David Barry Dein (b. 7 September 1943) is a British businessman, known for being a former co-owner and vice-chairman of Arsenal Football Club, and former vice-chairman of the Football Association.
Dein was vice-chairman of Arsenal between 1983 and 2007, and was instrumental in the formation of the Premier League in 1992. In August 2007 he sold his shares in Arsenal to London-based, Russian-owned business company, Red and White Holdings.
He was the President of the G-14 group of European football clubs between October 2006 and May 2007, and has sat on various committees within FIFA and UEFA including UEFA's Club Competition Committee and Executive Committee. He was also the International President of England's failed 2018 World Cup bid.
Dein is also the founder of The Twinning Project, a charity which connects prisons and football clubs to help the rehabilitation of prisoners. He spends much of his time giving motivational speeches to schools and prisons in the UK and at football conferences.
Arsenal
Dein began in business as a sugar trader. He was vice-chairman of Arsenal between 1983 and 2007. He was appointed when he bought a 16.6% share of the club for £292,000 from Peter Hill-Wood, Arsenal's chairman. At the time of Dein's purchase in 1983, Hill-Wood described Dein as "crazy" to invest his money in the club, stating that "to all intents and purposes, it's dead money". Dein built up his shares until he owned 42% of the club in 1991. Over the next decade, debts incurred forced him to sell just short of a 30% stake to co-director Danny Fiszman for approximately £11m. By 2007, his remaining shares were believed to be worth in the region of £57 million to £65 million.
Formation of the Premier League
Dein was one of the architects of the Premier League in 1992, which re-shaped the structure and finances of English football. "I felt football was really a sleeping giant and had a long way to go," Dein said. "After seeing how the Americans operated their sport, particularly American football and baseball and basketball, I felt we were light years behind. We had so much more to give as an attraction." Greg Dyke, later the chairman of the FA, stressed the central role of Dein in the creation of the Premier League, saying "David Dein was the most revolutionary bloke I've met in football. David Dein created the Premier League, it was his idea."
Success with Arsène Wenger
During his time at the club, he had an active role in the transfer of players and contract negotiations. Dein was behind the appointment of the little-known Arsène Wenger to the manager's job in 1996. Under Wenger, Arsenal won the Premier League three times and the FA Cup seven times, and Dein strongly backed him and his transfer plans.
Following the dismissal of George Graham in February 1995, he tried to convince his fellow board members to appoint Wenger as manager. They seemed reluctant to bring on board an unknown Frenchman managing in Japan and opted instead for Bruce Rioch. Following the dismissal of Rioch a year later, Dein again suggested that Wenger should be hired. His efforts proved successful and Wenger was appointed manager of Arsenal in October 1996. It is generally agreed that without Dein, Wenger would never have been appointed manager.
Dein believed that Wenger would change Arsenal's style of play, which was seen as dogmatic and one-dimensional, to one based on technique and speed more attuned with the approach adopted by teams from the continent.
Dein was instrumental in the club's recruitment of players. In September 1991, he helped Arsenal sign Ian Wright from Crystal Palace for £2.5 million. Wright later stated that Dein "was always very close to the players... He was like a father figure to us, and everybody loved him." In June 1995, Dein signed Dutch international Dennis Bergkamp for £7.5 million from Internazionale.
Redevelopment of Highbury
Dein was influential in the transformation of Highbury into an all-seater stadium. Following the Hillsborough disaster, the Taylor Report required Premier League clubs to introduce all-seater stadiums. Dein was behind the introduction of a bond scheme, unpopular with fans, to finance the redevelopment of Highbury's North Bank and Clock End terraces into all-seater stands.
Dein also helped obtain Arsenal's entry into the G-14 group of major European football clubs in 2002, and became President of the G-14 in October 2006. He was also President of Arsenal Ladies Football Club while Arsenal vice-chairman.