The FA "lost a motion of no confidence" in Parliament on Thursday in one of "the most serious attacks on its authority" in its 153-year history, according to Murad Ahmed of the FINANCIAL TIMES. How the FA "responds to the censure by MPs will determine the future" of its chair, tens of millions of pounds in government funding and "potentially the England team’s participation in the 2018 World Cup." The Parliamentary debate "came after calls to reform the FA’s structure," in particular the need to diversify its 12-strong board and 121-member ruling council, which are both "dominated by white men." The FA "questioned the timing of the vote, as it is due to report on its progress on reform by April." U.K. Sports Minister Tracey Crouch said that MPs debate was "important but premature." She added, "Good governance will lead to good decisions. [Reform will] undoubtedly permeate through football at all levels." Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee Chair Damian Collins, who secured the debate, said, "Some may say this debate is a few weeks early, others that it is 50 years too late" (FT, 2/9). The BBC reported FA Chair Greg Clarke said that he will quit if the organization "cannot win government support for its reform plans." Clarke: "I watched the debate and respect the opinions of the MPs. As previously stated, we remain committed to reforming governance at the FA to the agreed timescale of the minister." Crouch warned the FA that if it plays "Russian roulette" with public money, "it will lose." She also said that the government "would be prepared to consider legislation if the FA fails to present plans for required reforms before April." However, "she felt the debate -- which was sparsely attended by MPs -- was premature given her desire to see the FA's proposals" (BBC, 2/9).
TAYLOR CALLS FOR DEFIANCE: In London, Martyn Ziegler reported FA Life VP Barry Taylor, a "leading figure" in the organization, believes the FA "should defy demands from the government to bring in sweeping reforms and not worry" about losing £30M ($37.5M) in public money. Taylor said that the governing body "was rich enough to stand alone and should resist wholesale change that would mean more independent board members" and an end to the FA council’s structure, which has been criticized for "being made up overwhelmingly" of "elderly white men." Taylor wrote, "We have the money, we have the power and they [the government] will be back again in four years' time to initiate change again. Let them stop the money. How did we manage to build Wembley and St George’s Park, I ask?" His letter states that it "would be great" to have more women involved "but not just for its own sake" and accuses Collins and the Select Committee of "hypocrisy, referring to the fact that it is made up of one woman and the rest middle-aged white men" (LONDON TIMES, 2/9).
'STUPID ENOUGH' TO FIGHT?: The BBC reported in a separate piece former FA Chair Greg Dyke said that the "old men" accused of blocking change at the FA are "stupid enough" to fight reforms. Dyke: "You shouldn't underestimate the old men of English football. They've seen off all sorts of people over the years. Government are now saying if you don't do these things you'll lose money and we won't support you in the future. Who knows, they are stupid enough to say, 'We're going to fight it anyway'" (BBC, 2/9).
A 'WHIMPER': London Guardian columnist David Conn commented that the vote "ought to stand as a grand historical moment, a necessary response by politicians to calamitous failures," but the committee "cannot realistically be said to have written themselves into text books." Conn: "Leaving aside that Collins’s was a backbench motion with no legal force ... the attendance was threadbare. Of 650 MPs representing constituencies nationwide, 17 made it to the debate. It was almost as if parliament has much more pressing and significant issues to consider just now, maybe even national and international crises of politicians’ own making, than a session lecturing the FA on the precise ideal constitution of its board and council" (GUARDIAN, 2/9).
