Charles John Dempsey CBE (4 March 1921 – 24 June 2008) was a Scottish-born New Zealand association football administrator.
Charlie Dempsey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles John Dempsey 4 March 1921 |
| Died | 24 June 2008 (aged 87) New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Known for | Association football administrator |
Early life
editDempsey was a builder and emigrated with his wife to New Zealand in 1952.[1]
Career
editDempsey was President of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) from 1982 to 2000 and continued as Honorary OFC President until the beginning of 2004.[2][3][4] He served on the executive committee of FIFA from 1996 to 2000 but left his position two years early following the vote for the hosting of the 2006 World Cup.[5][6][7] He was appointed to the FIFA Order of Merit in 2004.[8]
Dempsey was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1982 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to association football[9] and in February 1990 he was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[10]
In July 2000, Dempsey abstained from FIFA's final round of voting for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in a move that eventually saw the competition being awarded to Germany rather than South Africa.[11][12] Dempsey said that he did not vote because of the "intolerable pressure" from supporters of the German and South African bids, and of the attempts that had been made to bribe him.[13] FIFA rejected calls for a new vote and opened an internal inquiry into the allegations of corruption.[14][15] Dempsey stood down from his role in September 2000 as he was unable to accept what had taken place over the days after the vote.[16][17]
Death
editDempsey died on 24 June 2008 aged 87,[1] although some sources reported it as 86.[3][4] He was survived by his wife and two daughters,[1] one of whom, Josephine, served as General-Secretary of the OFC.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c Obituary: "Popularising the Beautiful Game" in Dominion Post, 3 July 2008 page B7
- ^ a b "Soccer: Charlie Dempsey says it's time to get out". The New Zealand Herald. 15 February 2004. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Dempsey dies, aged 86". Sydney Morning Herald. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
- ^ a b "South Africa 2006 vote man dies". BBC News Online. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
- ^ "Dempsey congratulates SA". news.bbc.co.uk. 17 May 2004. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Dempsey quits Fifa". BBC News Online. 13 July 2000. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
- ^ "Dempsey resigns as Oceania president". theguardian.com. 13 July 2000. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Fresh allegations surface regarding how Germany secured 2006 World Cup". The Guardian. Press Association. 27 October 2015.
- ^ "No. 49010". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 12 June 1982. p. 40.
- ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 120. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
- ^ "Dempsey quizzed over abstention". BBC News Online. 7 July 2000. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
- ^ "Charlie Dempsey: A profile". BBC News Online. 7 July 2000. Retrieved 25 June 2008.
- ^ "Under-fire Fifa rep resigns". BBC News Online. 9 July 2000. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Dempsey: I was threatened". news.bbc.co.uk. 10 July 2000. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Independent inquiry finds that Germany may have paid over £10 million in bribes to stage the 2006 World Cup". telegraph.co.uk. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ^ "Dempsey's abstention culminates in resignation". espn.com. 9 July 2000. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ "PLUS: SOCCER; Dempsey Resigns FIFA Position". The New York Times. 14 July 2000. Retrieved 29 August 2021.