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[Football] Kitson v Taylor











Mr Banana

Tedious chump
Aug 8, 2005
5,482
Standing in the way of control
For anyone continuing to be baffled by the thread, wondering if it's Daniel 'Goodbye Forever' Kitson vs Phil 'The Power' Taylor etc etc, here's the story...

One of British football’s brightest former players, David Kitson, today launches a campaign to overhaul the Professional Footballers’ Association and accelerate the removal of £2.3m-a-year chief executive Gordon Taylor.

Declaring himself ready to stand as Taylor’s successor, Kitson launches a manifesto in today’s Sportsmail to drag the union out of the dark ages - returning voting power to members and vowing that the chief executive will never again command such a salary or serve more than five years unchallenged.

The 40-year-old said the drive to remove Taylor, who has been in office for 39 years, must begin now, at a time when the union’s handling of the coronavirus wage negotiations had been ‘embarrassing’ and dragged the game’s reputation ‘down into the mud’.

Taylor, 75, has clung on to his lucrative job by insisting he will only stand down at the AGM which follows an independent review of the PFA currently being undertaken by Sport Resolutions.

But that process is proving to be extraordinarily slow. Though the review was announced in November 2018, its formal terms of reference were only published last month.

Kitson is asking players to help speed up the process. He urged them to contribute to the Sport Resolutions review, accessible via the members’ section of the PFA website, to air their concerns and views.

This will ensure the evidence gathered is not that of the ‘same old self-appointed few’ and gets to the truth about the organisation.

If the review and a parallel Charities Commission investigation into the PFA inflict serious damage on Taylor, he may be forced out immediately, allowing Kitson to stand sooner in an election for which he insists every member must have a vote.

The last attempt to remove Taylor came in 2018, when current chairman Ben Purkiss tried to instigate an independent review.

Sportsmail revealed how Taylor, whose salary makes him the highest-paid union leader in the world, then tried to eject Purkiss as chairman.

Kitson believes that a former player with experience of the world footballers occupy must be installed as chief executive. If elected, he would appoint individuals with the necessary commercial and executive expertise to work with him.

In a move echoing the Daily Mail’s legendary ‘99 questions’ put by John Magnier and JP McManus to the Manchester United board in an attempt to take the club over in 2004, Kitson has published 101 questions for the PFA to answer, ‘intended to start a debate about how we shape the future.’

Kitson began his career with semi-pro Hitchen Town and went on to play for Reading and Stoke City in the Premier League.

He was at Portsmouth when they were at risk of being liquidated and played for Sheffield United and Oxford United before returning to non-league football and retiring in 2015.

DAVE KITSON'S 101 QUESTIONS FOR THE PFA TO ANSWER
Membership

1. Does the PFA currently hold an accurate, up to date register of all its members (current and ex-professional footballers) including their contact addresses worldwide?

2. If not: why not?

3. If so: how many members does the PFA currently have worldwide, how many are currently playing and how many are retired?

4. How many women players are members of the PFA?

5. Has the membership ever been balloted on the nature of services provided to it by the PFA and the annual level of expenditure for each service?

6. If not: why not?

7. If so: by what means, when and what were the results?

8. By what means are PFA members notified of the amount of money its union has in the bank and its annual expenditure?

9. When did the last publicly available survey of satisfaction of PFA members take place?

10. If this was more than five years ago, what were the results?

11. If not: why has no such survey of the membership been conducted?

COVID-19

12. How many of its members were consulted and gave their approval to the PFA's recently published stance that no player should take a pay-cut, in its answer to the present abeyance of professional football due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

13. What was the moral justification for such a stance?

14. Does the PFA believe that professional players at any level should defer any part of their salaries or take any pay-cut during the current pandemic?

15. What is the PFA's reaction to the recent '#PlayersTogether' initiative organised by the captains of clubs in the Premier League?

16. Does the PFA support the '#PlayersTogether' initiative?

17. If not: why not?

18. If so: why did the PFA not put forward such an initiative?

19. What provision has or is the PFA taking to help provide solutions for its members at professional clubs suffering the most financially due to the Covid-19 pandemic?

20. If none: why not?

21. If provision has been made: what is it?

The Chief Executive

22. Since becoming the Chief Executive of the PFA 39 years ago, how many contested elections has the current incumbent faced?

23. If any: when were they, who stood against him and what was/were the results/s?

24. If none: why not?

25. How many members have voted in support of the election and re-election of its present Chief Executive throughout his 39-year tenure?

