Traditionalists 'huffing and puffing' over Guards Polo Club Chairman
Nightclub owner Brian Stein is seen as an 'outsider' from traditional polo circles
Brian Stein with his girlfriend Platina TongDave Benett / Getty Images for Audi UK
Originally named the Household Brigade Polo Club, Guards Polo Club was founded in 1955 with Prince Philip as its President and the Queen as Patron. Located in the Great Park at Windsor, conveniently close to Windsor Castle, the Club's association with the English nobility certainly runs deep. Even today, a number of its members are proving reluctant to evolve, having expressed misgivings about the current Guards Polo Club Chairman, Brian Stein.
Born in South Africa, 76-year-old Stein served in the Israeli army as a paratrooper before he moved to London in his early twenties. He then became a nightclub owner, property investor and restaurateur, counting Maxwell's Restaurant and Bar, PJ's Bar and Grill and the Palm Court Brasserie among his establishments. The Sunday Times reports that Stein took a polo lesson in his forties and developed an interest in the sport. He has been a member of Guards Polo Club since 1987 and hosted the PJ's Polo Party at his Chelsea restaurant to celebrate the start of each polo season.
Brian Stein with the Queen at the Royal Windsor Cup Final in 2019Dave Benett / Getty Images for OUT-SOURCING Inc
Royals at the Polo
He was reportedly narrowly elected Guards Polo Club's ninth Chairman in 2018, despite the Sunday Times adding that he has described feeling like an 'outsider' with little in common with polo's traditional 'high-ranking nobility types'. Stein stated: 'I sometimes said to people before the [chairmanship] came up that I don't think that's ever going to happen, because I'm not one of the establishment'.
Even once he secured the Chairmanship, not all members – who pay a staggering £22,000 fee for their playing membership rights – were willing to welcome him with open arms. Stein had pledged his commitment to bringing the Club into step with the times, which sparked concern among traditionalists, with the newspaper adding that certain colonels, majors and members of the gentility have established something of a warring faction against him.
The Queen and Prince Philip at Guards Polo Club in 1975Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
The paper quotes Broderick Munro-Wilson, a former jockey and polo player and a long-term friend of Prince Charles's from Cambridge, as stating: 'I was amazed when he came in, a lot of people were very bemused, there's no doubt about it… For me personally, Brian has always been very nice and I think he should be given his chance, but he's outside the usual character mould. He flies a helicopter, rides a motorbike with a leather jacket and runs a chain of hamburger restaurants.' Munro-Wilson suggested that the role should instead have been given to the Club's vice-president, Colonel Stuart Cowan, who he dubbed 'a man with the right sort of image', adding: 'It's fun to experiment with someone [who runs nightclubs], but for me, the chairman of Guards should always be a military man.'
It's reported that a document from a number of Guards members accuses the Club's executive board of having become a 'closed shop' since Stein's appointment, arguing that he has not allowed openness to dissenting opinions. It has also been alleged that the club behaved badly towards its former Chief Executive Neil Hobday, who resigned in 2019. Claims have been made that Hobday was pushed out because he was seen as a dissident, although Stein has maintained that he left by mutual consent.
Prince Philip playing polo in 1950Getty Images
One of the members reportedly stated that the Club was 'creaking under the weight of a 20-strong board with no commercial direction and interest in execution'. He asked the paper to keep him anonymous on the grounds that his life could be made 'hell', in order to make an example of him. Another member said that in typical board meetings, 'You'll have four colonels and majors sitting at the end of the table huffing and puffing, knowing they have absolutely zero to contribute. They're the last people you will ever see buying a drink at the bar, they are there for the lunches and free wine.' The newspaper adds that no women, who make up 15 per cent of Guards members, have served on the board since 2016.
Buckingham Palace announces major new art show for December
Stein's detractors have also argued that at the time of his election as Chairman, he did not reveal to Prince Philip and the board that he was once fined $1,000 in Belize. The incident occurred when Stein entered the Caribbean country without the consent of immigration officials, which he has maintained was simply a mistake, stating: 'There was a genuine misunderstanding over the disembarkation policy in Belize and on legal advice I paid the fine so that I could continue with my travel plans… It was not an issue for my fellow directors and no member of the club has ever asked me about the case.'
Stein added that 'With regard to our President [Prince Philip], he does not get involved in day-to-day operational matters at the Club.' He also stressed that 'Nobody has ever had their membership withdrawn because they disagree with the Chairman, and I would be delighted to talk to anyone who feels that their voice is not being heard.'
A Royal Day Out: The best of the Cartier Queen's Cup Polo over the years
By Isaac Bickerstaff