Greg Clarke
{{short description|English businessman and football administrator}}
{{Similar names|Gregory Clark (disambiguation){{!}}Gregory Clark}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Greg Clarke
| image = Greg-Clarke.jpg
| caption = Greg Clarke in January 2018
| president =
| term_end =
| office1 = Vice President of FIFA
| term_start1 = 7 February 2019
| president1 = Gianni Infantino
| predecessor1 =
| term_end1 = 12 November 2020
| office2 = Chairman of The Football Association
| term_start2 = 4 September 2016
| president2 =
| predecessor2 = Greg Dyke
| term_end2 = 10 November 2020
| nationality = British
| occupation = Executive
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|10|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Leicester, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
}}
Gregory Allison Clarke (born 27 October 1957){{cite web |url= https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/about-uefa/executive-committee/news/newsid=2590745.html |title= Greg Clarke |work= UEFA |access-date= 10 March 2019}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} is an English businessman and football administrator, who was chairman of The Football Association from 4 September 2016. He resigned on 10 November 2020 after making offensive comments while talking to MPs.{{Cite news|title=Clarke resigns as FA chairman|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54894864|access-date=10 November 2020}}{{cite news |title=Greg Clarke: Why FA chairman's comments are so offensive |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-54888197 |access-date=30 November 2020 |work=BBC News}} He was elected as the Vice President of FIFA on 7 February 2019{{cite news|last=Slater|first=Matt|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news/fifa-vice-president-greg-clarke-fa-chairman-a8768616.html|title=FA chairman Greg Clarke lands £190,000-per-year role as Fifa vice-president|work=The Independent|date=7 February 2019|access-date=10 November 2020}} and resigned from this role on 12 November.{{cite news|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12130634/greg-clarke-steps-down-from-fifa-vice-president-role-in-wake-of-resignation-as-fa-chairman|title=Greg Clarke resigns from FIFA vice-president role in wake of resignation as FA chairman|work=Sky News|date=12 February 2020|access-date=12 November 2020}}
Business career
Clarke was born in Leicester, England. He was educated at Gateway Grammar School in
Leicester.
He is currently chairman of a number of private equity-owned businesses, including Eteach UK Ltd.{{cite web|title=Eteach UK Ltd – people|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03841479/officers|website=Companies House|access-date=30 October 2017}}
From 1994 to 2000, Clarke worked in businesses for Cable & Wireless Communications, eventually serving as CEO up to 2000. From 2002 to 2009, he was CEO of Lendlease.{{cite web|title=Our People: Board of Directors|url=http://www.redefineinternational.com/about-us/our-people/board-of-directors.aspx|website=Redefine International|access-date=30 October 2017}} After Lend Lease, he was briefly CEO of O3b Networks. He has also served on the boards of Bupa and MTN.
