UCFB is delighted to announce a quartet of Executive Guest Speakers will be talking to students this week, including a famous FA Cup winner.
Mark Ives, The FA’s Head of Judicial Services, and Sunderland legend Jim Montgomery, an FA Cup winner in 1973, will speak to students at UCFB Wembley. While at UCFB Etihad Campus, former Burnley FC players Clarke Carlisle and Paul Fletcher, both of whom are heavily involved with UCFB, will speak to students. All talks will take place on Wednesday 9th November.
Jim Montgomery
Not many players can say they’ve won the FA Cup and European Cup and bizarrely still not represented their country, but former Sunderland goalkeeper Jim Montgomery can do just that.
Montgomery made over 600 appearances for his hometown club, culminating in perhaps the greatest moment in the history of the club – beating the mighty Leeds United 1-0 at Wembley in the 1973 FA Cup final. The match represents one of the great cup final shocks of all time, with Sunderland playing in the league below Leeds at the time. The most memorable moment of the game though was Montgomery’s amazing double-save from Trevor Cherry and Peter Lorimer to prevent a Leeds equaliser.
A short stint at Birmingham City preceded his unique time at Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest. Deputising for the mighty Peter Shilton, Montgomery hardly kicked a ball for Forest but still won a European Cup winners medal in 1980 as an unused substitute.
He was awarded a British Empire Medal in 2015 for his services to football.
Mark Ives
Mark has had a long and illustrious career at The Football Association, and is currently the Head of Judicial Services in the head office at Wembley Stadium.
His first senior role in football came as Chief Executive at The Hertfordshire Football Association, before taking on the job as County Business Development Manager in 2001 at The FA, who at the time were based in Soho Square in central London.
Mark took on his current position in 2008, a year after Wembley Stadium opened.
Clarke Carlisle
An imposing central defender who enjoyed a highly successful 16 year career in professional football at the likes of QPR, Leeds and Northampton Town, Clarke was dubbed “Britain’s Brainiest Footballer” on a TV game show and was a respected Chairman of the Professional Footballers’ Association.
Following a career that included man of the match honours as Burnley gained promotion to the Premier League in 2009’s Championship Playoff Final, he has maintained an active role as an ambassador for anti-racism charity Kick It Out and a diverse media career.
A passionate speaker on issues surrounding mental health in sport, Clarke’s expertise is of immense value to UCFB students and staff as a Tutorial Coordinator.
Paul Fletcher
A popular figure as a Burnley player at Turf Moor as well as his home town club Bolton Wanderers, Paul enjoyed a glittering 13 year professional career as a striker.
In 1996, Paul returned to Bolton Wanderers as Chief Executive and after two years at the Reebok he was invited by The FA to become Commercial Director of the new £500m Wembley National Stadium.
Later taking up the position as Chief Executive at the £64m Ricoh Arena in Coventry, Paul then joined the Board of Coventry City Football Club as Managing Director before being appointed Chief Executive of Burnley FC in 2007. Having overseen the successful promotion of Burnley to the Premier League in 2009, Paul is a Director of UCFB at Turf Moor and plays an instrumental role in its ongoing success.
Paul was awarded the MBE for Services to Football in 2007 in the New Year’s Honours List.
Mark Ives will appear at UCFB Wembley in Pitch View West at 10am, and Jim Montgomery will speak to students in the Danny Fullbrook auditorium at 2.30pm. Clarke Carlisle will be at UCFB Etihad Campus at 10am in the Commonwealth Suite, and Paul Fletcher will speak to students from 12pm in the same room.
