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MPs to consider vote of no confidence in ‘outdated’ FA MPs to consider vote of no confidence in ‘outdated’ FA
(35 minutes later)
MPs will next week debate a vote of no confidence in the Football Association, amid growing calls for reform of its outdated structure.MPs will next week debate a vote of no confidence in the Football Association, amid growing calls for reform of its outdated structure.
The FA has been threatened with losing £30m in public funding if it does not show progress in making its board and Council more representative by April this year. The FA has been threatened with losing £30m in public funding if it does not show progress in making its board and council more representative by April this year.
Following a decade in which successive FA chairmen have failed to make progress, several recent former executives in December wrote a strong letter to the culture, media and sport committee backing government legislation to force the FA to change.Following a decade in which successive FA chairmen have failed to make progress, several recent former executives in December wrote a strong letter to the culture, media and sport committee backing government legislation to force the FA to change.
Greg Dyke, David Bernstein and David Triesman, the three most recent chairmen before the FA’s incumbent, Greg Clarke, together with the former FA director David Davies and Alex Horne, its former general secretary, said the FA as currently constituted, with a board dominated by Premier and Football League representatives, and a council of “well-meaning”, mostly elderly white men, cannot “counter the EPL juggernaut”. Greg Dyke, David Bernstein and David Triesman, the three most recent FA chairmen before Greg Clarke, together with the former FA director David Davies and Alex Horne, its former general secretary, said the FA as currently constituted, with a board dominated by Premier and Football League representatives, and a council of “well-meaning”, mostly elderly white men, cannot “counter the EPL juggernaut”.
Damian Collins, the chair of the select committee, responded by saying that it would draft legislation and has now secured a debate in the House of Commons. Damian Collins, the chair of the select committee, responded by saying it would draft legislation and has secured a debate in the House of Commons.
On Thursday 9 February, MPs will debate the following motion: “That this House has no confidence in the ability of the Football Association (FA) to comply fully with its duties as a governing body, as the current governance structures of the FA make it impossible for the organisation to reform itself; and calls on the Government to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the governance of the FA.” On Thursday 9 February, MPs will debate the following motion: “That this house has no confidence in the ability of the Football Association to comply fully with its duties as a governing body, as the current governance structures of the FA make it impossible for the organisation to reform itself; and calls on the government to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the governance of the FA.”
The current chairman, Clarke, and chief executive, Martin Glenn, insist they are committed to reform. However, the select committee said in a statement: “It is clear that The FA does not comply with this guidance now and there appears to be considerable resistance to the idea of changing its very out-of-date structure at all. The Committee is therefore preparing a draft Bill to bring the structure of The FA—which is, in legal terms, a company—into line with modern company law.” The current chairman, Clarke, and chief executive, Martin Glenn, insist they are committed to reform. However, the select committee said in a statement: “It is clear that the FA does not comply with this guidance now and there appears to be considerable resistance to the idea of changing its very out-of-date structure at all. The committee is therefore preparing a draft bill to bring the structure of the FA—which is, in legal terms, a company—into line with modern company law.”
Collins himself, involved in two reports during the last Parliament calling for reform of the FA, said he feared that football would simply ignore the threat to remove public funding and carry on regardless.Collins himself, involved in two reports during the last Parliament calling for reform of the FA, said he feared that football would simply ignore the threat to remove public funding and carry on regardless.
“The current Minister for Sport told the Committee that The FA had been given six months from publication of the Government’s guidance in October 2016 to demonstrate that it was willing to improve governance, otherwise public money would be withdrawn from The FA and distributed to football through other means,” said Collins. “The current minister for sport told the committee that the FA had been given six months from publication of the government’s guidance in October 2016 to demonstrate that it was willing to improve governance, otherwise public money would be withdrawn from the FA and distributed to football through other means,” said Collins.
“We do not believe that The FA will comply voluntarily: it can survive easily without the Government’s contribution of money to grassroots sport, and there are powerful vested interests that refuse to accept the right of all those involved in football to play a role in the governance of the sport. We are therefore preparing a draft Bill to bring the structure of The FA, especially its Board and Council, more into line with modern company practice and the Government’s guidelines for sports bodies.” “We do not believe that the FA will comply voluntarily: it can survive easily without the government’s contribution of money to grassroots sport, and there are powerful vested interests that refuse to accept the right of all those involved in football to play a role in the governance of the sport. We are therefore preparing a draft bill to bring the structure of the FA, especially its board and council, more into line with modern company practice and the government’s guidelines for sports bodies.”