Top 50 most influential people in Premier League history – 40-31 featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, the Glazers and Dr Hawkins

Gary Neville makes the list as a key player, respected coach and pundit
Cristiano Ronaldo won FIFA World Player of the Year at Manchester United
John Terry has captained Chelsea to four Premier League titles

Published:
07:18 GMT, 23 June 2015

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Updated:
08:25 GMT, 23 June 2015

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All this week, Sportsmail is counting down the top 50 most influential people in the history of the Premier League.

Nick Harris has pulled together names from all corners of the game – from the pitch to the boardroom, from the manager’s office to the agent’s HQ.

Today, we bring you numbers 40-31, featuring John Terry and Cristiano Ronaldo. Click here for the rundown of 50-41.

Q&A – how did Nick Harris pick the list?

Why were the people on this list chosen to be on it?

Because they directly influenced the formation, development and blossoming of the Premier League into the world’s richest and most-watched club competition and/or they played a fundamental role in shaping the destiny of the league’s major clubs, who in turn helped the league’s growth, and/or they were central to a hugely significant rule change or other development.

How on earth can you rate a player, a manager, an owner, an administrator, an agent, a TV executive or other contender in the same way, when they do fundamentally different things?

Not easily! And without a shred of doubt there will be intense debates about the people included (and left out), not to mention the pecking order. But by the time you get to the top names on the list, there is no doubt that every one of them is a major figure who widely influenced every part of the game in some way, directly or indirectly. And the higher up the list you go, the wider and stronger the influence of each person on others in the game … be that influencing players, clubs, managers, TV, the rules, the media and every other sphere.

So it’s not just about who has won the most trophies?

It’s far from that. It’s about key people, most of whom will be well known, some of whom you may never have heard of before, who have shaped and moulded the Premier League from its inception to now. Generally speaking, simply being the Footballer of the Year once or twice, or bagging multiple trophies, or being a title-winning manager, won’t be enough to get you near this list. The contribution will need to be something that transcends simple on-pitch activity.

Why are there only 50 people? Why not more?

Actually there are more than 50 people mentioned altogether; some of those included are key representatives of a wider group, mentioned along the way. There could easily have been separate lists of 50 players, 50 managers, 50 TV or business or media or club executives, ad infinitum. But there has to be limit, much as we appreciate your thirst for more!

Why isn’t So-And-So on this list? You must be really stupid/biased/ignorant to have left him/her out of it?

By all means tell us who you think merited a place but isn’t on the list. Leave a note with your own top 10 in the comments section at the bottom.

Frank Lampard is a cornerstone of the Premier League era and the midfielder features among the top 50

40= Rio Ferdinand

Born in London and nurtured by a famous London club, he became one of the great defenders of his generation and one of England’s all-time best centre halves. Revered by millions of fans for his commitment to the cause, he has also been embroiled in his share of controversies, including the fallout from the racism storm arising from a match between Chelsea and QPR in 2011 that had the knock-on effect of Fabio Capello departing as England manager. He’s won multiple Premier League titles, the Champions League and is among the 20 most-capped England players. And all of this he has in common with nemesis John Terry. They share much, and are poles apart.

But whereas Terry spent all his career at Chelsea (bar a short loan at Nottingham Forest), Ferdinand made record-breaking moves not once but twice, for £18m from West Ham to Leeds, then for £30m to Manchester United. Ferdinand’s charitable foundation, his work on social issues, his membership of the FA commission, his engagement with his Twitter followers (more than six million) and a burgeoning media career – as a documentary maker, film funder and publisher – also point to a hinterland and an influence far beyond the pitch.

Rio Ferdinand enjoyed a sterling career in the Premier League but his time was not without controversy

40= John Terry

Born in London and nurtured by a famous London club, he became one of the great defenders of his generation and one of England’s all-time best centre-halves. Revered by millions for his commitment, he has also been embroiled in his share of controversies, including the fallout from the racism storm arising from a match between Chelsea and QPR in 2011 that had the knock-on effect of Fabio Capello departing as England manager. He’s won multiple Premier League titles, the Champions League and is among the 20 most-capped England players. And all of this he shares in common with Rio Ferdinand. They share much, and are poles apart.

Like so many of the figures on this list, Terry is a polarising figure, simultaneously admired by most for his footballing abilities while derided by many non-partisan fans for his off-field scrapes. But his ‘Captain, Leader, Legend’ status, as stated on a famous banner at Stamford Bridge, derives from leading his club to more Premier League titles (4) than anyone but Manchester United. His £150,000-a-week, one-year contract extension for 2015-16 was not handed out on sentiment.

