Master coach is guest speaker

The event is taking place at the Regent’s Park Holiday Inn on Wednesday 27 January and the chairman of the sporting ambassadors, David Flint, says they are "privileged" to have the former West Ham midfielder, whose task at St George's Park is to train the country's top coaches, as guest speaker.

With a history going back to 1905, previous speakers at the club's dinners have included former Wimbledon boss Dave Bassett for a commemorative dinner to mark the start of the First World Ward in 2014 and ex-Manchester United and Scotland manager Tommy Docherty in 2013.

A host of other names from the game including Denis Law, Sir Alf Ramsay, Sir Bobby Robson and Middlesex Wanderers president Sir Bobby Charlton, have also entertained guests. As well as hearing some of the tales from Pike's career in football, he will also bring this year's guests up to date on the FA's DNA project.

Pike, 59, kicked off his career with Ryman League Thurrock as a youth before making nearly 300 appearances for West Ham between 1975 and 1987 and collecting an FA Cup winner's medal with the club in 1980.

After a loan spell in the US with Hartford Bicentennials and Connecticut Bicentennials, he returned to England to play for Notts County and Leyton Orient until 1991 before spending a season at Hendon.

As a coach, he spent nine years with the Professional Footballers Association and nearly seven years working in the football development department of the FA before taking up his current role in 2011.

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