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Draft:Craig Brewin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: Most of the sources cited here only mention him, not exclusively defining him. Jôhola 06:37, 8 September 2026 (UTC)
  • Comment: You made some good edits, but part of writing the article as an encyclopedia article, and not as say an essay is removing quotes making arguments when discussing newspaper articles, and also removing emotive language where possible. It’s an interesting article, so keep up the good work and we will have another try soon. Absurdum4242 (talk) 06:57, 22 August 2026 (UTC)


Craig Brewin
Craig Brewin at the FIFA World Cup semi-final in Turin, July 1990. England v West Germany
Born1959 (age 66–67)
Leicester, England[1]
Occupations
  • Public servant
  • Football supporters' campaigner
Known forChair of the Football Supporters' Association

Craig Brewin (born 1959) is a British football supporters' campaigner. He was active in the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) between 1985 and 2000, serving as national chair from 1990 to 1992 and holding roles including national secretary, treasurer and chair of its London branch.[2] He was one of the organisers and financial backers of the FSA's Football Embassy at the 1990 FIFA World Cup.[3] The embassy has been described as the first fan-led initiative of its kind at a major international football tournament.[4]

Brewin campaigned on stadium safety, football identity cards, the treatment of England supporters abroad, safe standing, ticket prices and the governance of English football. He participated in the Football Task Force established by the Labour government in 1997.[5][6] After moving to Montserrat, he was director of the Montserrat Red Cross and later served as head of projects for the Montserrat Association for Persons with Disabilities.[7][8]

Politics and early career

[edit]

Brewin moved to London in 1981 to work for the Greater London Council.[2] Between 1986 and 1990, he served as a Labour councillor in the London Borough of Haringey.[9] A 1994 directory of British political organisations described him as a left-wing Labour councillor.[10]

Early FSA campaigns

[edit]

The Football Supporters' Association (FSA) was formed in 1985 in the aftermath of the Heysel Stadium disaster, amid wider concern about football hooliganism and stadium safety.[11] After joining the organisation, Brewin became chair of the FSA’s London branch and acted as a national media spokesperson.[12][13] Mark Turner wrote that Brewin was able to establish “a strong network of people concerned with national but also club-specific issues”.[14] Turner described Brewin’s view that many clubs lacked active supporter representation and that the FSA filled this gap through an informal campaign structure.[15]

In February 1987, Brewin organised the Football in London Action Group (FLAG), bringing together supporters involved in club-based campaigning.[16]

In February 1987, Brewin organised the Football in London Action Group (FLAG), bringing together supporters involved in club-based campaigning.[16] [17] Brewin told the Daily Express that FLAG was intended to coordinate supporters of clubs affected by proposed property developments and mergers.[18]

Daniel Gray quoted Brewin as saying that protest was only one part of supporter activism: “Charlton didn't go back to The Valley because people wrote about it. It was a political campaign and a business proposal.”[19] In his autobiography, Tottenham Hotspur chairman Irving Scholar described Brewin's involvement in a campaign concerning the redevelopment at White Hart Lane stadium[20] as “politically motivated”.[21] Glen Kirton of the FA also described Brewin as the FSA's “most political” figure.[22]

Later in 1987, following a dangerous crowd incident at the FA Cup final,[23] Brewin publicly stated that he believed there would be serious consequences if crowd-management arrangements for big events were not improved.[23] The FA rejected the FSA's concerns, stating that the stadium had been "inspected and licensed".[23]

ID cards and Hillsborough

[edit]

In 1989, during the FSA’s campaign against identity cards, Luton Town banned Brewin after he obtained and shared a club membership card on Thames Television’s Reporting London.[24] The club’s chairman, Conservative MP David Evans, who supported a national identity-card scheme, accused Brewin of undermining the system and called for a police investigation.[25]

Two days after the Hillsborough disaster, the Daily Star quoted and photographed Brewin as he called for changes to crowd-control measures.[26] He subsequently spoke publicly about stadium safety and implementation of the Taylor Report, calling for the removal of perimeter fencing and changes to policing practices.[27][28]

