NEWCASTLE FALCONS are looking for a new chief executive after Paul Varley stepped down less than a year into his role as the head of the rugby club.

Varley, who was appointed to lead the Falcons in January, has left his position as both director and company secretary of the club’s owners, Newcastle Rugby Limited.

He will continue to chair Newcastle Falcons’ community foundation and intends to be at Northampton’s Franklins Gardens as a fan this weekend as Dean Richards’ side look to maintain their decent start to the Aviva Premiership season.

Varley is the managing director of renewable specialists Carillion Energy Services, and his departure leaves Falcons with a key gap to fill as they look to continue their development under owner Semore Kurdi.

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DURHAM CRICKET CLUB were one of the big winners at the ECB’s Business of Cricket Awards, which were held at the Cumberland Hotel in London this week.

The awards, which are designed to celebrate marketing and PR excellence across domestic and international cricket, were attended by representatives of all 18 first-class counties and the MCC.

Durham won the best promotion of a major match award and were named team of the year in recognition for the work that was carried out to promote and deliver the staging of an Ashes Test against Australia this summer.

A four-strong judging panel, chaired by Karen Earl, praised Durham for “their creativity, initiative, astute commercial acumen and sheer hard work in delivering a successful season both on and off the field”.

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GATESHEAD are breathing a huge sigh of relief after BT Sport agreed to televise their re-arranged FA Cup first-round replay with Oxford United on Thursday, December 5.

The BT Sport cameras were at Gateshead International Stadium on Wednesday, but a sudden downpour meant the Heed’s biggest night for years was ruined when their replay was postponed.

BT Sport did not have to televise the re-arranged game, and Gateshead would have missed out on £33,750 had the television channel opted to show something else.

However, BT Sport officials worked with the two clubs and the FA to come up with an alternative date, and the cameras will be back on Tyneside at the start of next month.

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LAST week’s Insider column revealed that Mark Venus had been at Sedgefield Racecourse with members of the Middlesbrough squad while Aitor Karanka’s appointment as the club’s new head coach was being rubber-stamped.

We have been asked to point out that the trip was a pre-arranged visit on behalf of Middlesbrough’s charitable foundation rather than a team-bonding exercise. The Insider is happy to provide clarification.

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DAVE PARNABY’S contribution to Middlesbrough’s successful academy will be recognised on Tuesday when he receives an honorary doctorate in Professional Achievement from Teesside University.

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A DELEGATION from Sunderland Football Club attended the official opening of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg this week.

Chief executive Margaret Byrne, commercial director Gary Hutchinson and club ambassador Jimmy Montgomery watched South African president Jacob Zuma open the multi-purpose facility which will promote Nelson Mandela’s legacy and continue his social and charitable work.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation was established in 1999 to promote the former president’s legacy of social justice, and Sunderland announced a partnership with the charity earlier this year.