Graham Kelly (football administrator)

{{short description|English football administrator}}

{{Other people|Graham Kelly}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Infobox person

|name=Graham Kelly

|image =

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|birth_date =

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|known_for = Secretary of The Football League (1978–1989)
Chief executive of The Football Association (1989–1998)

|occupation = Football Administrator

|nationality = English

}}

Graham Kelly is an English football administrator.

He was secretary of The Football League from 1978 to 1989 and chief executive of The Football Association (FA) from 1989 to 1998.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/flawed-fa-boss-falls-on-his-sword-1191637.html|title=Flawed FA boss falls on his sword|last=Moore|first=Glenn|date=16 December 1998|website=independent.co.uk|access-date=22 August 2022}} He resigned from The Football Association in December 1998, along with chairman Keith Wiseman, when a scandal broke out over an allegedly improper loan of £3.2 million from the FA to the Football Association of Wales (FAW).{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1998/dec/17/vivekchaudhary|title=FA's £3m was 'gift' to Wales, not loan|last=Chaudhary|first=Vivek|date=17 December 1998|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=31 July 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/1998/dec/15/newsstory.sport2|title=Kelly quits in loan scandal|last=Staff and Agencies|date=15 December 1998|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=31 July 2018}}

It was alleged that the loan was intended to buy the FAW’s support for the election of Wiseman as a vice-president of FIFA, which would in turn help England’s bid to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which was ultimately unsuccessful as the event was awarded to Germany in July 2000.{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2000/2006_world_cup_decision/822126.stm|title=Germany win World Cup vote|date=6 July 2000|website=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=13 May 2021}} After an investigation was conducted by FIFA in 1999, Kelly and Wiseman were cleared of any wrongdoing.{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/278207.stm|title=BBC News {{!}} Football {{!}} FA cleared over 'cash-for-votes'|website=news.bbc.co.uk|date=12 February 1999|access-date=31 July 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/1999/feb/13/newsstory.sport11|title=Kelly plans action after Fifa 'not guilty' verdict|last=Thorpe|first=Martin|date=13 February 1999|website=the Guardian|language=en|access-date=31 July 2018}}