[3] In 2002, he was elected the Telegraph Group's ‘Father of the Chapel’ (the term used to denote a shop steward of the National Union of Journalists).
During a subsequent dispute with management, the Telegraph's NUJ Chapel, led by Methven, went on to pass the first national newspaper strike ballot in over a decade.
[4] The dispute was settled afterward, but Methven left The Telegraph to join the London Evening Standard in 2004, as a feature writer.
[7] Other clients included 5 Hertford Street,[8] Tottenham Hotspur, and Marex Spectron In 2017, Spear's Wealth Management Survey rated him among the top-10 public relations consultants in London in their annual rankings.
[11][12] In May 2018, Methven arranged for Juan Sartori and Stewart Donald to buy Sunderland from American billionaire Ellis Short.
He explained to The Times, who published the leak, that he had "felt exasperated" by the negative reaction to something he regarded as good news and had reacted "intemperately".
[24] Following the leaked account of the private meeting by The Times, Methven said he had already given notice of his resignation from Sunderland's board, eventually stepping down in December 2019 citing the pressures of business and family life.