Sporting KC’s hire of Gavin Wilkinson continues to draw backlash from club’s fans
Sporting Kansas City’s hire of former Portland Timbers and Thorns executive Gavin Wilkinson continues to elicit the ire of fans and supporters.
Wilkinson, 50, was hired as the club’s new sporting director last week. His soccer credentials are strong, but he was fired as the Timbers’ general manager/president in October 2022, in the wake of the independent Sally Yates probe into the Thorns’ handling of sexual assault allegations against former coach Paul Riley by player Mana Shim.
Wilkinson had been removed from the same role with the Thorns a year prior.
During his introductory news conference with Sporting KC last Thursday, Wilkinson denied the allegation — detailed in the Yates report — that he had advocated on Riley’s behalf, allegedly telling Western New York Flash (now North Carolina Courage) vice president Aaron Lines that Riley “was put in a bad position by the player.”
Wilkinson called such allegations hearsay but said he “should have done more to prevent the future hiring” and “should have stood up and said more instead of following legal advice.”
Starting last Thursday evening, after the team’s introductory news conference for Wilkinson, Sporting KC’s two largest fan organizations — The Cauldron and South Stand supporters group — circulated separate statements detailing their concerns.
Both groups said they’d brought those concerns to the Sporting KC front office.
“They discussed our concerns at length and agreed to make Gavin Wilkinson available for a Q&A with Sporting Supporters to give us an opportunity to directly voice concerns, ask questions, and hold Gavin accountable,” The Cauldron’s statement read.
One sub-group under the umbrella of The Cauldron, Ladies of SKC, asked outright for Sporting KC to rescind the hiring of Wilkinson altogether.
“The public outcry, of which we are a part of, should have been foreseeable to the Sporting KC leadership,” the group’s statement read. “There were undoubtedly many candidates for this position who did not have a history of ignoring and covering up abusive behaviors. The hiring of the one candidate who did shows a stunning lack of prudence and equity.”
Sporting KC president and CEO Jake Reid did not comment directly on the backlash during a brief phone call with The Star on Tuesday. But he did say the team hopes to get Wilkinson in front of fans “sooner rather than later.”
“We’re excited to still get Gavin in front of folks,” Reid said. “We want to do a Q&A, a town hall with not just the core supporters, but any fans in general.
“I think our brand has always been to be transparent and put ourselves out front, and we don’t intend to do anything different around that.”
Pressed for a timetable — when such a gathering might take place — Reid noted Sporting KC’s busy preseason schedule but said the club’s aim is “at the latest, late February, early March.”