Brewin became FSA chair in 1990 after arguing that the organisation was becoming too centralised and that its future lay in operating as a relatively loose campaigning framework.[29] The following year, the FSA and the National Federation of Football Supporters’ Clubs passed motions supporting the establishment of a joint working party to discuss closer co-operation.[30] Rogan Taylor later wrote that, under Brewin's leadership, the FSA became “stronger and more deeply engaged with the running of the game”.[31]

Establishing the first football embassies

[edit]

Brewin was one of the organisers and financial backers of the Football Embassy at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.[3] The embassy provided information and assistance to England supporters during the tournament. Academic literature describes the project as the first fan-led initiative of its kind at a major international football tournament.[4]

Gray reported that the name “Football Embassy” arose from repeated assertions that supporters should act as ambassadors. He characterised the initiative as pro-supporter rather than anti-hooligan: it helped supporters with accommodation and travel, observed policing, built relationships with local communities and represented supporters when they encountered difficulties.[32] Before the tournament, Brewin had argued that the exclusion of English clubs from European competition during the 1989–90 season had prevented the proposed arrangements from being tested in advance of their application in the World Cup.[33] During the tournament, he criticised the policing of England supporters in Sardinia, comparing some of the tactics used to those employed in South Africa.[34][35]

Brewin raised concerns about the mass deportation of England supporters from Rimini during the tournament. Gray wrote that the 247 supporters appeared to have been selected at random and that the aircraft used for their removal had been booked before the arrests.[36] Sports Minister Colin Moynihan described the deportees as "criminally motivated" and "football's effluent tendency".[37] After Italian authorities accepted that they had not been convicted of offences, Brewin announced legal action over Moynihan’s comments.[38][39] In October 1990, the Government informed Parliament that the National Football Intelligence Unit would destroy all records relating to those deported.[40]

The FSA ran another Football Embassy at the 1992 European Championship in Sweden without the support of the FA.[41] [42] In advance of the tournament, Brewin said on BBC Radio 5 that the FSA had been pressing the FA to increase the number of tickets available to independent travellers.[43] Glen Kirton said that what he described as disinformation put around by "certain organisations that claim to represent supporters” was affecting ticket sales.[44] The FSA and its successor organisations continued to operate Football Embassies at international tournaments, and the model was adopted more widely in Europe.[45][46]

Premier League formation and the Taylor Report

[edit]

During 1991 and 1992, Brewin led the FSA's response to the Football Association's Blueprint for Football and the eventual formation of the Premier League. He accused the FA of creating a financial “gulf” between the breakaway Premier League and the rest of the professional game.[47] Brewin specifically opposed a proposal in the Blueprint for the Football Association to establish its own supporters' organisation, arguing that the FSA's independence was important to its effectiveness.[48][49][50] When the Football Association agreed a television contract with BSkyB in 1992, Brewin raised concerns about the implications for football supporters, including ticket prices and access to matches broadcast live.[51][52][53] In 1993, Brewin criticised the rescheduling of matches to accommodate satellite television coverage.[54]

Following the Taylor Report’s recommendation that football grounds be made all-seated, Brewin helped initiate the FSA’s campaign to retain safe standing areas. In April 1990, he reopened the FSA’s conference agenda to allow a motion opposing the introduction of all-seater stadiums.[55][56]

Gray reported that Brewin argued that the FSA and football fanzines had raised safety concerns for years before Hillsborough.[57] The FSA submitted its own report to the government arguing that standing areas could be designed and operated safely.[58][59] Gray wrote that Brewin accepted that crowd behaviour had changed since the 1923 “White Horse” FA Cup final, but rejected the view that standing itself was inherently unsafe.[60] In June 1992, Brewin welcomed the government's decision to relax all-seater requirements for some smaller clubs.[61]

The Football Task Force

[edit]

