• Premier League

Fry appointed new Premier League chairman

Sir Dave Richards is stepping down as Premier League chairman © PA Photos

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Anthony Fry has been confirmed as the Premier League's new chairman, replacing Sir Dave Richards who will stand down in July.

Fry, 57, will leave his position as chairman of the Finance Committee of the BBC Trust to take up the post and has been described as a surprise appointment due to a lack of former experience in football.

Other candidates thought to be in line for the role included former Coventry vice-chairman Gary Hoffman and Sir Keith Mills, who is a director at Tottenham and was vice-chairman of the London 2012 Olympics.

The Premier League's nominations committee was led by Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, who said: "We have appointed an individual with the correct blend of experience, skills, attitude and demeanour to represent the best interests of the Premier League.

"There were a number of outstanding candidates, any of whom would have made a fine Premier League chairman, but in Anthony Fry we have appointed an individual with the correct blend of experience, skills, attitude and demeanour to represent the best interests of the Premier League.

"Anthony's CV speaks for itself, but we were particularly impressed by his aptitude for and understanding of the role, as well as believing his style to be particularly well-suited to developing effective working relationships with both the member clubs and the executive of the Premier League."

Fry is looking forward to taking up the role and developing "one of the country's great success stories of recent times".

He said: "The opportunity to become chairman of the Premier League is one that appealed hugely to me for obvious reasons. I have a deep-seated and long-held passion for sport and believe the skills and attributes I have developed throughout all aspects of my career will serve both the Premier League clubs and the executive extremely well.

"The league is one of the country's great success stories of recent times having overseen a period of rising playing standards, substantial investment in infrastructure and development, significant growth in attendances and viewing figures as well as the marked commercial success that has benefited the English game as a whole."

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