Gordon Taylor: Outgoing PFA boss says the organisation will continue to get better
Gordon Taylor leaving at the end of the season after lengthy tenure; Taylor: "The game's always evolving. I was quite pleased to open us up to a review. I think it's time - we need to be prepared to adapt"; Taylor says PFA is addressing issue of dementia
Tuesday 15 December 2020 17:20, UK
Outgoing Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief executive Gordon Taylor says he expects the organisation to adapt and improve in the coming years.
Taylor has been in his post since 1981 but he will step down at the end of the current season.
The 75-year-old told Sky Sports News he is leaving the organisation in good shape as it implements the changes recommended by an independent review.
"My chapter's coming to an end but it's not the end for the PFA," said Taylor. "I hope for the remaining chapters in the book, the scenery gets even better.
"If not, I want to make sure they all get on their bikes and get where we need to be.
"The game's always evolving. I was quite pleased to open us up to a review. I think it's time - we need to be prepared to adapt. But I've got every confidence in my staff of 65.
"We've grown from just two or three. We've multiplied the numbers, we've multiplied our income, we've done great arrangements and we've done many great things.
"Of course, there's lots of other things we need to do and keep doing better.
"The introduction of four independent non-executive directors (Darren Hardman, Trevor Johnson, Ebru Koksal and Geoff Thompson) from different worlds - from the digitisation world, from women's football, from grassroots football - can only help.
"These are all areas that we've been covering for a long time that I'm very proud of.
"I believe we are the strongest - we're certainly the oldest - players' union in the world.
"We're the best value for money. You can be a player for 20 years with the PFA, and on day one you'll get more money from our non-contributory pension scheme than you would pay in 20 years of subscriptions."
The PFA has been criticised in some quarters for a perceived lack of action regarding research into the issue of footballers suffering from dementia - but Taylor says the PFA is addressing the issue.
"We've got areas of research," he said. "We're looking at the number of players who are getting dementia and trying to establish a causal link.
"That's why it's so important that we look at the treatment of concussion and the number of times in training players are heading the ball.
"[We must] seriously consider the role of heading in the game. We've seen what's happened with rugby and national hunt racing.
"I don't know any footballer who regrets his career, but we also have a duty of care.
"It's incumbent on the authorities that we don't put off any youngster coming into the game."
