spanish Primera Division club Valencia for a year prior to that" (ESPN, 1/30).
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