London: David Bernstein was officially confirmed as the new chairman of the English Football Association.
Bernstein, formerly chairman of Manchester City, won a unanimous vote by the FA board in December to become the permanent successor to Lord Triesman.
That vote was approved by the FA Council on Tuesday and the 67-year-old is now able to begin the job of dragging the English game`s governing body out of a period of strife.
Bernstein admits he is keen to bring stability to an organisation rocked by Triesman`s departure following his unproved allegations of corruption involving Russia and Spain during the recent bidding battle to stage the 2018 World Cup.
Speaking to the council, Bernstein said: "Over the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of listening.
"I have met many people representing all areas of football in this country to hear their thoughts and ideas on the current issues facing the game. Their input has been invaluable.”
"By bringing stability to the top of our organisation, I hope to create an environment within which all the positive work that we do is better understood and appreciated."
Bernstein also promised to improve relationships with the game`s global decision-makers.
One of the reasons for England`s failed attempt to host the 2018 World Cup was the bid team`s lack of influence within FIFA."There are many lessons to be learned from the events of last year," Bernstein said. "I want to build stronger and more effective relationships with the various international football bodies.”
"Outside the football family we must increase the effectiveness of our relationships whether it be with other sporting bodies, the government and broader stakeholders."
Bernstein, currently chairman of Wembley and director of a number of large clothing retailers, was the surprise nomination by the FA board last month.Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein had been viewed as the front-runner but the nominations committee, headed by Bolton chairman Phil Gartside, chose Bernstein, with the main difference being his company boardroom experience.
A chartered accountant, he was Manchester City chairman for five years, including the time they secured the lease for new stadium at Eastlands, and he has been Wembley chairman since 2008.
Selecting Fabio Capello`s successor as England coach - the Italian has stated he will move on after the Euro 2012 finals in 18 months` time - heads his list of tasks.
Another major job will be to drive forward work on the national football centre at Burton.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.