Evergreen central defender John Terry (right) has captained Chelsea to four Premier League triumphs

38 Paul Hawkins

Dr Hawkins is an academic and computer scientist with a Ph.D in Artificial Intelligence from Durham University but is better known as the MD of Hawk-Eye Innovations since its creation in 2001. Awarded an OBE for his services to sport and technology, his tracking equipment is now used not only in cricket, tennis and football but as an officiating aid in Aussie Rules, rugby, baseball, NASCAR, NHL ice hockey and Gaelic sports.

The Premier League had wanted to use a goal decision system (GDS) for years before FIFA finally approved it, and became the first league to install it as standard from 2013-14. The Bundesliga will follow from 2015-16.

Frank Lampard’s ‘non goal’ for England v Germany at the 2010 World Cup was said to have influenced FIFA president Sepp Blatter to hasten a GDS. A goal by Chelsea for Sunderland involving Lampard in the Capital One Cup in December 2010 was the first awarded by GDS in England. In the Premier League the first such goal went to Manchester City vs Cardiff when the GDS showed Edin Dzeko had scored. Technology in decision-making will inevitably become more common, one day. Hawkins via Hawk-Eye has been a PL pioneer.

Dr Paul Hawkins has pioneered Hawk-Eye, which is used in the Premier League to aid goal-line decisions

37 Cristiano Ronaldo

Only one footballer has won FIFA’s World Player of the Year award — or the award that supplanted it from 2010, the FIFA Ballon D’Or* — while active in the Premier League, and that was Ronaldo, in 2008, when with Manchester United. The Portuguese forward arrived in England in 2003 as an 18-year-old starlet from Sporting Lisbon costing just over £12m and Sir Alex Ferguson demonstrated his faith in the teenager’s enormous potential by assigning him the No 7 United shirt previously worn by George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham.

Ronaldo’s six seasons with United had all the hallmarks associated with that overused term ‘football great’, providing impact, honours and legacy. His 292 appearances and 118 goals helped United to three Premier League titles, three domestic cups, the Champions League in 2008 and assorted personal honours. And, in 2009, a payday of £80m for United as Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for a then world-record transfer fee.

The enduring message of CR7’s Premier League days is twofold. 1) The PL ‘made’ him. 2) His departure to Madrid serves as a constant reminder there are still some clubs, if not leagues, with greater allure. (Well, two).

*NB: Liverpool’s Michael Owen won the Ballon d’Or when it was still a European not global gong in 2001.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Manchester United provided impact, honours and legacy at Old Trafford

36 Frank Lampard

Goals are far from the only currency by which to assess a player but Lampard’s defined his Chelsea years as the Blues usurped Arsenal to become the second force of the PL era. His contributions during 13 years at the club made him the side’s all-time top scorer with 211 goals in 648 appearances in all competitions. Between 2003-04 and 2012-13, he racked up double figures every season in the Premier League alone, hitting a high league tally of 22 in 2009-10, netting 27 times altogether. He scored 20 goals or more per season from 2005-06 until 2009-10.

Lampard’s status was burnished by numerous assists and personal gongs, by 106 England caps and by an impeccable reputation as a role model on and off the pitch. But goals win games and when Manchester City spotted the chance to delay his departure to MLS sister club New York City, it was an easy decision to sign him for 2014-15, reap the rewards and take the flak rather than let him leave as originally planned. ‘The best, most consistent player ever,’ said no lesser an authority than John Terry, in February, after facing Lampard playing for City.

Frank Lampard is the all-time top scorer for Chelsea, with 211 goals in 648 appearances in all competitions

35 George Graham

Graham managed three Premier League teams. He guided Arsenal to league titles in the ‘old era’ (pre-PL) then to the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup in the new era, since 1992, before being sacked in 1995 for taking bungs years earlier. Being banned for taking backhanders from notorious agent Rune Hauge is one reason for his inclusion in this list: that was one of the PL’s biggest scandals. He managed Leeds from 1996 to 1998, and then Tottenham, where his greatest triumph was a League Cup win in the season of Manchester United’s historic treble, 1998-99.

Graham is also included for his beneficial influence on Manchester United via his close friendship with fellow Scot Sir Alex Ferguson. Graham was the man who advised that Hauge take clients Peter Schmeichel and Andrei Kanchelskis to United; Schmeichel at £505,000 from Brondby was later called the ‘bargain of the century’ by Ferguson.