Brewin participated in the Football Task Force, established by the incoming Labour government in 1997. The Task Force was headed by former Conservative cabinet minister David Mellor[5] and administered by Andy Burnham, who later chaired Supporters Direct.[62] Brewin presented the Task Force with a proposal for an audit commission for football.[6] The establishment of Supporters Direct, set up to facilitate supporter ownership, was a task force recommendation supported by the FSA.[63] In 2002 the FSA merged with the National Federation of Football Supporters’ Clubs to form the Football Supporters' Federation.[64] Brewin later said that while he would not describe the FSA as having become part of football's establishment, he acknowledged that the organisation had moved in that direction.[65][56]

Disability advocacy in Montserrat

[edit]

Brewin moved to Montserrat in 2017.[66] He became head of campaigns for the Montserrat Association for Persons with Disabilities (MAPD), advocating for accessibility, disability-inclusive public policy and legal protection for disabled people on the island.[67][68]

Through MAPD, he took part in work on disability inclusion in major infrastructure projects, including the proposed redevelopment of Montserrat's port.[69][70] He presented on disability issues in Montserrat and the British Overseas Territories at the Harkin Institute International Disability Employment Summit[71][72] and at the University of the West Indies Regional Disability Studies Conference.[73] His writing on disability was referenced in the Government of Montserrat's 2024 National Population Policy.[74]

Red Cross and the overseas territories

[edit]

Brewin worked for the Montserrat Red Cross as programmes officer.[66] He was later described as a former director of the organisation and as an inclusive-development consultant.[7] A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (FCIPS), he wrote on procurement, disaster resilience and recovery in the Caribbean.[75][76]

He was Head of Research for Friends of the British Overseas Territories, an organisation that raises awareness of the British Overseas Territories in the United Kingdom.[7] Brewin has contributed material on British citizenship, disability and the Chagos Archipelago.[77][78][79] In the United Kingdom, he is a trustee of Slough Council for Voluntary Service.[80]


