[1] Richards was a director of companies involved in engineering, telecommunications and water and waste treatment, several of which entered administrative receivership or were dissolved.
Richards was made chairman of the Premier League in 1999, and left Sheffield Wednesday shortly afterwards, with the club facing relegation from the Premiership.
[3][4] In March 2009, Richards was made Deputy Chairman of the England 2018 FIFA World Cup bid,[5] a position he resigned that November.
[9] Richards also dismissed suggestions were that the game of football could have originated in China, stating that "It started in Sheffield 150 years ago...The Chinese may say they own it, but the British own it, and we gave it to the rest of the world.
The Football Association and the Premier League distanced themselves from Richards remarks, stressing that he was attending the conference in a personal capacity.