THE Premier League has a new chairman, Gary Hoffman, a Coventry supporter and banking executive.
The process to recruit him was long and detailed. It started with 23 candidates, whittled down to nine, then a short list of three.
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New Premier League boss Gary Hoffman must rescue us all from the choppy waters of coronavirus
After multiple interviews, confidential referencing and an in-depth digital reference check (probably a lesson learnt from previous recruitment processes!) Gary was unanimously voted in as the first choice.
There was concern this would mean losing the awesome Claudia Arney, our current acting chair, who has done a fantastic job steering us through the crisis.
And it was agreed we would do all we could to convince her to stay on in her original role as non-executive director.
But, in the meantime, Gary is on the way in. Every organisation needs a strong leader during difficult times — but also a strategic one.
As one chairman put it, we need someone who has strong ideas, yet is also open to new ideas.
And this is the time for new ideas because football’s future is not going to look like it did on Saturday, March 7, at 3pm when I last watched West Ham play at Arsenal.
Then Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was diagnosed with coronavirus and the Premier League calendar postponed. It does not yet have a restart date.
Covid-19 has changed the world — and for some just surviving without games and no income is the only immediate goal.
For others, we are trying to peer through the smog of uncertainty and think what the new “normal” will be.
The first new normal we have to accept is that there will be more Government intervention in every aspect of our lives.
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Gary Hoffman has been named as the new Premier League chief
On a basic level, they tell us to stay in, so we stay in!
But the Government is also intervening in almost every type of business in our country right now.
For the Premier League this means it will be the Government, and not the PL shareholders, who will have the biggest say on when we can play matches again.
It will also be when they think the police and medical services can cope. They will also tell us when we can have testing for our players.
So having a relationship based on trust with the Government will be vital in our new normal. Then there will be another new normal, which comes in the shape of social distancing.
On the basis that we can’t currently sit down in a deserted park to rest for five minutes after our daily one-hour exercise, when will we be able to sit next to 59,999 other people at West Ham to watch a match?
How will we get to away games and abide by social-distancing rules — will it be one player per coach? Will everyone have to drive themselves?
And what about games overseas — with likely border restrictions and health risks of travelling, when can those games recommence?
Plus what will it be like for the players to play in front of empty stadiums?
My captain, Mark Noble, says repeatedly that the West Ham supporters are his 12th man. But when can that 12th man return to get behind their team?
BIGGEST CRISIS SINCE WWII
Finally, who we are and what we stand for will be important — because this is the biggest crisis since World War Two.
How we have looked after our staff, our supporters, and our community, will be vital when we win this Covid-19 war, then reflect on who did what during a tough time.
I am proud of everything West Ham has done. This for me is the silver lining in the crisis. We have learned what’s important.
Looking after each other, communicating, operating remotely, and at great speed, being flexible. Our players have deferred a portion of their salaries.
Our joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold plus shareholders have also injected £30million cash (not loans) to help ensure stability — and a number of us have reduced our salaries.
The savings created help support our infrastructure and enable us to retain jobs and pay 100 per cent of salaries, for full-time, part-time and casual matchday staff.
It also helps us to continue to support the most vulnerable in our community.
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Through our award-winning foundation, and the Players’ Project, West Ham has pledged £28m and saved the NHS £1.4m in the 150-Club diabetes programme.
Our priority was to reach out to the most vulnerable, in particular the elderly and those suffering from poverty.
Mark has written to our older supporters — the letter was greatly received and lifted people’s spirits.
So the new chairman Hoffman has a very big job, helping us shape the new normal — and ensuring we can survive and thrive.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
