Dave Richards

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Sir Dave Richards (born Walkley, Sheffield, England) is chairman of the FA Premier League, chairman of The Football Foundation, an FA Board Director and vice-chairman of The FA International committee.

Richards is also chairman of UEFA's Professional Football Committee and former chairman of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. In 2006 Richards received a knighthood in the Queen's birthday honours list. [1]

The former businessman ran a group of companies involved in engineering, telecommunications and water and waste treatment before entering the world of sport, joining the Owls board in October 1989. After just five months he was promoted to chairman following the departure of the long-serving Bert McGee. His 10-year reign at Hillsborough is now looked upon with mixed emotions by the club's supporters; Wednesday qualified for the UEFA Cup and reached three domestic cup finals but later hit a downward spiral which resulted in relegation from the FA Premier League and massive debts. Richards is widely blamed for a series of decisions that sparked this decline including the sacking of popular manager Trevor Francis in 1997 after the Owls had finished in seventh place in the Premier League. The club is still struggling with the aftermath of this decline.

Richards was made chairman of the Premier League in 1999 and left Sheffield Wednesday shortly afterwards with the club facing relegation from the Premiership. [2]. Richards succeeded Lord Pendry as chairman of the Football Foundation in March 2003.

Richards is now considered one of the top figures in the English game. He was recently involved in the selection process for the next England manager, Steve McClaren.

In July 2006 Richards was cleared over allegations of covering up illegal payments whilst at Sheffield Wednesday. [3]