Gordon Taylor has been forced out of the Professional Footballers’ Association — and will go with a withering attack from one of his fiercest critics.
PFA chief executive Taylor will leave his £2million-a-year post after 38 years in charge of the footballers’ union after a campaign to drive him out and accusations that he let members down.
Dawn Astle, daughter of former West Brom and England striker Jeff, remains angry that the PFA failed to fund research into dementia — believed to be linked to heading footballs — which killed her dad and is a huge risk for former players.
She said: “I am very pleased that Gordon Taylor is stepping down. I’ve lost all faith in the PFA’s ability to protect its members, when it comes to dementia.
High time Gordon Taylor went — so the PFA can become the union its members need
“My dad died. There could be thousands of others out there like him. But the PFA, the union meant to support them, the union whose entire existence is about player welfare, for me, has completely failed in its duty to try and understand why.
“They have let my dad down, they’ve let my family down, and I think they’ve let football down. They should have been the ones who instigated and fought tooth and nail for these players.
“If their own union isn’t going to, who is? My dad died in 2002, the research they co-funded with the Football Association into dementia and former players started in January 2018. Sixteen years is not acceptable, not when players are dying.”
Taylor announced at the PFA’s annual general meeting on Wednesday that he will go once a full review of the union’s finances is carried out.
The rest of the PFA management committee is also standing down.
GORDON TAYLOR'S CAREER IN NUMBERS
74 Taylor’s age.
548 His first team appearances for Bolton, Birmingham, Blackburn and Bury.
18 Number of years Taylor played as a pro.
1977 The year when he played for North American Soccer League club Vancouver Whitecaps.
1907 Year in which the Professional Footballers' Association was formed.
38 Years that Taylor has been chief executive of the PFA.
1 The number of chief executives in the PFA’s history.
4,000 How many PFA members there are.
2008 The year Taylor received an OBE in the New Year Honours.
