Mark Palios
Encyclopedia
Mark Palios is an English chartered accountant, football administrator and former professional footballer. He studied Psychology at Manchester University.
Palios played in the Football League
as a midfielder
for Tranmere Rovers
and Crewe Alexandra
, and in non-league football
and in the European Cup-Winners' Cup for Welsh club Bangor City
. In total he made over 400 League appearances. Unusually for a footballer, Palios was permitted by his clubs to pursue a career as an accountant, whilst remaining a professional player. He developed a successful career as a chartered accountant with Arthur Young and ultimately became a senior partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, specialising in business turnaround, he became the Football Association
's Chief Executive in July 2003. One of his priority tasks was to stabilise The FA's perilous financial situation, by resolving the financing of the Wembley Stadium project. He saved The FA from having to borrow a further $230 million, which would have put the whole organisation into financial jeopardy. Other successes at The FA included the successful overhaul of the disciplinary process, which resulted in speedier hearings and lower costs. Palios was not frightened to take tough decisions including a decision to ban Rio Ferdinand from the England team to play against Turkey in a crucuial European Championship qualifier in 2004, for failing to take a drugs test despite widespread pressure from the remainder of the team, who threatened to go on strike but ultimately backed down.
Palios resigned in August 2004 following media revelations around his brief relationship with a Football Association secretary, Faria Alam
, who subsequently went on to have an affair with the England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. Although a single man at the time of his relationship and strongly maintaining that he had done nothing wrong, he resigned in order to protect his 5 children from the huge media attention that accompanied the revelations of Alam. Many senior FA members regretted his decision to resign and have described him as being "the best FA CEO in recent years" and having "...the focused approach and financial skills to sort out the blazers and...excellent interpersonal skills". He then returned to work as a consultant in the business-turnaround sphere and until January 2009 was a non-executive director of AdEPT Telecom.
Since 2009, Palios has been appearing regularly on television and radio as a commentator on a wide range of football related issues including football finances, premiership salaries, the England team's performance in the 2010 World Cup and England's failed bid for the 2018 World Cup.
Palios played in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
and Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, and in non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
and in the European Cup-Winners' Cup for Welsh club Bangor City
Bangor City F.C.
Bangor City Football Club are a semi-professional Welsh football club from the City of Bangor. The club compete in the Welsh Premier League, being ever present since the league was founded in 1992....
. In total he made over 400 League appearances. Unusually for a footballer, Palios was permitted by his clubs to pursue a career as an accountant, whilst remaining a professional player. He developed a successful career as a chartered accountant with Arthur Young and ultimately became a senior partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, specialising in business turnaround, he became the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
's Chief Executive in July 2003. One of his priority tasks was to stabilise The FA's perilous financial situation, by resolving the financing of the Wembley Stadium project. He saved The FA from having to borrow a further $230 million, which would have put the whole organisation into financial jeopardy. Other successes at The FA included the successful overhaul of the disciplinary process, which resulted in speedier hearings and lower costs. Palios was not frightened to take tough decisions including a decision to ban Rio Ferdinand from the England team to play against Turkey in a crucuial European Championship qualifier in 2004, for failing to take a drugs test despite widespread pressure from the remainder of the team, who threatened to go on strike but ultimately backed down.
Palios resigned in August 2004 following media revelations around his brief relationship with a Football Association secretary, Faria Alam
Faria Alam
Faria Alam is a former Football Association secretary.-Background:Alam was born on 13 February 1966 in Dhaka, Bangladesh to a moderate and educated Muslim family. Her father was a Pakistani bank employee and her Bangladeshi mother, with two brothers and one sister...
, who subsequently went on to have an affair with the England manager Sven Goran Eriksson. Although a single man at the time of his relationship and strongly maintaining that he had done nothing wrong, he resigned in order to protect his 5 children from the huge media attention that accompanied the revelations of Alam. Many senior FA members regretted his decision to resign and have described him as being "the best FA CEO in recent years" and having "...the focused approach and financial skills to sort out the blazers and...excellent interpersonal skills". He then returned to work as a consultant in the business-turnaround sphere and until January 2009 was a non-executive director of AdEPT Telecom.
Since 2009, Palios has been appearing regularly on television and radio as a commentator on a wide range of football related issues including football finances, premiership salaries, the England team's performance in the 2010 World Cup and England's failed bid for the 2018 World Cup.
External links
- League stats at Neil Brown's site