LONDON – David Bernstein was officially confirmed as the new chairman of the English Football Association on Tuesday. Bernstein, formerly chairman of Manchester City, won a unanimous vote by the FA board in December to become the permanent successor to Lord Triesman.
That vote was approved by the FA Council on Tuesday and the 67-year-old is now able to begin the job of dragging the English game’s governing body out of a period of strife. Bernstein admits he is keen to bring stability to an organisation rocked by Triesman’s departure following his unproved allegations of corruption involving Russia and Spain during the recent bidding battle to stage the 2018 World Cup.
Speaking to the council, Bernstein said: “Over the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of listening. “I have met many people representing all areas of football in this country to hear their thoughts and ideas on the current issues facing the game. Their input has been invaluable. “By bringing stability to the top of our organisation, I hope to create an environment within which all the positive work that we do is better understood and appreciated.”
Bernstein, currently chairman of Wembley and director of a number of large clothing retailers, was the surprise nomination by the FA board last month. Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein had been viewed as the front-runner but the nominations committee, headed by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, chose Bernstein, with the main difference being his company boardroom experience.
A chartered accountant, he was Manchester City chairman for five years, including the time they secured the lease for new stadium at Eastlands, and he has been Wembley chairman since 2008. Selecting Fabio Capello’s successor as England coach – the Italian has stated he will move on after the Euro 2012 finals in 18 months’ time – heads his list of tasks. Another major job will be to drive forward work on the national football centre at Burton.
