Charity Commission Finds Mismanagement at Players Foundation

A Charity Commission inquiry found serious mismanagement at the Players Foundation, formerly the Professional Footballers' Association Charity. The regulator said conflicts of interest and improper transfers put funds meant to help current and former professional footballers at risk.

The inquiry began in 2019 after the Commission raised concerns about how the charity was being run. 9 million from the Football Association to the Professional Footballers' Association without a clear explanation. The charity also covered about 80 percent of the union's annual operating costs, totaling around £6 million, which included £5 million in salaries.

Multiple trustees, including former chief executive Gordon Taylor, held salaried senior roles at the Professional Footballers' Association. The Commission stated that funding a trade union is not a charitable purpose under law. The charity also owned properties in Manchester and London that the union occupied rent-free, resulting in more than £627,000 in costs when interest was added.

9 million and unpaid rent were returned after the Commission's intervention. In September 2022, the charity received an official warning for mismanagement that occurred from its incorporation in 2013 through the beginning of 2019. Trustee Darren Wilson, who served as the PFA's director of finance, was disqualified from trustee or senior management roles in charities for four years.

The Charity Commission said remedial actions have been implemented, including separation from the union, appointment of new trustees, and establishment of a distinct identity. The charity adopted a new funding model after the Football Association and Premier League ended their support following the separation.

Angela Ascroft, critical case lead at the Charity Commission, said the lines between the charity and the Professional Footballers' Association were blurred, resulting in conflicts of interest and mismanagement. She stated that trustees fell short of their duty to act in the best interests of the charity and let down the players they were meant to help.