In the fourth instalment of givemefootball's look at the illustrious history of the PFA as the Union celebrates its centenary, Peter Marshall focuses on some of the big changes which have taken place in recent times under the leadership of chief executive Gordon Taylor - including the advent of the Premiership and the onset of the digital revolution which saw football become the staple diet of satellite sports channels.
* NOTE: To view the report click on the link opposite Meltdown Report For the PFA and its members the past two decades have brought a whole new set of challenges which have tested the resolve of the Union, and changed the landscape of English football forever.
The dawning of the 21st Century proved a watershed moment for the game in this country, if not across the whole world. The 90s began as the 80s had ended, with chief executive Gordon Taylor forced to make some difficult decisions against the backdrop of what were increasingly uncertain times. The arrival of satellite TV had sparked a revolution which at one stage appeared set to threaten the very harmony of the Football League.
The lucrative new deal signed with BSkyB and the ensuing competition for television coverage had seen the oft-discussed idea of a Super League raised once again but Taylor - who ironically enough had turned down the opportunity to become secretary of the Football League - managed to help stave off the threat of a breakaway.
Yet in 1992 the formation of the Premiership thrust English football into an exciting new era which demanded the input of the Union like never before.
Armed with a mandate from all delegates at the 1991 AGM and reinforced by the strength of a strike ballot amongst Division One members which gave the Union over 90 per cent support, Taylor pressed hard to protect the players' interests and managed to ensure that all previous contracts and regulations affecting and protecting them remained in place.
An increased share of TV money also gave the PFA the financial foundations to build on its off-the-pitch work and the Union soon became a force for development, support and education like never before.
Coaching was the first area to come under scrutiny and in 1993 the Union commissioned its own study into standards, and ultimately set up its own Coaching Department under the direction of Paul Power. Within two years the report - entitled 'A Kick in the Right Direction' - had helped establish a greater degree of consultation with the FA over coaching development, with particular importance placed on encouraging former players to take up courses.
The PFA also took the lead in tackling racism in the game and, along with the Commission for Racial Equality, launched a high-profile campaign in1993-1994. That work is still ongoing today, having been run since 1997 as Kick It Out with the support of the FA, the Premier League and the Football Foundation. And according to Taylor the efforts to promote positive change will go on.
"There is still a long way to go with this campaign, like getting Asian footballers into the professional game and getting black players into coaching and management," he said. "They are just two steps we are hoping to make in the next phase of the campaign."
Elsewhere, the PFA has continued to act as a force for good in meeting the needs of players and the local community - with the establishment of the Player Management Agency in 2004 followed by negotiations to protect members' pension rights and more recently the launch of the Community magazine ProFile earlier this year.
Famously, in 1999, the Union dug deep to fork out a record £1.9million to purchase Lowry's painting Going to the Match, a gesture designed to keep the iconic piece of artwork in the world of football, in the North West and on public view.
It is, however, the rapid expansion of the English game and the growth of the Premiership into arguably the most high-profile league in the world which has dominated the last decade more than any other issue. Television and the vast sums of money it has brought have presented constant challenges for the Union's Management Committee. Such as in 2001, when a dispute with the Premier League, the Football League and the Football Association over TV monies led to the very real prospect of strike action.
A ballot was called and with over 99 per cent of returns coming out in favour of the Union, the governing bodies were forced to yield.
A year later the collapse of the ITV Digital deal left a string of League clubs facing financial ruin and the PFA stepped in to help the likes of Bradford City survive. All the while the strength and public profile of the Union has grown.
Gordon Taylor's appointment as president of FIFPro, the international body of Players' Unions, in 1992 was an important step towards worldwide recognition and his tenure in that post culminated with the successful staging of the inaugural FIFPro World Player Awards in London in September 2005.
And so to today. As the Union reflects on a century of progress and achievement, the PFA stands established as one of the most influential sporting bodies in the world.
"The PFA has come a long way since its beginnings in 1907 when Billy Meredith chaired the first meeting of what was then called the Association of Players and Trainers Union at a meeting at the Imperial Hotel, Manchester," reflects Taylor.
"Today the Union is in a position of great strength, not only in the football world but the sporting world in general. It is a role model for other sporting organisations and an influence on all positive aspects of the game. I'm sure everyone who has been involved with the PFA in the last 100 years would be very proud."
