Greg Dyke to Replace David Bernstein as FA Chairman

The Football Association board has today unanimously approved Greg Dyke as the governing body’s Independent FA Chairman.

Dyke will take over from David Bernstein, who leaves the position after two and a half years in the job, on 13 July, subject to approval by The FA Council.

The 65-year-old’s previous experience in football includes a spell at Manchester United as a director and since 2006 he has been non-executive Chairman of his boyhood club, Brentford Football Club. He will relinquish his role at Brentford at the end of the current season in order to work at The FA.

Dyke, also has extensive experience in the broadcast industry, having been Director General of the BBC and Managing Director of London Weekend Television.

He said: “Football has always been a big part of my life whether playing 11-a-side on Sunday mornings or six-a-side on Thursday evenings. 

“I was brought up in a household where my father was much more interested in whether or not you had won at football than whether you had passed your exams. In my case that was just as well.

“I still turn out to play six-a-side some Thursday evenings although at my age I seem to spend more time injured than playing.

“I got involved in how the game was run when I was first involved in buying sports rights as Chairman of ITV Sport in the late eighties and later at the BBC. I learnt a lot in the years when I was on the Board of Manchester United and have seen the other side of the professional game at Brentford.”

“I am very excited to take on this role with The FA. At the grass roots seven million people play football every weekend, women’s football is booming and the ambition is for it to be the second biggest team participation sport in England behind only the men’s game, we have the best known, most successful league in the world with the Premier League and the Football League is so much stronger than it was eight years or nine ago.

“Having said that I am a big supporter of financial fair play which, in both the Premier League and the Football League, will have a big impact and hopefully bring a degree of financial sanity to the professional game.

“I do see one of the most important tasks for The FA is, over time, to make thoughtful changes which will benefit the England team. 

“The FA have made a great start by rebuilding Wembley and developing great facilities at St. George’s Park but it is essential that The FA finds a way to ensure that more talented young English footballers are given their chance in the professional game at the highest level.”

FA Chairman David Bernstein added: “I would like to congratulate Greg Dyke on his nomination to succeed me in July as FA Chairman. I wish him every success in this stimulating but demanding role.

“I will ensure that the handover is dealt with efficiently to help in maintaining the stability that has been achieved by The FA since 2010.”

Speaking after today’s FA Board meeting, Chairman of the Nominations Committee Roger Devlin said: “We have every confidence we have got the right appointment in Greg Dyke.

“He has an outstanding understanding of football, strong relationships across the industry and Government, while retaining a great empathy for the game.

“I am confident that Greg will be a successful Chairman, who will lead The FA from the front and be respected by the football community.

“We have an excellent staff at The FA and I know that Greg is looking forward to working with them.”

Michael Cunnah, former Chief Financial Officer of The FA, said exclusively to iSportconnect: “Greg Dyke would appear to have the perfect experience for the FA Chairman position with his various roles at the BBC, Manchester United and Brentford. He will have a very big job to do at The FA to continue David Bernstein’s good work rebuilding The FA’s image domestically and internationally.”

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