Rick Parry Receives Lifetime Contribution Award As Football Business Awards Winners Unveiled
May 30, 2022
The winners of the 2022 Football Business Awards were announced today with Rick Parry receiving the Lifetime Contribution to the Business of Football award and Wigan Athletic’s Malachy Brannigan crowned FC Business CEO of the Year.
Wigan were arguably the most successful football club at the awards, with their chief executive Malachy Brannigan claiming League One CEO of the year as well as overall CEO of the year. The Latics also received the award for best fan engagement by a club.
Rick Parry said when receiving his award:
“I don’t do looking backwards, as there’s too much to look forward to. I’ve worked with phenomenal people. I wasn’t sure about the EFL role for a long time, but saw the brilliant owners and people at all levels that exist in the football league, and took the role. Then the pandemic hit. But with thanks to these people we got through.
The model Is changing and things need to change. You don’t need a parachute to fall off a step, things need to change”
Manchester City also continued their winning streak off the back off Premier league victory, after receiving the award for Best New Player/Contract Signing Reveal Campaign:
Rick Parry won the ‘Lifetime Contribution to the Business of Football award’ for making a truly significant and wide-reaching impact on the business of football.
Parry is currently chairman of the EFL, the former chief executive of Liverpool, the original CEO of the Premier League and a board member at New York Cosmos.
In the 10-year history of the Football Business awards, this honour has only been given out on three occasions. Previous recipients; Richard Scudamore CBE, Peter Kenyon and Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.
Clubs from across the Premier League, EFL and SPFL joined sponsors, partners, community schemes and businesses to celebrate exceptional work in football across 23 categories at a lunchtime ceremony at The Brewery in London.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Football Business Awards recognise and reward the off-pitch talents and endeavours that are an invaluable, part of the fabric of football and the communities clubs serve.
Attended by over 415 leading football industry executives, the awards are considered the industry’s foremost accolade, attracting hundreds of entries every year from both the business units within football clubs and those professional services and businesses dedicated to supporting clubs and the game itself.
Simon Burton, Co-founder of the Football Business Awards, said: “Football is no ordinary business. It is at the heart of communities everywhere and we are honoured to celebrate these outstanding achievements and initiatives.”
The winners are:
- Lifetime Contribution to the Business of Football: Rick Parry
- fcbusiness Overall CEO of the Year: Malachy Brannigan, Wigan Athletic FC
- CEO of the Year (Premier League): Phil Alexander, Crystal Palace FC
- CEO of the Year (Championship): Dane Murphy, Nottingham Forest FC
- CEO of the Year (League One): Malachy Brannigan, Wigan Athletic FC
- CEO of the Year (League Two): Colin Garlick, Port Vale FC
- CEO of the Year (SPFL): Andrew McKinlay, Heart of Midlothian
- Best Club Marketing: Bradford City AFC
- Best Brand Activation Involving Football: BT
- Innovation Award: Southampton Football Club
- Agency of the Year: Ten Toes
- Best Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme: Aston Villa
- Best Digital/Social Media Team: Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
- Best Professional Service Business Serving Football: KSS Design Group
- Best New Player/Contract Signing Reveal Campaign: Manchester City FC
- Best Business Serving Football: Football Fun Factory
- Best Fan Engagement by a Club: Wigan Athletic FC
- Sustainability Award: Tottenham Hotspur FC and Sky
- Innovation Award – Non-club: Element 16 Media
- Diversity and Inclusion Award: Brighton & Hove Albion
- Best Use of Technology in Football: EE & Cake
- Sponsorship/Partnership of the Year: Qatar Airways & Fifty Digital
- Best Football Community Scheme: Swansea City FC