References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Leicester Daily Mercury. 15 September 1959.
  2. 1 2 Turner, Mark (2023). The Safe Standing Movement in Football: Fan Networks, Tactics, and Mobilisations. Taylor & Francis. pp. 44, 52, 54.
  3. 1 2 Hart, Simon. World in Motion: The Inside Story of Italia '90. deCoubertin Books, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Tsoukala, Anastassia (2018). "Violence at sporting events". In Anderson, Jack; Parrish, Richard; García, Borja (eds.). Research Handbook on EU Sports Law and Policy. Edward Elgar, pp. 139–156.
  5. 1 2 "Craig Brewin, National Officer for the Football Supporters Association, David Mellor, head of the Football Task Force". Getty Images. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 Brown, Adam (4 September 2006). "A task of two halves". Independent Labour Publications. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Dolby, Neil (7 July 2023). "Global Britain: In This Coronation Year, Britain Still Retains an Overseas Realm That Spans the Globe". Gafencu. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "John Sweeney's Montserrat Fund Donates to Montserrat Association for Persons with Disabilities". Discover Montserrat. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  9. ↑ London Borough Council Elections 1986 (PDF) (Report). London Residuary Body. 8 May 1986. p. 34. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  10. ↑ Mercer, Paul. Directory of British Political Organisations. Longman Current Affairs, 1994, ISBN 0-582-23729-7, p. 139.
  11. ↑ Taylor, Rogan (19 December 2014). "The birth of the FSA (part 1 – Heysel and the early FSA)". Football Supporters' Association. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Supporters in for a Shout". Daily Express. 31 January 1986. p. 41.
  13. ↑ TV listings. Daily Record. 16 December 1986.
  14. ↑ Turner, Mark (October 2019). The Safe Standing Movement in English Football (1989–2019): Timescapes, Tactics and Networks (PDF) (PhD thesis). Solent University. p. 131. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Turner, Mark (October 2019). The Safe Standing Movement in English Football (1989–2019): Timescapes, Tactics and Networks (PDF) (PhD thesis). Solent University. p. 123. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  16. 1 2 Turner, Mark (October 2019). The Safe Standing Movement in English Football (1989–2019): Timescapes, Tactics and Networks (PhD thesis). Solent University. p. 48.
  17. ↑ "Flag Flying for QPR". Chelsea News and General Advertiser. London. 12 March 1987.
  18. ↑ Hardy, Martin (26 February 1987). "Battle to Save Fulham". Daily Express. p. Back page.
  19. ↑ Gray, Daniel (2026). Fanzine: The Story of Football's Alternative Press. Bloomsbury Sport. p. 256.
  20. ↑ Cloake, Martin, and Fisher, Alan. A People's History of Tottenham Hotspur. Pitch Publishing, 2016.
  21. ↑ Scholar, Irving (1992). Behind Closed Doors. André Deutsch. p. 230.
  22. ↑ Davies, Pete. All Played Out: The Full Story of Italia '90. Yellow Jersey Press, 1998, ISBN 9780224059541, p. 192.
  23. 1 2 3 "Wembley Horror". Daily Star. 11 April 1987. p. 32.
  24. ↑ "Fans Blacklisted". Luton News and Bedfordshire Chronicle. 19 January 1989. p. 43.
  25. ↑ "Luton rap card 'misuse'". Liverpool Echo. 16 January 1989. p. 31.
  26. ↑ "When Will They Ever Learn?". Daily Star. 18 April 1989. p. 26. Brewin photographed and quoted; name misspelt in caption as "Bruin".
  27. ↑ Peeks, Simon (22 August 1992). "Price of loyalty". Nottingham Evening Post. p. 9.
  28. ↑ Sutton, Jeff (8 November 1990). "Soccer cages shame". Daily Mirror. p. 25.
  29. ↑ Turner, Mark (October 2019). The Safe Standing Movement in English Football (1989–2019): Timescapes, Tactics and Networks (PDF) (PhD thesis). Solent University. pp. 141–142. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  30. ↑ Turner, Mark (October 2019). The Safe Standing Movement in English Football (1989–2019): Timescapes, Tactics and Networks (PDF) (PhD thesis). Solent University. p. 142. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  31. ↑ Taylor, Rogan (19 December 2014). "The birth of the FSA (part 2 – ID cards, Hillsborough and beyond)". Football Supporters' Association. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  32. ↑ Gray, Daniel (2026). Fanzine: The Story of Football's Alternative Press. Bloomsbury Sport. p. 213.
  33. ↑ Europ, published by Journalists in Europe, issues 56–63, 1990.
  34. ↑ "The Battle of Cagliari". Manchester Evening News. 18 June 1990. p. 6.
  35. ↑ "Thugs Threat to Villa's Euro Hopes". Birmingham Mail. 18 June 1990. p. 2.
  36. ↑ Gray, Daniel (2026). Fanzine: The Story of Football's Alternative Press. Bloomsbury Sport. p. 216.
  37. ↑ "Fans to Sue". Daily Mirror. 7 August 1990. p. 7.
  38. ↑ "England fans deported". West Lancashire Evening Gazette. 25 July 1990. p. 2.
  39. ↑ "England fans deported". The Scotsman. 7 August 1990. p. 2.
  40. ↑ "World Cup (Deportations)". UK Parliament. 15 October 1990. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  41. ↑ Moneypenny, Colin (14 August 1996). "Sitting targets". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  42. ↑ "Fans upset". Kent Evening Post. 17 October 1991. p. 31.
