Richard Scudamore

Richard Scudamore is currently Chief Executive of the F.A. Premier League, a position he has held since November 1999.

Richard is second cousin to former champion jockey Peter Scudamore. [citeweb|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4159/is_20030817/ai_n12742303|title=INSIDE LINES: Richard Scudamore|publisher=Independent on Sunday|author=Alan Hubbard|date=August 17, 2003|accessdate=2008-01-12]

Biography

Scudamore studied law at the University of Nottingham. He then spent nine years at Yellow Pages, a division of British Telecom, progressing through sales and marketing, business planning and regional management to the position of Sales Director. [citeweb|url=http://www.sportindustry.biz/events/summit-2006/profile.php?Id=14|title=Bio - Richard Scudamore|publisher=sportindustry.biz|accessdate=2008-01-12]

Newspaper career

Scudamore worked for 10 years in the newspaper industry, mainly for Thomson. He joined them as Group Advertising Director but went on to spend his last three years with the Thomson Corporation in the US as Senior Vice President responsible for all their newspaper operations in the southern and eastern United States.

FA Premier League

Scudamore was appointed CEO of the Premier League in November 1999, reputed to earn in excess of £800,000pa. [ [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article317318.ece What Britain earns - This Britain, UK - The Independent ] ] Scudamore is responsible for negotiating broadcasting and sponsorship contracts worth in excess of £1.6 billion. He is also on the board of the Football Foundation, the organisation responsible for granting £60 million per year to fund grass roots football. These roles followed a two-year period as Chief Executive of the Football League - responsible for the other 72 professional clubs outside the Barclaycard Premiership.

Scudamore has recently been under fire for his handling of the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano transfer affair in which an independent tribunal rejected the deduction of points from West Ham United in favour of a record £5.5m fine.Fact|date=January 2008

Scudamore is also one of the key negotiators in the decision for Premier League teams to play one additional match per season, proposed to be played in the Far East, the US and Australia. This is intended to come into action in the 2010/2011 season and would encourage overseas talent to come to the fore-ground. However, the move now seems highly unlikely after the Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, dismissed the proposals as "an abuse of association football" [citeweb|url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2256966,00.html|title= Blatter: 39th game would sink World Cup bid|publisher=guardian.co.uk|date=February 15, 2008|accessdate=2008-02-15]

Personal life

Scudamore is married to Catherine, and the couple have 3 children: Patrick, Ned and Lara. Richard has 2 older children from a previous marriage, Jamie and Chloe. [citeweb|url=http://www.northeasteconomicforum.co.uk/Archive2005/bios/Richard%20Scudamore.pdf|title=Speaker Bio's - Richard Scudamore|publisher=northeasteconomicforum.co.uk|accessdate=2008-01-12]

A qualified level 5 referee, Scudamore is a lifetime Bristol City F.C. fan, [citeweb|url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1844648,00.html|title='It will not be healthy if Chelsea win 10 years in a row'|author=Donald McRae|publisher=The Guardian|date=August 15, 2006|accessdate=2008-01-12] and admitted he would be happier for Bristol City to reach the Premiership than England win the World Cup. [Football Focus, BBC ONE - 12th January, 2008] He is also a keen golfer.

References