Paul Fletcher

Paul John Fletcher MBE, born on January 13, 1951, in Bolton, England, began his professional football career with his hometown club, Bolton Wanderers, in 1967. After joining Bolton, he moved to Burnley Football Club in 1970 for a club-record fee, a significant transfer at the time. Over the next decade with Burnley, Fletcher made over 400 appearances, playing primarily in the First Division, now recognized as the Premier League. He sustained a serious knee injury that prevented a full England cap despite earning four England U23 International caps and being selected for Don Revie’s England squad. A second severe leg injury ultimately led to his early retirement from playing at the age of 32.

Following his playing career, Fletcher transitioned into sports management and stadium development, establishing himself as a prominent expert in Europe. His commercial journey in football began in the late 1980s at Colne Dynamoes F.C. He then served as Chief Executive at Huddersfield Town, where he oversaw the development of the Alfred McAlpine Stadium between 1989 and 1995. In 1996, he returned to Bolton Wanderers as Chief Executive and was instrumental in the creation of the £40 million Reebok Stadium. In 1999, the FA invited him to become Commercial Director for the new £500 million Wembley National Stadium project, a role he held for eighteen months before departing due to escalating costs.

Subsequently, Fletcher became Chief Executive of Arena Coventry Limited, where he led the construction and delivery of the £64 million Ricoh Arena in Coventry. This comprehensive project included a 32,000-seat stadium for Coventry City F.C., a casino, two hotels, an exhibition center, and health facilities. He became Managing Director of Coventry City Football Club in 2006. In 2007, he moved to Burnley Football Club as Chief Executive, a period that saw the club promoted to the Barclays Premier League in 2009 for the first time in 34 years. In 2011, he co-founded and became Managing Director of the University & College of Football Business (UCFB), which established campuses at Turf Moor Stadium, Wembley Stadium, and The Etihad Stadium Manchester, demonstrating his continued commitment to education and development within the football industry. In the 2007 New Year Honours, Fletcher was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to sport and charity.