 Birch was given the task of overhauling the Merseyside club's finances, but resigned after a disagreement over strategy with the board and major shareholders.Since then Birch has been a partner at Deloitte and Chief Operating Officer of Sportfive, the largest football rights agency in Europe, as well as holding other Chief Executive roles at Derby County and Sheffield United.He returned to the accountancy profession in 2011 and undertook the role of Administrator at financially troubled Portsmouth.