Football

but Mike, english clubs have never tried it for any length of time, its only now with clubs being taken over by foreign owners that this "new" way of organising a club is being given a chance.

read this wiki and there are a couple of different types of directors of football, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director_of_football
and no one over here has said this is what we do, and we'll continue to do this whoever is our manager. Closest is probably the David Dein/Arsene Wenger partnership, except Dein was on the board/Chairman at Arsenal.

I know of no other business sector which allows their core business to be managed by someone who has no interest in ensuring long term prosperity and stability.