 Birch has been chief executive at several clubs, including Chelsea, Leeds United, Everton, Derby County, and Sheffield United, and has worked at Ernst & Young, BDO International, and Duff & Phelps.Birch started out as an apprentice footballer aged 16 when he joined Liverpool in 1974.He left to join Shrewsbury Town in 1979 for a then club record fee of £50,000.