€2.3m Sunderland pay out for mighty Quinn
Accounts for the year to July 31, 2012 show that the Irish football legend was the club’s highest paid director – and one of the highest in the Premier League — with £2,432,702, £2m of which was in the form of compensation paid upon his resigning his position at the Stadium of Light in February of last year. Having put together the Drumaville consortium which oversaw the appointment of Roy Keane as manager and Sunderland’s return to the Premier League, Quinn ended a five-year stint as club chairman in October 2011 and was succeeded in that role by Elias Short.
Quinn then became the club’s Director of International Development but stepped down in 2012 to concentrate on his family and business interests.
“I have had the most amazing six years and it gives me a huge sense of pride to see where Sunderland is today,” he said at the time. “Everything is in place for Sunderland to really make a statement, which was always my aim.
“Back in 2006, I had no business experience and little formal education, and yet the fans backed me and believed in what I was trying to do. They came back to the club in their tens of thousands and the faith they showed in me was humbling.”
Paying tribute to the man widely referred to by the faithful as ‘Mr Sunderland’, Elias Short said: “Niall Quinn is and always will be a Sunderland legend. His vision brought me into the club and that vision still inspires what we do. He has been a trusted friend and advisor to me throughout our time together at Sunderland, and while I’m sad about his departure, I respect his view that his ‘work is done’. My job is to carry on that work.”
However, Sunderland’s course has not been a smooth one since Quinn’s departure, manager Martin O’Neill losing his job to be replaced by Paolo Di Canio, as the club, carrying a net debt of £84m (€98m) at the end of last season, continues its battle to stay in the Premier League.
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