The FA council "unanimously approved on Monday a package of governance reforms" put forward by Chair Greg Clarke that will see "more women appointed" to the board of the English body and term limits imposed, according to Alan Baldwin of REUTERS. An FA spokesperson said that the proposals, "which include an expansion of the council to bring more diversity," would now go to the annual general meeting of shareholders for final approval on May 18. Only one woman, Heather Rabbatts, now sits on the board and the changes have been criticized by some as "not going far enough." Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out said last month that the reforms were "a sham" that still "failed to give sufficient representation" to minority groups (REUTERS, 4/3). The PA reported the key vote "took place after little more than an hour of the meeting starting at Wembley." The reforms are a "response to government pressure after decades of inertia" and, if they meet shareholder approval, will "represent a major triumph" for Clarke and U.K. Sports Minister Tracey Crouch. The FA is "understood to consider Monday's vote as very positive and a significant step" in the process of complying with Crouch's sports governance code, "which came into force on Saturday" (PA, 4/3).