  43. ↑ "FA in Euro Ticket Clash". Burton Daily Mail. 6 May 1992. p. (back page).
  44. ↑ "Ticket Row Flares Up". Manchester Evening News. 6 May 1992. p. 55.
  45. ↑ "History of Fans' Embassies". Fans' Embassies by Football Supporters Europe. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  46. ↑ "About us". Football Supporters International. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  47. ↑ "Craig Brewin". Portsmouth Evening News. 10 April 1991. p. 20.
  48. ↑ "Top clubs to net £112m in breakaway". Wolverhampton Express and Star. 19 June 1991. p. 32.
  49. ↑ "Taylor hits out at Super plan". Leicester Daily Mercury. 19 June 1991. p. 43.
  50. ↑ "Fans blast arrogant FA". Lancashire Evening Post. 19 June 1991. p. Back page.
  51. ↑ Ball, Peter. "BBC and BSkyB win Premier League deal". The Times. 19 May 1992. p. 34.
  52. ↑ Curry, Steve; Greaves, Gerard (19 May 1992). "Sky-high £340m scoops TV soccer". Daily Express. p. 2.
  53. ↑ Business Review Weekly, volume 14, issues 16–24. University of California, 1992, p. 24.
  54. ↑ "Don't Pay These Crazy High Prices". Daily Star. 16 March 1993. p. 31.
  55. ↑ Turner, Mark (October 2019). The Safe Standing Movement in English Football (1989–2019): Timescapes, Tactics and Networks (PDF) (PhD thesis). Solent University. p. 137. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  56. 1 2 Turner, Mark (2023). The Safe Standing Movement in Football: Fan Networks, Tactics, and Mobilisations. Taylor & Francis. p. 100.
  57. ↑ Gray, Daniel (2026). Fanzine: The Story of Football's Alternative Press. Bloomsbury Sport. p. 172.
  58. ↑ "Stadium seating is not a short-cut to safety". Shields Daily Gazette. 11 March 1992.
  59. ↑ "Fans fight all-seaters". South Wales Echo. 11 March 1992.
  60. ↑ Gray, Daniel (2026). Fanzine: The Story of Football's Alternative Press. Bloomsbury Sport. p. 173.
  61. ↑ Wielchula, Frank (5 June 1992). "Carry on Standing". Daily Mirror. p. 47.
  62. ↑ "Burnham gets to grips with the game – but will it make a difference?". The Guardian. 11 September 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  63. ↑ Brown, Adam (13 December 2005). "The past imperfect". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  64. ↑ "A new national fans' organisation?". The Dons Trust. Wimbledon Football Club Supporters' Society Ltd. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  65. ↑ Turner, Mark (October 2019). The Safe Standing Movement in English Football (1989–2019): Timescapes, Tactics and Networks (PDF) (PhD thesis). Solent University. p. 75. Retrieved 8 September 2026.
  66. 1 2 "Britain's Next Prime Minister – A View from Our Overseas Territories". Friends of the British Overseas Territories. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  67. ↑ Team Discover (14 March 2022). "MAPD Commits to Stepping Up Campaign for Inclusivity on Montserrat". Discover Montserrat. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  68. ↑ "A Call For Legal Protection For Persons With Disabilities". ZJB Radio. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  69. ↑ "Disability Audit of Port Project/International Day of Persons with Disabilities". Discover Montserrat. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  70. ↑ "The Port Project: Everyone Must Benefit Says CDB Consultants". Discover Montserrat. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  71. ↑ "Craig Brewin Speaker". The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  72. ↑ "Montserrat Association: Human Rights, Disability and the British Overseas Territories". The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  73. ↑ "Regional Disability Studies Conference – Day 1". University of the West Indies. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  74. ↑ Montserrat National Population Policy 2024 (PDF) (Report). Government of Montserrat. 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  75. ↑ "Montserrat Moves Towards Comprehensive Procurement Reform". Discover Montserrat. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  76. ↑ "Disaster and Emergency Part 1: Caribbean Heads of Procurement Assemble". Public Spend Forum. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  77. ↑ "British Citizenship: Hong Kongers and the Children of Unmarried British Fathers". Friends of the British Overseas Territories. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  78. ↑ "Overseas Territories Celebrate International Day for Persons with Disabilities". Friends of the British Overseas Territories. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  79. ↑ "House of Lords Supports British Citizenship for the Descendants of Displaced Chagossians". Friends of the British Overseas Territories. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  80. ↑ "Staff & Trustees". Slough Council for Voluntary Service. Retrieved 11 August 2026.


Category:Living people Category:1959 births Category:Labour Party (UK) councillors Category:People from Slough Category:British bloggers Category:Politics of Montserrat Category:Politics and sports Category:Association football supporters Category:Red Cross personnel

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