June 25 – David Taylor, one of Europe’s leading and most respected football administrators has passed away, aged 60. A passionate Scotsman and Scottish football supporter, Taylor joined UEFA in 2007 and variously held the positions of UEFA General Secretary and CEO of UEFA Events SA, and latterly UEFA corporate business advisor.
Taylor joined UEFA from the Scottish Football Association where he had held the posts of chief executive and secretary from August 1999.
UEFA President Michel Platini in paying tribute, said: “He was an invaluable addition to UEFA when he first joined us as General Secretary, and brought us considerable experience and wisdom as a football administrator of the highest calibre. In addition, he gave us his boundless enthusiasm as a lover of football, who adored the game and enjoyed many memorable moments following Scotland’s fortunes.
“We will all greatly miss his outstanding professional competence, as well as his countless qualities as a colleague and a person.”
Taylor graduated from Edinburgh University with a degree in law and qualified as a solicitor, practising until 1985 when he joined the Scottish Development Agency and later becoming the first director of Scottish Trade International.
Taylor was a long-standing member of the Scotland Supporters Club and proudly watched his country at five FIFA World Cup finals since the 1960s. He played football at amateur and semi-professional level and was a qualified SFA coach.
At the European governing body, Taylor was a member of UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body from 2002 to 2007, served UEFA as General Secretary from June 2007 to October 2009, before taking over as CEO of the UEFA Events SA company. He also served as chairman of the board of UEFA Media Technologies SA, and was appointed as a board member of UEFA’s long-standing marketing partners TEAM in 2013.
Martin Wagner, delegate of the board of TEAM Marketing, UEFA’s marketing partner for the Champions League and the Europa League, said: “David is a huge loss for TEAM, he was a well-respected member of our board of directors. He has been an important part in the growth and success of major football events, produced and delivered on a level that has never been seen before in world sport. Football has lost an outstanding executive and a stabilising force who knew how to make things happen in European circles. It has also lost a true fan of the game. We have all lost a great friend and colleague.”
INSIDEworldfootball’s chief correspondent Andrew Warshaw, met with Taylor on numerous occasions in a professional capacity: “I am truly stunned by this news. The last time I saw David, he was joking about the circumstances of his original heart attack, seemed in terrific form and challenged me to a game of golf either in Switzerland or back home on one of his many visits to the UK. Sadly it never happened but he would have thrashed me anyway. David had enormous integrity and was so engaging and approachable. I regarded him not only as an esteemed professional colleague but simply one great guy.”
Taylor’s loss will be felt in Scotland as well as Europe. Neil Doncaster, SPFL CEO, said: “David’s death is a great loss to Scottish football. The work that he did in modernising the Scottish FA continues to be built on today. His interest in Scottish football did not diminish when he moved to UEFA. Indeed he was a regular attender at Scottish international and club matches; most recently at the Scotland v Nigeria match in Fulham last month. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”
In 2011 Taylor suffered a near fatal heart attack as he left his office at UEFA HQ in Nyon, Switzerland for a football match against a FIFA team.
Taylor died at home in Scotland after becoming unwell while on holiday in Turkey earlier this month. He leaves behind his wife Cathy and two children, James and Alan.
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