David Keyte
{{Short description|English football businessman (1954–2022)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
David Keyte (1954 – 5 April 2022[https://yourherefordshire.co.uk/all/sports-news/news-former-hereford-united-chairman-david-keyte-has-died-after-a-battle-with-cancer/ Former Hereford United chairman David Keyte has died after a battle with cancer]) was an English businessman and football chairman.
Keyte went to Hereford Cathedral School and played for Hereford United Reserves in the 1970s, having been signed by Colin Addison. He also played football for Westfields.[http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/local/county/8202670.Hereford_United_s_new_chairman_revealed/ David Keyte replaces Graham Turner at Hereford United] HerefordTimes.com, retrieved 2 August 2010 He was also a cricketer, playing as a wicket-keeper for Worcestershire 2nd XI.[https://cricketarchive.com/Worcestershire/Players/65/65731/65731.html David Keyte] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000722/http://www.cricketarchive.com/Worcestershire/Players/65/65731/65731.html |date=4 March 2016 }} CricketArchive.com, retrieved 2 August 2010 Keyte trained as an accountant.
In 2000, he was appointed Bursar at Bredon School, an independent school near Tewkesbury. Quickly promoted to General Manager, he bought the school in 2002 and became Principal. In 2009, he sold the school whilst remaining as Principal before retiring from his position in the summer of 2010.[http://www.bredonschool.org/content/view/226/36/ School's Farewell to Principal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725101414/http://www.bredonschool.org/content/view/226/36/ |date=2011-07-25 }} BredonSchool.org, retrieved 2 August 2010
Keyte became chairman of Hereford United on 4 June 2010. He was introduced to his vice chairman Tim Russon by Joan Fennessy, the outgoing company secretary, two months previously.
At the end of the 2011–12 season Hereford United were relegated from the football league and began the 2012–13 season in the Conference Premier. The club finished a creditable sixth place in its first season back in non-league football but struggled financially and players were left unpaid at the end of the season, with Keyte explaining that players were informed that they wouldn't be paid by text message.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22254456 Hereford United: Players told by text that there is no pay for April] bbc.co.uk, retrieved 20 May 2015
As the 2013–14 season began the club continued to struggle on the pitch and were left battling a second relegation in three seasons,[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24898507 Hereford United: Relegation would be a 'disaster', says Bulls chairman] bbc.co.uk, retrieved 20 May 2015 only securing their place in the Conference on the final day of the season with a victory over Aldershot Town. The club also struggled once again off the field during the 2013–14 season and players were routinely denied payment despite constant reassurances from Keyte and the Hereford United board. Despite a huge fundraising effort from fans which raised tens of thousands of pounds to pay an overdue tax bill,[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26955971 Hereford United: Bulls complete £78,000 HMRC tax payment] bbc.co.uk, retrieved 20 May 2015 players were once again left without wages at the end of the season.
In June 2014 David Keyte sold Hereford United to Tommy Agombar, a London-based businessman, reportedly for £1,[http://www.herefordtimes.com/sport/11261300.david_keyte_has_sold_hereford_united_for___1__claims_hereford_united_supporters_trust_vice_chairman_martin_watson/ David Keyte has sold Hereford United for £1, claims Hereford United Supporters Trust vice-chairman Martin Watson] herefordtimes.com, retrieved 20 May 2015 despite receiving an offer for the club from the Hereford United Supporters Trust.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30694206 Hereford United: The end of the affair for the broken Bulls] bbc.co.uk, retrieved 20 May 2015 The new owners of the club declined to pay a financial bond to the Football Conference, resulting in the club's expulsion from the league.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27786442 Hereford United expelled from Football Conference] bbc.co.uk, retrieved 20 May 2015
Shortly afterwards the Hereford United players released a statement regarding the non-payment of wages during the 2013–14 season, claiming that Keyte and the board of directors "are to blame for the 90-year old club's expulsion from the Conference". The statement continued: "Every week, David Keyte assured senior professionals he would meet the outstanding wages in full. On survival, David Keyte promised to email players every week to keep them informed of what monies were available to pay players. Instead he has ignored players calls and asked who they were when answering some players after apparently losing phone numbers."[http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Hereford-players-blast-Keyte-outstanding-pay/story-21223195-detail/story.html Hereford United players blast David Keyte and co over their outstanding pay]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} westerndailypress.co.uk, retrieved 20 May 2015
In December 2014 Hereford United were wound up in the High Court and the club's Southern League record was expunged.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30694206 Hereford United: The end of the affair for the broken Bulls] bbc.co.uk, retrieved 20 May 2015
Early in 2015 Keyte was spotted at Edgar Street with Chris Swan, the chairman of Redditch United. It later transpired that Redditch United had made a move to play football at Hereford United's former ground.[http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11801117.Redditch_United_made_a_bid_to_play_at_Hereford_United_s_former_Edgar_Street_home/ Redditch United made a bid to play at Hereford United's former Edgar Street home] bbc.co.uk, retrieved 20 May 2015