General Sports Worldwide (Football – General Sports Europe)
Global Hybrid Agency
UK €25mm
Key Facts
Also known as: GSW Football
Founded: 2017 (General Sports Europe Ltd incorporated in Wilmslow; wider GSW group active since early 2000s)
Headquarters: Wilmslow, United Kingdom (registered office at Aus-Bore House, Manchester Road; additional hubs in London and Detroit)
Players: 60+ (1st tier: 6) – Total market value: €25mm
FIFA/FA registration: UK FA Registered Football Agents; multiple staff hold FIFA Football Agent licences (e.g. Mark Gottlieb, Nick Andrews)
Languages: English (primary)
Regions covered: UK & Ireland; Scandinavia & Northern Europe; Central Europe; North America; Caribbean
Email: Not publicly listed for the football division – contact via official General Sports Worldwide website and GSW Football social channels
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalsportsworldwide/
Instagram football: https://www.instagram.com/gsw_football
About
General Sports Worldwide is a global sports business group combining a long-running US-based consultancy with a European football agency arm under General Sports Europe. Founded by former Detroit Pistons executive and ex-Derby County owner Andy Appleby, the group expanded into football player representation through the acquisition and integration of 366 Group, later rebranded as General Sports Europe.
GSW now manages athletes across football, American football, cricket, athletics and boxing, with the football unit focused on EFL, Scottish, Nordic and emerging international markets.
Its differentiator is the blend of club-side consulting (ticketing, sponsorship, team M&A, executive search) and player representation, giving agents an unusually strong understanding of how clubs think commercially and operationally.
Key People
CEO/Founder:
Andy Appleby – Founder & Chairman, General Sports Worldwide; former owner and chairman of Derby County; Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2002).
Managing Director:
Mark Gottlieb – Managing Director of Talent, General Sports Europe – FA Registered & FIFA Licensed Agent; leads the football talent portfolio in the UK and Europe.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-gottlieb
Head of Football
Mark Aspinall
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-aspinall
Licensed agents:
Mark Gottlieb – Managing Director of Talent, General Sports Europe – FA Registered Agent & FIFA Licensed Agent.
Nick Andrews – General Counsel & COO, General Sports Europe – FA Registered & FIFA Licensed Agent, overseeing legal, regulatory and football operations.
Mark Aspinall – FA Registered & FIFA Licensed Agent
James Cross – Managing Director, GSW Cricket – FA Registered & FIFA Licensed Agent, covering cricket and selected crossover commercial projects.
Michael Huyghue – Managing Director of North America, veteran NFL executive and athlete manager, supporting multi-sport talent strategy.
Client Roster
Top players (current)
Dan Ballard (Sunderland AFC) – 22/09/1999
Tom Bradshaw (Oxford United) – 27/07/1992
Ben Wilmot (Stoke City) – 04/11/1999
Dujon Sterling (Rangers) – 24/10/1999
Will Grigg (Chesterfield FC) – 03/07/1991
Kristian Dennis (Tranmere Rovers) – 12/03/1990
Fraser Horsfall (Blackpool FC) – 12/11/1996
Brad Halliday (Bradford City) – 10/07/1995
Jake Beesley (Burton Albion) – 02/12/1996
MJ Williams (Barrow AFC) – 06/11/1995
Aaron Hayden (Carlisle United) – 16/01/1997
Armando Dobra (Chesterfield FC) – 14/04/2001
Sam Dalby (Bolton Wanderers) – 07/12/1999
André Raymond (Ilves Tampere) – 09/11/2000
Rising talents / U23
Ashley Hay (Dundee FC) – 10/07/2003
James Scanlon (Manchester United U21) – 28/09/2006
Rodrigo Vitols (Aberdeen FC B) – 20/02/2007
Alfie Pond (Wolverhampton Wanderers U21) – 01/03/2004
Mason Terry (Braintree Town, on loan from West Ham United) – 20/09/2004
Jack Thompson (Derby County U21) – 14/12/2006
Ben Casey (Potters Bar Town) – 29/09/2005
Matt Rush (Boreham Wood FC) – 11/03/2001
Notable former clients
Not publicly disclosed – the available public listing focuses on currently represented players, and GSW does not publish a full historical client list.
Coaches/Staff represented (if any)
The athlete management arm states that it represents “players, managers and industry broadcasters” across multiple sports, but specific football coaches or technical staff are not named publicly at the time of writing.
Notable Deals
2022 – Dan Ballard from Arsenal to Sunderland AFC – Permanent transfer to then-Championship Sunderland, later promoted to the Premier League; fee officially undisclosed, long-term contract reportedly through 2028.
2024 – Tom Bradshaw to Oxford United – Centre-forward moves from Millwall to Oxford United on a permanent deal; contract details undisclosed but recorded under GSW’s representation.
