Triesman departure sparks FA scramble
A MASS scramble has begun to land the job of the most powerful man in English football following Lord Triesman’s resignation as chairman of the Football Association on Sunday.
Triesman stepped down both from the FA and as chairman of England’s 2018 World Cup bid after he was secretly recorded telling a friend that Spain would support Russia’s bid in return for help bribing referees in South Africa.
Board members David Sheepshanks and Roger Burden have been named as joint acting chairmen, but a number of high-profile names have been touted as potential candidates.
As yet, FA chiefs have made no comments or approaches to fill the role but here is a list of the men being touted as English football’s next top dog.
LORD ALAN SUGAR
The high-profile former Tottenham Hotspur chairman has already admitted his interest in the role. Fronting TV series The Apprentice, and with a personal fortune of £830m, the 53-year-old has become a highly-successful entrepreneur, but is often criticised for his no-nonsense business approach.
GEOFF THOMPSON
The man charged with repairing the damage to England’s 2018 World Cup bid in the wake of Triesman’s comments. Has held the chairman’s position before, for nine years, and is also a former vice-president of both Uefa and Fifa where his friendship with Fifa president Sepp Blatter is a huge pull.
DAVID SHEEPSHANKS
Appointed acting FA chairman with Roger Burden on Sunday, 57-year-old Sheepshanks is a well-liked, well-respected and long-serving member of the FA board. The former Ipswich Town chairman has previously been chairman of the Football League but has twice been overlooked for the role.
RICK PARRY
A former chief executive of Liverpool for 10 years, 55-year-old Parry is also a former head of the FA Premier League. Parry quit Liverpool last summer following criticism he sided with George Gillet in the Anfield power struggle with co-owner Tom Hicks. He is, however, known as a shrewd operator.
BRIAN MAWHINNEY
Mawhinney has recently stepped down after seven successful years as chairman of the Football League, helping to oversee the league’s re-structure in 2004. The 69-year-old is also a former Conservative Minister without Portfolio, who also served for two years as party chairman.
MARTIN BROUGHTON
Was appointed chairman of Liverpool last month to oversee the sale of the Anfield club. Broughton has also been the chairman of British Airways for the last six years after joining the board as a non-executive director in 2000. The 63-year-old is also a former deputy president of the CBI.