Jeremy Peace

Jeremy Roland Peace
Born 13 August 1956
West Bromwich, England
Known for Owner of West Bromwich Albion F.C.
Predecessor Paul Thompson

Jeremy Roland Peace (born 1956) is a British businessman and, since June 2002, the chairman of West Bromwich Albion F.C., a professional football club in the West Midlands, England.[1]

Biography

Jeremy Peace was born 13 August 1956 in West Bromwich and educated at Shrewsbury School. He worked in accountancy, as a stockbroker and in investment banking between 1974 and 1983. Until 1991, he was a major shareholder and director of Morland Securities PLC (later renamed Access Satellite International PLC) and then of Sangers Photographics PLC (later renamed Quadrant Group PLC).

Since that time, Peace has been a director and/or shareholder in various public limited companies, namely South Country Homes, Thomas Potts, London Town, e-primefinancial, EP&F Capital, Galahad Capital, Camelot Capital and West Bromwich Albion F.C..

West Bromwich Albion

Peace joined the board of West Bromwich Albion as a Non-Executive Director on December 8, 2000, and became Chairman in June 2002, following the resignation of Paul Thompson. The Company was taken private in 2005, with him owning a majority shareholding.

In the 2000/2001 season, the club, with Gary Megson as Head Coach, reached the playoffs, with Megson winning the Division One Manager of the Month award for November 2000 along the way.[2] Albion lost to Bolton Wanderers at the semi-final stage, but the following year the club won promotion to the Premier League, ending a 16-year absence from the top flight. In July 2002, they signed Megson to a new three-year contract.[3]

In 2002–03, the club were relegated after a single season in the Premier League. They returned to the top league the following season. In October 2004, Megson, whose contract was due to end in June 2005, announced that he "would not sign a new deal if the club offered one." On 26 October, the club's Board of Directors dismissed Megson.[4] A settlement for the remainder of the former employee's contract was reached in November 2004.[5]

During the 2012-13 season, West Brom appointed Steve Clarke as Head Coach, after Roy Hodgson left in May 2012 to become England Manager. The club achieved their best start to a top-flight season in 59 years and then their highest league finish – 8th – since 1981.

On May 31, 2013, Peace transferred his 59.9 per cent shareholding in West Bromwich Albion Group Limited to a new company, West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited. Peace is the sole director of West Bromwich Albion Holdings Limited and owns 100 per cent of the new company.[1]

West Brom sacked Clarke on 14 December 2013 because, according to the club's statement, of "the generally disappointing points return during this calendar year."[6]

In 2013, the Daily Express reported that Peace "runs the club with a rod of iron. Any manager has to accept the title of ‘head coach’ and be prepared to slot into the way Peace does things."[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Swan, Craig (11 June 2009). "Profile: West Brom chief Jeremy Peace - the man who stands between Celtic and Tony Mowbray". Daily Record. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Megson bags award". BBC Sport. 30 November 2000. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
  3. ↑ "Megson signs West Brom deal". BBC Sport. 25 July 2002. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
  4. ↑ "Megson sacked by West Brom". BBC Sport. 26 October 2004. Retrieved 2007-04-22.
  5. ↑ "West Brom agree Megson settlement". BBC Sport. 12 November 2004. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
  6. ↑ "Steve Clarke sacked as West Brom head coach", BBC News, 15 December 2013
  7. ↑ Wragg, John (2013-12-28). "Malky Mackay to be offered a quick return to management". Daily Express. Retrieved 2014-06-18.