As we know after the Hillsborough disaster the Government decreed that all First Division (as was) clubs had to have all seated stadiums. Have you ever wondered why they came to that decision ? or who campaigned for it ?
Many think it was the result of the Taylor report into the tragedy. They may be right or it could be that the fact that the Football Association, the very people that ran the game then, were about to make millions if legislation went through.
In 1989, whilst Taylor was still undertaking his inquiry a West Bromwich Albion Director Mike McGinnity bought a company, PEL, who manufactured plastic seats. Whilst the F.A. pushed Taylor to introduce all seater stadiums McGinnity formed a separate arm of Pel, Pel Stadium Seating and appointed Ted Croker as a Director, he had recently retired as secretary of the F.A. Crokers son-in-law, Nick Harrison, was appointed sales director in January 1990. This, co-incidentally was the month the month Taylor published his report.
It should also be noted that McGinnity was a close and personal friend of the F.A. Chairman Sir Bert Millichip and was in fact on the Board of Directors at West Brom at the same time. It goes without saying that Miilichip and Croker knew each other
Between 1990 and 2006, Pel Stadium Seating installed an estimated 1.6 million seats, including Manchester United and Liverpools ground but their first customer though was Sheffield Wednesday in Hillsboroughs Leppings Lane end !!
The Government made grants available to help clubs pay for the change to all seater stadiums. The person in charge of awarding those grants......... Bert Millichip.
In 2006 Pel Sadium Seating won the contract to fit the seats at the refurbed Wembley. The seats were sub-standard and had to be removed. This is possibly why the company went into administration.
There is loads more to this scandal, including allegations about the reasons why Germany got the World Cup rather than the UK. (PEL had the contract with the German F.A.) but I've gone on long enough.
And some say that football isn't bent.
Many think it was the result of the Taylor report into the tragedy. They may be right or it could be that the fact that the Football Association, the very people that ran the game then, were about to make millions if legislation went through.
In 1989, whilst Taylor was still undertaking his inquiry a West Bromwich Albion Director Mike McGinnity bought a company, PEL, who manufactured plastic seats. Whilst the F.A. pushed Taylor to introduce all seater stadiums McGinnity formed a separate arm of Pel, Pel Stadium Seating and appointed Ted Croker as a Director, he had recently retired as secretary of the F.A. Crokers son-in-law, Nick Harrison, was appointed sales director in January 1990. This, co-incidentally was the month the month Taylor published his report.
It should also be noted that McGinnity was a close and personal friend of the F.A. Chairman Sir Bert Millichip and was in fact on the Board of Directors at West Brom at the same time. It goes without saying that Miilichip and Croker knew each other
Between 1990 and 2006, Pel Stadium Seating installed an estimated 1.6 million seats, including Manchester United and Liverpools ground but their first customer though was Sheffield Wednesday in Hillsboroughs Leppings Lane end !!
The Government made grants available to help clubs pay for the change to all seater stadiums. The person in charge of awarding those grants......... Bert Millichip.
In 2006 Pel Sadium Seating won the contract to fit the seats at the refurbed Wembley. The seats were sub-standard and had to be removed. This is possibly why the company went into administration.
There is loads more to this scandal, including allegations about the reasons why Germany got the World Cup rather than the UK. (PEL had the contract with the German F.A.) but I've gone on long enough.
And some say that football isn't bent.