Lee Strafford

Lee Strafford is the former chairman of Sheffield Wednesday F.C., the Football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Strafford is also co-founder of NetStart.[1] He previously worked for the local successful businessman Paul Cusack at residential UK ISP PlusNet.

Strafford became chairman of Sheffield Wednesday on 7 January 2009 and quickly made significant changes to the club including signing a charitable sponsorship deal with Sheffield Children's Hospital.[2][3] However, it was announced on 17 May 2010 that Strafford had resigned, having failed to ensure that the club stayed in the Football League Championship caused by apparent major disruption within the boardroom.[4] Following his resignation he gave press interviews highlighting internal issues at the club which, he claims, almost resulted in the club being placed into administration. The club was bought by Milan Mandaric on 14 December 2010. Mandaric's bid was supported by the club's bankers and major creditor, the Co-Operative Bank, in favour of an alternative bid by members of the incumbent board.[5][6][7][8]

Strafford was previously an employee of Sheffield based Internet provider PlusNet. When the ISP was sold to British Telecom the company owners cashed out and Strafford inherited the CEO position (a role he held for only a brief time). Shortly after the £67m acquisition was complete Strafford was sacked by BT for planning to launch a rival business.[9] The departure generated further news when an e-mail was leaked in which Strafford claimed he had been "stitched up" and "shat on" by British Telecom (in a company-wide e-mail he sent to all Plusnet employees).[10]

In December 2010 Strafford became a founding private sector board member of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (http://www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/), working with a specific focus on the Creative and Digital industries agenda for the city region, while also working with the rest of the board on driving economic growth as a whole in the city region.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.thenetstart.com
  2. ↑ http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Owls-chasing-20m-US-investment.5328087.jp
  3. ↑ http://www.footballshirtculture.com/200902112097/sponsorship/sheffield-wednesday-announce-childrens-hospital-sponsorship.html
  4. ↑ "Sheffield Wednesday chairman Strafford resigns". Yorkshire Post. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  5. ↑ http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Lee-Strafford-39Sheffield-Wednesday-needs.6366801.jp
  6. ↑ http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sheffield-wed/Owls-in-crisis-part-one.6572915.jp
  7. ↑ http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sheffield-wed/Owls-financial-position-deteriorates-and.6574392.jp
  8. ↑ http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sheffield-wed/Owls-in-Crisis-Part-three.6575963.jp
  9. ↑ "BT dismisses PlusNet's chief executive and CFO". Financial Times. 2007-03-07.
  10. ↑ "Sacked PlusNet boss blasts BT sale 'stitch up'". The Register. 2007-10-08. Retrieved 2015-04-09.