Graham also allowed Fergsuon to use details of his own remuneration package with Arsenal to be shown to United’s hierarchy so Ferguson could demonstrate he was underpaid at Old Trafford and negotiate a better deal for himself. Fergie subsequently insisted for much of his reign that he be United’s best paid employee.

George Graham (right) enjoyed successful spells as manager of Arsenal, Leeds and Tottenham

34 The Glazer family

Foreign investors in English football were not common before the millennium and the first who had a massive impact, Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, did so for personal and political reasons on a whim, not for premeditated financial gain. The Glazer family takeover at Manchester United in 2005 was an altogether different proposition, inspired by the belief they could profitably ‘leverage’ England’s biggest club then ‘sweat the asset’ to make a pile of money for themselves. That belief proved well-founded.

A decade after their takeover, 27 of 44 clubs in England’s top two divisions had 33 different foreign ownership parties involved, who collectively paid £2.8bn for stakes now worth £5.8bn. The Glazers were game-changers, unwelcome as they were to some, because they recognised that English football held a potentially massive financial upside for foreign investors and there were few barriers to prevent them buying the club and milking it for their own benefit.

They paid £790m for United, most of it borrowed, and now sit on an asset owned 90 per cent by them worth £1.65bn. ‘Shame’ say many traditionalists. ‘Result’ say fellow speculators at Arsenal, Liverpool and elsewhere.

(From left) Bryan Glazer, United legend Sir Bobby Charlton, Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer back in 2005

33 Gary Neville

The former Manchester United captain merits his place on this list in three ways: as a key player and captain for a long period at United, the most successful club in Premier League history; as a pundit-columnist-broadcaster of burgeoning reputation who has made a smooth transition from pitch to media; and as a coach in the England set-up who may or may not develop that role at club level but who is already influencing current and future players in that role.

Neville was famously one of United’s ‘Class of 92’ alongside brother Phil, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt who went from being United trainees to United stalwarts and multiple title winners.

His business interests now include hotels and restaurants, and co-ownership of Salford City of the Northern Premier League although his best known contemporary role in the game is as one of the most insightful, incisive analysts on Sky Sports. Colleagues testify that it remains the case, as when he played, that he is first to work, most seriously applied when there, and last to leave.

One of the more intriguing questions is the modern game is which branch of his career Neville will pursue.

England coach Gary Neville (centre) had a successful playing career and is now a respected coach and pundit

32 Dennis Bergkamp

The non-flying Dutchman was Bruce Rioch’s first signing as Arsenal manager in 1995, for £7.5m, smashing the club’s transfer record as he moved from Inter Milan after two indifferent seasons. It wasn’t immediately clear that he would have an impact and in the early stages of his time at Highbury, Bergkamp was mocked as an expensive waste of money. What folly that turned out to be.

He went on to win three Premier League titles with the Gunners, two of them as part of Doubles and the third as an Invincible, while also winning the FA Cup four times, reaching two European club finals and winning the PL goal of the season, twice.

His goal against Newcastle in March 2002 which involved a turn and shot remains one of the all-time great strikes in the English game and Bergkamp also achieved a unique feat in an earlier season of coming first, second and third in Match of the Day’s goal of the month competition (in August 1997). Weighed on impact and honours he was a smash hit. On legacy: every other English club, bewitched by him, went in search of their own Dutch magician.

Dennis Bergkamp (right) scored one of the best goals ever seen in the Premier League for Arsenal in 2002

31 Andy Melvin

Andy Melvin revolutionised live football with Sky

It’s likely you have never heard of Melvin but he was at the forefront of the revolution of televised live football in the ‘Sky era’ and instrumental in the way the game has changed. He appears on this list in his own right because he fundamentally shaped the way the Premier League was delivered to fans … or customers as they increasingly became know after 1992. He was largely ‘responsible’ for the long Sky careers of Andy Gray (a ground-breaking analyst alongside and partner Richard Keys, regardless of what’s happened to them since), and the era-defining commentary of Martin Tyler.

As Melvin himself explained a few years ago about his role at the start of Sky Sports in the early 1990s: ‘I went in to see Dave Hill, this flamboyant, larger-than-life Aussie who had been brought in to run the channel, for a production meeting about how we were going to cover football. He presented me with a blank sheet of paper and said, ‘Just make it f***ing good’!’.

Melvin was the long-term deputy MD of Sky Sports and his boss Vic Wakeling and Wakeling’s successor Barney Francis are also due significant credit for the PL we know today.