Interview: David Dein

David Dein is the former vice-chairman of Arsenal FC and the Football Association. He came to deliver a talk to Y10 students this week. We got to interview him afterwards to find out more about some of his inspirations, opinions and motto.

Growing up, what and who were your inspirations?

I grew up not too far away from here. I grew up in north London and I went to a grammar school. I always believed that I wanted to do something like I did. I wanted to try to be a success at it and I was just saying to the youngsters in the talk (Y10 assembly) that when I managed to get on the Arsenal board it was a dream come true. Over the years, one of my best (inspirations), the guy that I respected a lot is Arsene Wenger. I think he is a tremendous inspiration and he’s highly intelligent and a very good communicator with people and inspires people. But when I was younger, growing up it was my school teachers and my French teacher Mr. Ufranin. Still remember his name 50 years later. He was a great inspiration.

What did you value the most about being the vice-chairman of both Arsenal and the FA?

I liked the responsibility. I was never frightened to take and make a decision and to drive the game forward. I always used to wake up in the morning and think about what can I do today to make things better and always believed that the cup was half full and half empty.

It was recently reported that you believe that Arsene Wenger “will be an impossible act to follow.” Why do you think that?

Well what I said was...bearing in mind that he’s been in the club for 20 years and every year we’ve been in the Champions League, that is a remarkable achievement. I said that he won't be a difficult act to follow, he will be an impossible act to follow because the next manager won’t last 20 years. Naturally, he won't go into the Champions League all the time but I hope they do but I can’t see it happening because it's just remarkable.

How do you think women’s football could be developed further?

Women’s football has come up...by leaps and bounds over the last 10 years. When I started the Arsenal ladies team in the mid 1990s there was only one team. Today on any weekend there are eight teams playing. Women’s football is the fastest growing sport in the country. There are more women and girls playing football now than ever before. I was with the referee’s recently and I asked them when and how long will it be until we see the first female referee in the Premier League and they said within 5 years. So you can see how the game has changed.

How do you think goal line technology could have an impact on the experience of footballers and supporters?

The fans today have access to immediate information. On Google you get the information so *clicks* quickly and it's the same if a goal is scored or if it was off side, they get on their phones and they can see it. You know, the only person who can’t see it is the referee. He hasn’t got that luxury and it’s crazy when there’s so much technology around. So it’s coming. We have already introduced goal line technology and there will be an extension to that in the years to come where you will have a lot more that is needed because he’s (the referee) got to get the big decisions right.

Our school is currently going through a new building process. What was it like transforming the Highbury Stadium and what impact did it have on the club?

When we had the old stadium, it only held 38 thousand people but we had hundreds of them...thousands of people who wanted to get in. We were shutting them out on every game so we had to move. We moved to the Emirates Stadium. Even now that’s too small with 60 thousand people because we’ve got 60 thousand more people on our waiting list, so it was quite a brave move because it was very expensive to do it, and at the time we didn’t have the money. Don’t forget, we moved 10 years ago and that was a struggle to find the cash to do it but we had to do it because we were turning people away.

What made you get into public speaking, particularly in schools and in prisons?

It’s a nice story this. When I became an investor for the Premier League, I used to go around the world representing them because I was involved in forming the Premier League, but I had a little bit of time on my hands and I had lunch one day with a gentleman called Robert Peston. He is the BBC’s, used to be ITV’s, economic correspondent and he said he was starting up a charity called Speakers for Schools. With his contacts he had a lot of successful people...and his idea was to get the successful people into the schools where they can be role models. He asked if I would be interested and I said that I would love to be interested.

I expected to do one or two a year, I'm doing about four a week! I enjoy it. I feel at the stage of life where I am giving something back. I have had thirty years at the top of the game, you know with Arsenal, the FA and FIFA, and it’s my stage now. I think I have a good story to tell...and I can try and motivate and maybe inspire other people and youngsters. You’ve got a huge future ahead of you hopefully.

Leave them (students) with just a few ideas and they just remember them. So it's important that they are committed to the feedback forms. They will remember some of the things I have said. So that gives me my job satisfaction.

Along the way you must have faced some difficulties. What difficulties did you face and how did you overcome them?

Yeah, head on is the answer. I've never been too frightened to use my own motto. The motto of the turtle: “you’ll never get anywhere unless you stick your neck out.” You’ve got to stick your neck out and I've done it many times. Sometimes I have not been successful but I’ve always come back to what I believe in. And there's something else, now you can be in a minority of one but that doesn’t make you wrong. Stick with it. Stick with your belief. Nobody thought Trump was going to get in or that we’d be involved in Brexit and we are. But you know people fight their corners and in the end they get support.

What have you learnt from the people you speak to?

You can never underestimate the fans, the fans are the paying public. They are the heart and soul of the game. Without the fans there isn't a sport so it's important that every club listens to their fans. So what I know with Arsenal is that we always used to discuss what would the fans like. I was a fan so it was easy for me, you know talking about ticket prices, facilities whatever it may be. You’ve got to always have an open mind.

Interviewed by Sneha (A4) and Kanaiya (G2)