Paul Fletcher

Most Expensive Transfer

Aged 16, Paul Fletcher joined his home town Club Bolton Wanderers. Three years later he became one of the country’s most expensive transfers; when he joined Burnley Football Club for a Club record fee. During the next ten years he made over 400 appearances, mostly in the old First Division (now The Premiership). After gaining four England u23 International caps he was selected in Don Revie’s England squad; but a serious knee injury put paid to a full England call up. A second serious leg injury forced early retirement at the early age of 32.

Paul Fletcher Pro Footballer

Following a sixteen-year career as a professional footballer, he has now become one of Europe’s leading Stadium experts (often referred to as a Stadiologist). Joining a rare breed of ex professional footballers who have successfully made the transition from ‘teamsheet to balancesheet’. His commercial career in Football began at the infamous, Colne Dynamoes FC in the late 1980’s.

Award Winning Stadium

Since then Paul Fletcher has had a meteoric rise, starting as Chief Executive at Huddersfield Town. Where over a six year period, he masterminded the award winning Alfred McAlpine Stadium; voted the RIBA ‘Building of the Year’ in 1995. In 1996 he then returned to his old Club Bolton Wanderers as Chief Executive; at the new £40 million Reebok Stadium the BCI Building of the Year in 1998. In 1999, after two years at the Reebok, he was invited by the FA to become Commercial Director of the new £500 million Wembley National Stadium.

After eighteen months, as costs escalated, he controversially walked away from the project; commenting that he ‘needed to spend more time with his wife and family in the Lancashire sunshine’. Within weeks he took up the position as Chief Executive at the £64 million Ricoh Arena Coventry, which has become one of the countries largest sports and leisure venues. This includes a 32,000 seater stadium for Coventry City FC, the largest Casino in the UK, 3 Hotels, Exhibition centre, Health & fitness Club, extensive office accommodation and wide range of community facilities.

Board Of Coventry

On 1st January 2006 he was invited to join the Board of Coventry City Football Club as Managing Director. Two years later, on 1st Jan 2008 he returned to Burnley Football Club as Development Director; and in July 2008 took up the position as Chief Executive. Helping the club gain promotion back to the Premiership in 2009.

StadiArena Patent

In 2005 he filed the first patent for StadiArena (a Football Stadium that converts to a covered Arena). The worldwide launch occurred in October 2007. StadiArena now have offices in London, New York, Sydney, Dubai, Capetown, Moscow, Beijing and Coventry UK; and StadiArenas have continued to grow internationally.

Since 2016 he has been involved in the building of a stadium in Philadelphia. He has also recently been invited by Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India to oversee the building of a new stadium in Ahmedabad; and is also in discussions to build 100 more football stadiums in the country.

Football Business

In 2011 Paul Fletcher was a founder and took up the role of Managing Director of University and College of Football Business (UCFB). He has since won a FA award for the “Most innovative use of a football stadium on non-match days”.

Paul Fletcher Off The Pitch

He still lives with his wife and family in the sun-drenched Rossendale valley in the heart of Lancashire; close to Turf Moor Burnley where he is consultant for the new £30 million Cricket Field Stand re-development. He is an active member of the George Formby Appreciation Society; and still trying to master the ukulele after 40 years of trying. In the 2007 New Years Honours list he was awarded the MBE for services to Football.

Teamwork & Motivation

What’s the secret? Paul puts all his success down to teamwork; saying “I just drew on the simple teamwork principles I learned in my playing days at Burnley Football Club. People used to wonder how this small town of Burnley achieved success in the greatest league in World Football. Yet there are no great secrets, it was down to teamwork. Ordinary people, fired up with enthusiasm and a common goal can achieve incredible results… and have some fun along the way”.

Book Paul Fletcher Today

Client Comments:

“Our event was extremely successful and for many delegates your speech was one of the highlights . . . it appealed to all the audience, male or female, football fans or not . . . the clients could have listened to ,your stories all night long! I have no hesitation in inviting to a similar function in the future”. White Rose Conferences

“We arrived as a loosely knit federation of individuals with our own agenda; we left with a clear idea of what we were trying to achieve as a team”. Partner, KPMG London

“We have had favourable feedback and your contribution was superb”. Manager, Lloyds Bank