26. Has the PFA membership ever been consulted and/or balloted on allowing any incumbent Chief Executive standing for re-election beyond more than two or any specified number of five-year terms in office?

27. If so: when was the consultation, how did the process work and what was the result of the ballot?

28. If not: why not?

29. On what basis has the Chief Executive's salary been fixed?

30. Who evaluated it and how was it benchmarked?

31. Has the PFA membership ever been balloted to agree the level of remuneration for its Chief Executive?

32. If so: when and what was the result of the ballot?

33. If not: why not?

34. Understanding that the total annual salary of its current Chief Executive represents circa 8% of its annual turnover, does the PFA consider his salary to be operationally or otherwise morally justified?

35. How and on what basis does the current Chief Executive believe his annual salary amounting to 8% of PFA turnover is operationally or otherwise morally justified?

Finance, Expenditure & Governance

36. What amounts and proportion of the annual income of the PFA is made up from: a) The (i) Premier League (ii) EFL & (iii) FA via broadcast deals; b) Subscriptions; and c) any other investments / revenue streams?

37. In negotiating its lucrative deal with the Premier League, what steps have been put in place by the PFA to preserve the interests of its members from a potential conflict of interest with the Premier League?

38. What if any questions have the Premier League asked of the PFA in connection with its substantial financial contribution to it?

39. What has been the PFA's annual expenditure over the past 5 years?

40. What has been the PFA's annual net profit over the past 5 years?

41. What proportion of the PFA's annual expenditure is comprised of the aggregate salaries paid to its Chief Executive, Chairman and members of its Management Committee and any other paid executives or trustees?

42. After salaries, how much and what proportion of the PFA's annual spend is made up of its contributions to: a) The EFL Community Fund; b) Premier League youth development; and c) EFL youth development?

43. How much financial assistance has the PFA provided to members from outside the Premier League in the last 10 years?

44. What proportion of the income of the PFA was spent on financial support to struggling members in each of the last 10 years?

45. How much does the PFA spend on its (i) anti-racism campaigns and (ii) anti-racism education programmes?

46. Given the reported recent rise in racist abuse aimed at its membership during matches by spectators and players, what has the PFA done to eradicate it?

47. Does the PFA consider it has done enough in this regard?

48. If not: what more does the PFA intend to do about it?

49. How does the PFA support its members who are victims of racist abuse beyond offering a helpline service?

50. How much and on what is the remainder of annual spend comprised?

51. How much does the PFA spend supporting players that go on to suffer with dementia?

52. Other than offering a helpline service, what does the PFA actively do by way of intervention or otherwise to assist its members with wellbeing and mental health issues?

53. Is the PFA aware of the existence of any complaints from its members for failing to provide an appropriate level of care for those suffering from mental health or wellbeing issues?

54. Does the PFA know how many of its members have suffered or are suffering from mental health issues that manifest themselves within five years at the end of their playing careers?

55. How much of the annual spend is on wellbeing and mental health programmes?

56. How much does the PFA spend annually on assisting its members who suffer financial hardship?

57. How much financial assistance has the PFA provided to members from outside the Premier League in the last 10 years?

58. What proportion of the income received by the PFA was spent on financial support to struggling members in each of the last 10 years?

59. Does the PFA believe it does enough for non-high profile members?

60. How can it demonstrate that it does?

61. Has the PFA ever refused to respond to a member who has asked for help or support?

62. If so: why?

63. What does the PFA do to assist its members to ensure that the financial advice they receive, is sound?

64. Does the PFA know how many of its members have filed for bankruptcy within five years at the end of their playing careers?

65. What criteria are applied by the PFA in its introductions/referrals to its members of named third party service providers in general and those offering financial/investment advice in particular?

66. What due diligence has been undertaken by the PFA to ensure the propriety and fitness for purpose of any named third party service providers it introduces/refers/recommends to its members in general and for those offering financial/investment advice in particular?

67. Has the PFA ever introduced/referred/recommended to its members past or present, financial services provided by any named third party provider of financial services?

68. If so: which provider, why, under whose authority and did the PFA or any executive member receive any payment/reward for its/their introduction/referral/recommendation?

69. Does the PFA have in place protocols to ensure compliance with both the Bribery Act 2010 and the Corporate Finances Act 2017?

