
6th July 2021
The Football Business Awards returns for the 9th time to recognise and reward excellence in the business of football.
The lunchtime ceremony is now scheduled to take place on 6th July 2021 at the Brewery in London.
In these trickiest of times, it is our pleasure to salute the achievements, creativity and resilience
of the teams behind the scenes.
Football isn’t all about glitz and glamour. It’s about hard work, preparation and dedication.
It’s about the organisation, planning and resourcefulness of the off-pitch teams, which allows extraordinary things to take place on the pitch.
It’s about connection and commitment to communities.
In the modern world - good football and good business - are inextricably linked.
Why the Football Business Awards?

Celebrate with your team
Being an award-winner is a powerful motivator to inspire you and your colleagues to keep up the great work!

Enhance your reputation
Appending an independently judged third-party badge of excellence is a sure-fire shortcut to emphasising your merit to colleagues, clients, bosses & stakeholders.

Generate positive headlines
Spread the good news - everyone loves a success story and winning an award is a great publicity hook for social and traditional media efforts

Aspire to Better Practice
Winner or not - seeing what others do for their products is an irreplacable source of tried & tested award-worthy ideas!
Clubs Involved
Clubs Involved
Our Judges
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Vivienne Aiyela
Non Executive Director of Football at The London Football Association
Vivienne Aiyela
Non Executive Director of Football at The London Football AssociationVivienne has over 20 years of experience working across public, not-for-profit and commercial sectors working at a senior level as a Management Consultant/Business Advisor, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist. She wears many hats incuding Director/Advisor to the CEO of the Global Sport Digital Platform for Futsal called E-Sports Inc Ltd, Chair of the Footballer’s Anti-Discrimination Disciplinary Panel for the FA, Sport Resolutions’ Panel Member of Arbitration and Mediation and Non-Executive Director of Football at the London FA portfolio includes Chairing Women and Girls Advisory Group and the Inclusion Advisory Group. Also an Advisor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and Senior Leadership team. A mentor for young people and women in leadership, a public speaker, judge for events and experience of sitting on numerous committees.
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Phil Alexander
Chief Executive, Crystal Palace FC
Phil Alexander
Chief Executive, Crystal Palace FCPhil is one of the longest serving and highly respected CEO’s in the game having served 24 years at Crystal Palace FC. Phil is also a member of the FA Council, representing the Premier League and sits on the FA’s Professional Game Board.
In his past he played professional football for Norwich City and was the placekicker for the London Monarchs American Football team, winning the World Bowl at Wembley in 1991.
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Paul Barber
Chief Executive & Deputy Chairman, Brighton & Hove Albion FC
Paul Barber
Chief Executive & Deputy Chairman, Brighton & Hove Albion FCPaul Barber joined the board of Brighton & Hove Albion FC as Chief Executive in June 2012.
Previously, Paul became the first British football executive to lead a team in to Major League Soccer when Vancouver Whitecaps FC entered the league in March 2011. He joined the Vancouver Whitecaps from Tottenham Hotspur FC, where he was the Club’s Executive Director for 5 years.
In addition to 14 years working in professional football, Paul has held senior positions in major international companies such as Barclays Bank PLC, where he was a member of the retail board, Ogilvy & Mather, the US-based advertising and communications group, where he was Chief Executive for Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Abbey National PLC, now part of Santander, the Spanish banking group.
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Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale
CEO & Director, Everton FC
Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale
CEO & Director, Everton FCIn 2010, after 16 years in the education and third sector, Denise was appointed CEO of Everton in the Community and spearheaded the transformation of the Club’s official charity into an internationally acclaimed organisation.
Through her vision and expertise, the charity now delivers over 40 programmes, using the power of sport to motivate, educate and inspire some of the most vulnerable and hard to reach people, improving their life chances.
Under her leadership, Everton in the Community was awarded A ‘Big Society Award’ from then-Prime Minister David Cameron. She was also the visionary behind Everton becoming the first Premier League football club to receive government approval to open a Free School – the Everton Free School and Sixth Form College.
She also secured a £7.5million commission contract to deliver the National Citizenship Programme, a £1.2million Big National Lottery Fund contract for youth engagement initiatives and an £850,000 grant for a flagship ‘community hub’ adjacent to Goodison Park – accomplishments that have contributed to the charity receiving over 100 local, national and international awards in the last decade.
Denise’s success with the charity resulted in her taking on a greater role within Everton. In 2011 she was appointed Chief Operating Officer, before being promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officer in 2012.
In 2016 Denise was appointed to Everton’s Board of Directors and, in June 2018, became the Club’s Chief Executive Officer. Since becoming the Club’s CEO, Denise has overseen the appointments of Marcel Brands as Director of Football and Carlo Ancelotti as Manager, created the Club’s first Executive Leadership Team, and relocated the Club’s headquarters to the iconic Royal Liver Building on Liverpool’s waterfront.
Denise also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Everton in the Community.
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Steve Beharall
Head of Foundation, Newcastle United Foundation
Steve Beharall
Head of Foundation, Newcastle United FoundationSteve is Head of Foundation at the award winning Newcastle United Foundation where he oversees a team of 175 full and part time staff, delivering community interventions to over 65,000 each year.
Our Judges
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Paul Barber
Chief Executive & Deputy Chairman, Brighton & Hove Albion FC
Paul Barber
Chief Executive & Deputy Chairman, Brighton & Hove Albion FCPaul Barber joined the board of Brighton & Hove Albion FC as Chief Executive in June 2012.
Previously, Paul became the first British football executive to lead a team in to Major League Soccer when Vancouver Whitecaps FC entered the league in March 2011. He joined the Vancouver Whitecaps from Tottenham Hotspur FC, where he was the Club’s Executive Director for 5 years.
In addition to 14 years working in professional football, Paul has held senior positions in major international companies such as Barclays Bank PLC, where he was a member of the retail board, Ogilvy & Mather, the US-based advertising and communications group, where he was Chief Executive for Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Abbey National PLC, now part of Santander, the Spanish banking group.
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Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale
CEO & Director, Everton FC
Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale
CEO & Director, Everton FCIn 2010, after 16 years in the education and third sector, Denise was appointed CEO of Everton in the Community and spearheaded the transformation of the Club’s official charity into an internationally acclaimed organisation.
Through her vision and expertise, the charity now delivers over 40 programmes, using the power of sport to motivate, educate and inspire some of the most vulnerable and hard to reach people, improving their life chances.
Under her leadership, Everton in the Community was awarded A ‘Big Society Award’ from then-Prime Minister David Cameron. She was also the visionary behind Everton becoming the first Premier League football club to receive government approval to open a Free School – the Everton Free School and Sixth Form College.
She also secured a £7.5million commission contract to deliver the National Citizenship Programme, a £1.2million Big National Lottery Fund contract for youth engagement initiatives and an £850,000 grant for a flagship ‘community hub’ adjacent to Goodison Park – accomplishments that have contributed to the charity receiving over 100 local, national and international awards in the last decade.
Denise’s success with the charity resulted in her taking on a greater role within Everton. In 2011 she was appointed Chief Operating Officer, before being promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officer in 2012.
In 2016 Denise was appointed to Everton’s Board of Directors and, in June 2018, became the Club’s Chief Executive Officer. Since becoming the Club’s CEO, Denise has overseen the appointments of Marcel Brands as Director of Football and Carlo Ancelotti as Manager, created the Club’s first Executive Leadership Team, and relocated the Club’s headquarters to the iconic Royal Liver Building on Liverpool’s waterfront.
Denise also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Everton in the Community.