2025 – Sam Dalby from Wrexham to Bolton Wanderers – Free transfer after his Wrexham contract expired; four-year contract through 2029 following a prolific loan spell at Dundee United.
2025 – André Raymond from St Johnstone to Ilves Tampere – Permanent move for the Trinidad and Tobago left-back to Finnish top-flight side Ilves, after a short spell at St Johnstone and Dunfermline; fee undisclosed, multi-year deal.
2025 – Ashley Hay to Dundee FC – Young English centre-forward secures a move into the Scottish Premiership with Dundee FC on a contract running to 2027.
2025 – Ben Casey from Watford to Potters Bar Town – Watford academy centre-back joins Potters Bar Town for senior minutes in the Isthmian Premier Division.
2024 – Brad Halliday contract extension at Bradford City – Experienced right-back signs a new deal extending his stay to 2026.
2025 – Kristian Dennis contract extension at Tranmere Rovers – Centre-forward extends his contract to 2026 after a productive spell at Tranmere.
Services
Contract negotiation and career planning
Transfers and loans (domestic and cross-border)
Commercial and sponsorship deals (endorsements, brand partnerships, appearances)
Image rights structuring and exploitation in line with FA and FIFA rules
Legal advisory and contract review through in-house counsel and external specialist law firms
Relocation, lifestyle support and concierge services for players and families
Performance support via data-driven scouting insights and video analysis in collaboration with club and third-party providers
Post-career planning, education and networking through GSW’s consulting and executive-search arms
Partner Network
Clubs in the Premier League and EFL, SPFL and selected European leagues (including advisory work with clubs such as Altrincham FC and sponsorship of fcbusiness CEO of the Year awards recognising executives at clubs like Leicester City, Brentford, Blackpool, Forest Green and Rangers)
Ticketing, data and fan-engagement providers used in club consulting projects
Domestic and international law firms experienced in FA and FIFA regulations and commercial contracts
Strength & conditioning, medical, rehab and lifestyle specialists within the group’s multi-sport network
Commercial agencies and brands from GSW’s sponsorship brokering division
Track Record (last 3 seasons – indicative)
Total transfers completed: Approx. 25–35 permanent and loan deals involving GSW-represented footballers since 2022
Deals ≥ €10m: 0 publicly reported in football during this period
Clients in top-5 leagues: 1 active (Dan Ballard at Sunderland in the Premier League 2025/26)
National team clients: At least 3 current full internationals (e.g. Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Trinidad & Tobago) plus several youth internationals
Renewal/extension deals: 10+ contract renewals and option activations (including Brad Halliday and Kristian Dennis)
Approach & Philosophy
GSW positions itself as a “360°” service provider, where the people negotiating on behalf of players are the same types of executives clubs hire for ticketing, sponsorship and M&A projects. This creates a very club-literate style of representation – agents understand how CEOs and sporting directors think about value, risk and commercial upside, and can present clients in those terms.
On the player side, the football team emphasises long-term career mapping, regular re-evaluation of the player’s pathway, and early planning for life after football through education, business and media contacts across GSW’s global network. Lifestyle and family support are treated as part of performance, with the agency handling off-pitch stressors so players can focus on football.
Fees & Transparency
GSW does not publicly publish its fee scales or individual deal commissions. Based on FA guidance and industry norms, most UK-based football agents work around the standard 3–5% commission range on a player’s gross basic salary or, where acting for a buying club, a similar percentage of the transfer fee.
The group’s legal background suggests a structured approach to:
Documenting representation agreements in line with FA Football Agent Regulations and FIFA FFAR
Avoiding conflicts around dual representation where new rules apply
Clear separation between club-consulting mandates and player-representation mandates to minimise conflicts of interest
Specific policies on dual representation, image-rights revenues and chargeable expenses are not detailed publicly and are likely agreed case-by-case in written representation contracts.
Compliance & Reputation
Disciplinary actions / sanctions:
No FIFA or FA disciplinary sanctions specific to General Sports Worldwide / General Sports Europe are publicly reported at the time of writing.
Litigation / disputes:
No notable public litigation involving GSW’s football agency arm has been identified; the firm instead appears in wider industry discussions around FFAR and agent regulation as a professional, licensed operator rather than as a respondent.
Media sentiment:
Media and industry sentiment is broadly positive to neutral – GSW is frequently referenced as a sponsor and advisory partner in football business awards and club announcements, and as transaction advisor in club M&A processes.
Awards/recognition
Founder Andy Appleby – Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2002).
General Sports Worldwide – Regular sponsor of the fcbusiness CEO of the Year award and Football Business Awards, giving the brand strong visibility among club executives across the UK.
