
Football Business Awards 2022
27 May | The Brewery, London
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
2022 WINNERSThe 2022 winners were revealed at the ceremony on 27 May at The Brewery, London.
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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David Boddy
CEO, Coventry City FC
David Boddy
CEO, Coventry City FCDave has spent most of his working life in professional sport and is currently Chief Executive of Coventry City FC, who he joined in February 2017. At the Sky Blues he has played his part in the “Mark Robins revolution”, resulting in two wins at Wembley and a double promotion from League Two to the Championship.
Prior to that he held the same position at Newport County AFC, where another Wembley win saw them promoted to the EFL. He masterminded the Club’s off the field transition from a Non-League Club to a Football League Club, and established their first Community scheme which has gone from strength to strength.
He spent 10 years as a Director, and Chairman of his home town Club, Worcester City in the Football Conference (now the National League) and during that period he was also a Director of the Football Conference for 5 years and served on the F.A. Alliance committee. After leaving the Board at Worcester City, he then worked for the Football Conference for 3 years.
In the early part of Dave’s career he established and ran his own successful business. Sportslines was a Premium Rate Telephone Information company that provided services and content for many sports Clubs, Leagues and Associations. He eventually sold the business to the market leaders ClubCall, who at the time were owned by Scottish Power, and then worked for ClubCall in various roles including heading the brand.
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Professor Sue Bridgewater
Director of the Centre for Sports Business, Liverpool University
Professor Sue Bridgewater
Director of the Centre for Sports Business, Liverpool UniversityProfessor Sue Bridgewater PhD is Director of the Centre for Sports Business at University of Liverpool Management. After an early career in marketing with Forbo and Unilever, Sue has had a lengthy career in Higher Education working for Warwick Business School and University of Liverpool Management School as a Professor of Marketing. She has published a number of papers in international journals in the areas of marketing, international business and football management. Sue has also authored and co-authored books including Football Brands, Football Management, International Marketing Relationships and Innovation in Marketing. In her capacity as Director of Executive Education, Sue has worked with blue chip clients including Ford, Nestle, Philips, IBM, KPMG, HSBC. In football, she has worked with a range of clubs, leagues and governing bodies nationally and internationally, most recently with the League Managers Association and UEFA.
Alongside her academic roles, Sue has a number of involvements with football practice. She is on the Board of Women in Football. She directs the LMA Diploma in Football Management, is on UEFA’s Research Jury and has recently authored a module for UEFA’s Certificate in Football Management on Women’s Football.
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Mark Catlin
Director, Portsmouth FC
Mark Catlin
Director, Portsmouth FCMark Catlin assisted fans in the saving of Portsmouth FC whilst in administration during 2012, and following the acquisition of PFC by supporters in 2013, he stayed on to become CEO of the country’s largest Trust owned football club. The clearing of over £7m of debt and four years continuous annual profits followed, along with promotion as Champions from L2. He was then a key figure in the takeover of the club during the summer of 2017 by former Disney Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner’s Tornante group.
Mark has many year’s experience of building his own successful private businesses, currently owning Spain’s largest independent telecommunications Company and in 2021 moved from PFC to take over as GM of International Sports & Entertainment at Michael Eisner’s Topps company. He remains as a Director of PFC.
He is also a previous FC Business overall CEO of the year award winner.
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Cliff Crown FCA
Chairman, Brentford FC
Cliff Crown FCA
Chairman, Brentford FCCliff Crown FCA has been Chairman of Brentford for the past 8 and a half years and on the Football Club’s Board of Directors for 9 and a half years. He has completed his three-year term on the EFL Board as one of 3 representatives from the Championship. He is a member of the FA Council as one of the Premier League Representatives. Cliff has also been a Director of Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland since 2014 and will shortly take over as interim Chairman with effect from 1 January 2022.
Cliff is a chartered accountant with more than 35 years’ experience in advising commercial owner managed businesses. He acts as Chief Financial Officer and business adviser to a number of companies in which Brentford FC owner Matthew Benham has a financial interest. Cliff is also a long-standing football fan and is seen at most Brentford games up and down the country as well as many others.
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Donna-Maria Cullen
Executive Director, Tottenham Hotspur
Donna-Maria Cullen
Executive Director, Tottenham HotspurDonna is an Executive Director of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and Director of Tottenham Hotspur Women Football Club. She has spent over 30 years in business management. She is also a Trustee of the Club’s charitable organisation, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
Donna was previously with Lord Bell’s group of companies, Chime plc and was Deputy MD of Good Relations. She specialised in the field of corporate and financial communications and marketing, having also worked in public affairs. Early major campaigns included the privatization of BP, Thames Water and AEA Technology. She advised the Club over a period of 14 years prior to joining the Board in 2006, Donna currently oversees the Club’s Planning Consultations, Communications, Content and Marketing departments.
She graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1984 with a double Masters in Politics and English.
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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