Football administration
Clarke was chairman and a director (1999–2002){{cite web|title=Leicester City PLC – people|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03307701/officers|website=Companies House|access-date=30 October 2017}} of Leicester City.{{cite news|url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Man/story-12026063-detail/story.html |title=Man at the top – the Leicester City fan who got his dream job as chairman of the Football League |work=Leicester Mercury |date=18 May 2010 |access-date=17 April 2015}} He was chairman of The Football League from March 2010{{cite news|title=Football League appoints Greg Clarke as new chairman|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2010/mar/12/greg-clarke-football-league|access-date=30 October 2017|work=The Guardian|agency=Press Association|date=12 March 2010}} to June 2016.{{cite news|last1=Fifield|first1=Dominic|title=Greg Clarke ratified as FA chairman in succession to Greg Dyke|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/aug/24/greg-clarke-ratified-as-fa-chairman|access-date=30 October 2017|work=The Guardian|date=24 August 2016}}
Nominated by the FA board in July 2016, Clarke assumed the role of chairman of the FA on 4 September 2016. On 7 February 2019, Clarke was elected as a FIFA Vice President for the UEFA region at the 43rd UEFA Congress in Rome.{{cite news |url= http://www.thefa.com/news/2019/feb/07/greg-clarke-elected-as-fifa-vice-president-070219 |title= Our Chairman Greg Clarke has been elected as a new FIFA Vice-President |work= The Football Association |date= 7 February 2019 |access-date= 10 March 2019}}
While FA chairman, Clarke had to lead the organisation's response to allegations of historical sexual abuse in football, and of racism and bullying in relation to the Mark Sampson and Eniola Aluko cases.{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=Daniel|title=Revealed: the 14-word email that puts FA's Greg Clarke under fresh scrutiny|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/16/fa-greg-clarke-mark-sampson-pfa-eni-aluko|access-date=30 October 2017|work=The Guardian|date=16 October 2017}} In October 2017, Clarke announced a "fundamental" review of the FA after admitting it had "lost the trust of the public" following the Mark Sampson scandal.{{cite news|last1=Rumsby|first1=Ben|title=Greg Clarke admits out-of-touch FA has 'lost the trust of the public'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/10/26/greg-clarke-admits-out-of-touch-fa-has-lost-trust-public/|access-date=30 October 2017|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=26 October 2017}}
=Public comments=
In October 2017 Clarke was criticised by sexual abuse victim Andy Woodward for 'humiliating' remarks Clarke made to a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing,{{cite news|last1=Rumbsy|first1=Ben|title=Greg Clarke under fire again as abuse survivor Andy Woodward accuses FA chairman of 'humiliating' him|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/10/25/greg-clarke-fire-abuse-survivor-andy-woodward-accuses-fa-chairman/|access-date=30 October 2017|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=25 October 2017}}{{cite news|title=Woodward 'devastated & deeply upset'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41768651|access-date=30 October 2017|work=BBC Sport|date=26 October 2017}} while the Professional Footballers' Association's chief executive Gordon Taylor said the PFA might sue Clarke over suggestions Taylor had not supported Woodward with further counselling.{{cite news|last1=Kelner|first1=Martha|title=PFA's Gordon Taylor considering legal action against FA chairman Greg Clarke|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/26/fa-chairman-greg-clarke-admits-organisation-has-lost-trust-of-the-public|access-date=30 October 2017|work=The Guardian|date=26 October 2017}}
On 10 November 2020, Clarke resigned with immediate effect as the Football Association chairman following a meeting with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in which he referred to BAME footballers as "coloured people",{{cite news|last=de Menezes|first=Jack|date=10 November 2020|title=Greg Clarke resigns as FA chairman after 'coloured people' comments|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news/greg-clarke-resign-fa-chairman-latest-b1720576.html|access-date=10 November 2020|work=The Independent}} said a gay footballer's decision on whether to come out was a "life choice", that "young female players did not like having the ball hit hard at them" and suggested that "different career interests" led South Asian people to choose careers in IT over sport.{{cite news|last=MacInnes|first=Paul|date=10 November 2020|title=FA chairman Greg Clarke resigns after 'unacceptable' comments|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/nov/10/fa-chairman-greg-clarke-resigns-after-unacceptable-comments|access-date=10 November 2020|work=The Guardian}} Clarke was talking about the racist abuse of players by trolls to the DCMS select committee via video link when making these comments. He resigned as FIFA Vice President on 12 November, again with immediate effect.
Three years before, in front of the same parliamentary committee, Clarke said the issue of institutional racism in football was "fluff".{{Cite news|title=FA has lost trust of public – chairman|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41764739|access-date=10 November 2020}} He had to apologise after being chastised by MPs and reminded that language matters and led to the FA being described as "shambolic" by a previous parliamentary enquiry.{{Cite news|title=Minister criticises FA over 'sorry saga'|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41679824|access-date=10 November 2020}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Lendlease}}
{{The Football Association}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Greg}}
Category:English chief executives
Category:Businesspeople from Leicester
Category:Chairmen of the Football Association