Taylor to leave role with PFA

GORDON Taylor will stand down as the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association at the end of the season.

The 75-year-old has set out plans for his departure in a letter to union members.

Taylor, who became PFA chief executive in 1981, announced last year he would step down once an independent review of the organisation was complete.

The union has faced renewed criticism in recent weeks over its record on supporting former players suffering from dementia, in the wake of Nobby Stiles’ death and Sir Bobby Charlton’s diagnosis with the condition.

In the letter, Taylor wrote: “As I announced at the previous AGM, now that the independent review process is completed, I will stand down by the end of the season.

“The new chief executive will be elected following the recruitment procedures recommended by the independent review. We have already made substantial progress in that direction.”

The PFA is holding its virtual annual general meeting today, at which the proposed new structure of the union will be voted on by members.

Taylor wrote: “As you know, in 2018 the PFA commissioned a wide-ranging independent review designed to ensure that we continue to evolve appropriately for our members.

“We seek to achieve the highest standards of governance, transparency, accountability, and independence, and so we opened ourselves up to independent examination and invited scrutiny of all our work and our structures.

“At the heart of the independent review is a set of detailed recommendations on how the PFA might evolve in the future.

“The independent review proposes that a new governance structure is created for the PFA. We have worked hard to create that new structure, and delegates of the Professional Footballers’ Association will be asked to approve new rules to govern the PFA at our AGM.”