Sunday Times
President of England’s failed 2018 World Cup bid, David Dein, has put himself forward to take over as chairman of the Football Association
David Dein, the international president of England’s 2018 World Cup bid, has put his name forward to be the next chairman of the Football Association. Dein is not commenting publicly on the subject but is believed to have met Nolan Partners, the headhunters appointed by the FA. He is understood to have told them he would take the job providing certain conditions are met, including how the FA is governed and a clear outline of exactly how much power the role of the chairman carries.
Dein’s name is expected to be near the top of the list that the nominations committee, headed by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, will present to the FA board when it meets on December 22. The former Arsenal vice-chairman’s globe-trotting for England’s 2018 bid meant that in the past few months he spent only five nights at home. Although the bid failed, he was one of the campaign’s few successes, making a particular impression on government ministers.
Dein is regarded as one of the most influential behind-the-scenes operators in football. He was responsible for the recruitment of Arsène Wenger as Arsenal manager and putting the club on a secure financial base. Terry Venables, the former England boss, described him yesterday as “the outstanding candidate” for the job.
The headhunters are also believed to have spoken to Paul Elliott, who was on the board of 2018. In the past decade, since injury forced him out of the game, he has been active in football administration, in particular the “Kick it Out” anti-racism campaign. Even if he is not considered for the chairmanship, Elliott may well be in the running for a senior non-executive role, proving evidence of the FA’s willingness to be inclusive.
Howard Wilkinson, the Sheffield Wednesday chairman and former England caretaker-manager, has been mentioned in speculation about the top job but he is not seriously in the running.
The need for a chairman who can get the FA back on track has become urgent since the debacle that saw England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup poll only two votes out of 22. Acting chairman Roger Burden was expected to take the job permanently but decided he didn’t want it after all because he would have to deal with Fifa officials he didn’t trust.
It was a double U-turn by the former chief executive of the Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society. When he stepped in after Lord Triesman resigned in May, he indicated that his stay would be temporary before changing his mind.
