Football Association Reform

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Clarke responds to 'intervention' - - (December 12th 2016)

Chairman Greg Clarke says the timing of calls for a Football Association reform is "ill-judged" but acknowledges that important questions have been raised.


Five former FA chiefs have written to Damian Collins, chairman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, claiming that the "well-meaning individuals" who currently run the game are "collectively unrepresentative of English society" and "under-qualified" to deal with the FA's role in modern football.

Clarke, though, says work is being done to make positive changes.

"Personally, I believe the timing of this intervention is ill-judged. However, we must acknowledge that the letter raises important questions about the governance of The FA," Clarke said in a statement.

"During my recent tour of County FAs and clubs I spoke to many of you about my approach to governance reform. I am confident that with collaboration across the game we will be able to implement appropriate and meaningful change. In this I am grateful for the support I have received from both the national game and professional game.

"I believe the proposals that are now in discussion will do a great deal to address some of the challenges around inclusion, transparency and accountability that we face. I know you will support me in ensuring that during this period of increased scrutiny we continue to work together, and within the game, to progress them further.

"Today I have also spoken to the Minister for Sport. Whilst she is very clear that she wishes to see reform, she is also clear that the appropriate mechanism to achieve this is through compliance with the Government's Code that was published in October."

Earlier, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insisted English football is not in crisis and that sport and politics should not mix.

He said: "Football and politics should not deal together. Football is a very special activity that should be ruled by football people.

"Our target is to be adult enough to rule our own activity, and I don't agree with that."

Asked if the government should step in to address the ongoing failure of the England team to make an impact at major tournaments at a time when the game finds itself under the microscope amid allegations of abuse, Wenger replied: "No, no, because when you look at the history of sport being linked with politics, it was not always for the benefit of sport.

"I don't know what their frustration is. What we want is that the values of our sport are respected.

"I'm not involved in how to manage a federation on a daily basis, I don't know how difficult it is. Apart from the fact England has not won the World Cup or the European Championships, I don't see that football is in a crisis in this country."

Wenger's comments came after Lord Triesman, David Bernstein, David Davies, Greg Dyke and Alex Horne called for legislation to be passed, pointing out the FA's "inability to reform and modernise in a fast-changing world".

Dyke, who left his post as FA chairman earlier this year after failing to instigate the change he felt was necessary, described the current situation as "ridiculous".

He told Radio 4's Today programme: "The issue is that football needs to be independently run.

"It needs a majority of independent members on its board, it needs to radically change its ridiculous council as it exists at the moment, where 10 per cent of the members are over 80 and 80 per cent are over 60. This is for a game largely played by young people.

"I was white, male and ageing and I decided that that ought to be changed, and the reason I left the FA after three years as chairman last year was because I could not get that change through."

Dyke's comments were supported by Women in Sport.

A statement said: "Sadly, the lack of women involved at the highest levels of decision making in the FA is not a unique situation. Across sport, we see governing bodies run by men, with out-dated governance structures preventing women from reaching the top.

"The glass ceiling in sport continues to be made of reinforced glass."

Responding to the letter, Collins wrote: "The select committee shares your concern that the current structure of the FA makes it impossible for it to reform itself.

"As such, there is currently no effective governing body for football in England that is capable of responding to the challenges that face the modern game."

However, the FA vowed to continue to work on ongoing reform as it looks for a way forward.

In a statement, it said: "The FA is currently working on governance reforms to adhere to Sport England and UK Sport's Governance Code for Sport which was released in October this year.

"The FA welcomes the new code as a means of ensuring that sports organisations in receipt of public money are operating in an effective and transparent manner that best supports their sports. We will continue to work with the appropriate bodies, DCMS and Sport England, to achieve this joint ambition."