70. If not: why not?

71. If so: where are they published and are these protocols available for inspection by the membership?

72. Has the PFA been made aware of any prospective legal action being proposed by its members past or present concerning the provision of financial services by a named third party provider introduced/referred/recommended to them by the PFA?

73. Has the PFA been made aware of any investigations being carried out by any UK law enforcement agency into it or any financial services provider introduced/referred/recommended by the PFA to its members past or present?

74. In 2001(or thereabouts) did the PFA consent to government proposals to change the pension maturation date for players from 35 years to the national retirement age?

75. If so: why and was the membership balloted?

76. Does the PFA agree that this change in legislation has had a huge adverse impact upon the financial solvency of its members particularly those outside the Premier League, with consequential damage to members' wellbeing, family lives and mental health?

77. Does the PFA charge its members to send an email to the player database?

78. If so: why?

79. Can the PFA categorically state that it has never shared its members' personal data with any third party affiliate or advertiser without the express consent of its members?

Due Diligence & Accountability

80. Has the PFA ever been made aware of any proposal to investigate its governance by a Parliamentary Select Committee and if so, what was the outcome?

81. Does the PFA agree that the terms of reference for the current Sport Resolutions review are so wide as to amount to an existential root and branch examination of PFA governance and accountability?

82. If not: why not?

83. If so: how has it come to this?

84. Given that the terms of reference were published just last month, why has it taken more than 12 months from the date the measure was announced until this stage has been reached?

85. Sport Resolutions has announced that its final report will be delivered 'as soon as practicable'. When does the PFA understand this will likely be?

86. How soon thereafter will the final report of Sport Resolutions be made available to the membership?

87. How soon after publication of the final report of Sport Resolutions does the PFA intend to hold its AGM?

88. Will any interim reports of Sport Resolutions be made available to the membership?

89. If not: why not?

90. For what reason is the Charity Commission investigating the PFA Charity?

91. When is the Charity Commission's report due?

92. Will the PFA membership be provided with the final report of the Charity Commission as soon as it has been published?

93. If not: why not?

94. Is the PFA currently facing any legal action or known threats of legal action?

95. If so: from whom and over what issues?

96. Has the PFA been subject to any legal action over the last ten years that resulted in it having to pay damages and or legal costs either in-court or out-of-court?

97. If so: what, when and how much?

98. Is it known by the PFA whether it or any member of its executive management, or any related party, is currently under criminal investigation and if so: who, by whom and for what?

99. Given that it has been announced that no current member of the Management Committee will be permitted to stand for election to the position of Chief Executive for a period of five years following the appointment of a new Chief Executive at the conclusion of the Sport Resolutions Review, why does the same prohibition not extend to current trustees or other key decision-makers at the PFA who are not members of the Management Committee but whose performance is under similar scrutiny from both Sport Resolutions and the Charity Commission?

100. Will the election for the next Chief Executive, Chairman and members of the Management Committee be 'one member one vote'?

101. If not: why not?
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,894
Absolute power corrupts, absolutely .
 






Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
24,893
Worthing
Where do his wages come from ?
 








Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Going slightly off topic didn’t Kitson play and score for Stoke when they thrashed us in an end of season game at Withdean?
 






Mo Gosfield

Well-known member
Aug 11, 2010
6,284
" Kitson believes that a former player with experience of the world footballers occupy, must be installed as chief executive "

Dave Kitson ( Striker ) 420 Games....129 Goals

Gordon Taylor ( Winger ) 564 Games....56 Goals


Kitson is full of **** Arrogant and opinionated. Full of his own self importance. Although I am no fan of Taylor, I couldn't think of a worse choice than this puffed up prick.
 




Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,339
Uffern
" Kitson believes that a former playerwith experience of the world footballers occupy, must be installed as chief executive "

Dave Kitson ( Striker ) 420 Games....129 Goals

Gordon Taylor ( Winger ) 564 Games....56 Goals
.

The highlighted part is the key part: Taylor played in the 60s and 70s - he started his career in the dying days of maximum wage and finished it well before the big TV deals and the money that flooded into the game then.

Kitson may or may not be the right choice but the PFA hasn't covered itself in glory recently and it wouldn't shock me to see a move to shake things up
 




Sirnormangall

Well-known member
Sep 21, 2017
2,969
The CEO salary is obscene. His approach to the role smacks of hubris and the organisation seems out of touch with reality. Whether Kitson is the right replacement is up for debate but surely change is needed.
 






Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
50,098
Faversham
Kitson should probably not make a big deal about his views on BAME

https://www.football365.com/news/raheem-sterling-dave-kitson-daily-mail-mediwatch

He hasn't made any comments about BAME. He made some comments about Sterling. The rest of the Mail article is a load of whataboutery designed to undermine Kitson. In the Mail. Who knew? ??? A particular bit of made up rubbish is highlighted. I carry no flag for Kitson. I know nothing about him (other than what he wrote in the long post above, which is sensible and good luck to him for being the only ex payer with the balls to stand at the useless money frubber, Taylor). I am a fan of Sterling, too. But facts are facts. And lies are lies.

" “I do believe that players make themselves a target. Why Raheem Sterling? There are other black players on the pitch, every single week.

“I just think that we have a duty of care to ourselves as footballers, to be a little bit careful with social media, and the way we portray ourselves.

“Jealousy is an awful thing amongst the human race.

“I trawled through Raheem Sterling’s Instagram feed this morning to find that a lot of what he put on in his early days has now been deleted.

“And it was, ‘look at my cars, look at my house, look at this bathroom, look at this, look at that, look at me.’ And that’s going to antagonise people.”

So Kitson ‘trawled’ through Sterling’s Instagram feed to find a reason why anybody would racially abuse him (which is in itself a ridiculous thing to do on a Sunday morning), failed to find any and simply ploughed on anyway. It cannot be that he was wrong and had got that wrong impression from a media obsessed with Sterling’s supposed ‘bling’ lifestyle; it must be that Sterling has deleted those posts. There can be no other explanation.

And then you may remember that other people did some trawling of their own and…" The Mail at its finest.....
 




keaton

Big heart, hot blood and balls. Big balls
Nov 18, 2004
9,661
He hasn't made any comments about BAME. He made some comments about Sterling. The rest of the Mail article is a load of whataboutery designed to undermine Kitson. In the Mail. Who knew? ??? A particular bit of made up rubbish is highlighted. I carry no flag for Kitson. I know nothing about him (other than what he wrote in the long post above, which is sensible and good luck to him for being the only ex payer with the balls to stand at the useless money frubber, Taylor). I am a fan of Sterling, too. But facts are facts. And lies are lies.

" “I do believe that players make themselves a target. Why Raheem Sterling? There are other black players on the pitch, every single week.

“I just think that we have a duty of care to ourselves as footballers, to be a little bit careful with social media, and the way we portray ourselves.

“Jealousy is an awful thing amongst the human race.

“I trawled through Raheem Sterling’s Instagram feed this morning to find that a lot of what he put on in his early days has now been deleted.

“And it was, ‘look at my cars, look at my house, look at this bathroom, look at this, look at that, look at me.’ And that’s going to antagonise people.”

So Kitson ‘trawled’ through Sterling’s Instagram feed to find a reason why anybody would racially abuse him (which is in itself a ridiculous thing to do on a Sunday morning), failed to find any and simply ploughed on anyway. It cannot be that he was wrong and had got that wrong impression from a media obsessed with Sterling’s supposed ‘bling’ lifestyle; it must be that Sterling has deleted those posts. There can be no other explanation.

And then you may remember that other people did some trawling of their own and…" The Mail at its finest.....

The bit you have highlighted is from F365 not the Mail. He has made points in his 100 questions about the PFA and BAME. I was highlighting that some BAME players clearly feel Kitson isn't a solution to those problems
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
50,098
Faversham
The bit you have highlighted is from F365 not the Mail. He has made points in his 100 questions about the PFA and BAME. I was highlighting that some BAME players clearly feel Kitson isn't a solution to those problems

I see. I will review his BAME points in his 100 points.

Do you have a link to the quotes from these BAME players so I can read why they feel they'd be better off with the status quo at the PFA?

Edit: His 100 points include:

45. How much does the PFA spend on its (i) anti-racism campaigns and (ii) anti-racism education programmes?

46. Given the reported recent rise in racist abuse aimed at its membership during matches by spectators and players, what has the PFA done to eradicate it?

47. Does the PFA consider it has done enough in this regard?

48. If not: what more does the PFA intend to do about it?

49. How does the PFA support its members who are victims of racist abuse beyond offering a helpline service?


Perfectly reasonable, balanced and commendable, particularly in the context of his other points.

From your post and link to the mail article I was assuming he had a history of describing monkey chanting as 'Bantz' or something???.

What is the issue here? Is it becaused hes a ginner?
 


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