Post by QPR Report on Mar 23, 2010 7:19:36 GMT
Guardian
The FA
Chief executive Ian Watmore quits Football Association in frustration• Watmore disillusioned with impotence of his role• Fears FA will be rudderless going into crucial period
Owen Gibson guardian.co.uk, Monday 22 March 2010
The chief executive of the Football Association last night dramatically resigned in frustration at the impotence of his role, after failing to win board support for his efforts to re-establish its place as the national regulator of the game.
The timing of Ian Watmore's departure – three months before the World Cup, with the FA facing an uncertain future and in the midst of a wide-ranging debate about the way the game should be regulated – was said to reflect the depths of his frustration in the "vested interests" on the board that had blocked a series of key proposals.
There are fears that Watmore's departure, due to be discussed at an FA board meeting today, could leave the organisation rudderless at a crucial point in its history. The FA has now lost four chief executives in the space of a eight years.
Watmore has left at a pivotal point for the FA. He had spoken of devising a "four‑year plan" for the FA's finances, which had been severely hit by the demise of Setanta and the need to service loans taken out to build Wembley.
His decision could also have a knock-on effect on England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, which was rocked last year by a high-profile boardroom spat.
Most observers thought that Watmore would remain in the post longer than his predecessors, variously undone by financial meltdowns, sex scandals and power struggles, due to his diplomatic skills and long‑term vision. But after less than 10 months he has resigned in anger and frustration at what he is understood to feel is the uncooperative and petty nature of some on the board.
The representatives of the professional game – three from the top tier and two from the Football League – on the main FA board are the Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside, Manchester United's chief executive David Gill, the Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards, Barnet's chairman Anthony Kleanthous and the former Ipswich chairman David Sheepshanks.
It is understood that a leaked email from one member of the board, detailing suggested responses to questions from the media on the appointment of Julian Eccles as the FA's new director of marketing and communications, was the final straw as Watmore considered whether to remain in post over the weekend.
In a furious response, he is understood to have taken umbrage at the leak, believing it to be symptomatic of attempts to undermine him.
There had been rumours of tension between Lord Triesman, who was the FA's executive chairman for a time until Watmore arrived to replace Brian Barwick, but sources close to both men last night insisted that was not the reason for the resignation. However, there are believed to have been tensions between Watmore and Richards, the Premier League chairman.
One of the ironies of Watmore's departure is that he was considered to have built a good working relationship with his opposite number at the Premier League, Richard Scudamore. Relations between the two bodies were at an historic low thanks to Triesman's public intervention on the topic of football's "debt mountains" when Watmore took over.
He recently submitted a discussion paper on the issues raised by the public debate on football's future. A Premier League source said that it had formed the basis for a constructive dialogue. But on a series of issues, from big ones such as regulatory reform to more modest proposals regarding changes to the disciplinary procedure, he felt constantly frustrated.
Triesman, the FA chairman, last night confirmed Watmore had resigned with immediate effect. "Ian Watmore tendered his resignation to me on Friday. I asked him to reconsider over the weekend. However, he has confirmed today that his position remains unchanged and I have accepted it with great regret," he said.
The FA board, long considered dysfunctional in its structure, contains five representatives from the professional game and five from the amateur game, as well as Triesman and the chief executive.
Triesman has previously expressed deep frustration at his inability to form a consensus around key issues affecting the governance of the game, most notably last summer when he submitted a deeply unsatisfactory response to a series of government questions on football's future after the board failed to agree.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/22/ian-watmore-football-association-resignation
The FA
Chief executive Ian Watmore quits Football Association in frustration• Watmore disillusioned with impotence of his role• Fears FA will be rudderless going into crucial period
Owen Gibson guardian.co.uk, Monday 22 March 2010
The chief executive of the Football Association last night dramatically resigned in frustration at the impotence of his role, after failing to win board support for his efforts to re-establish its place as the national regulator of the game.
The timing of Ian Watmore's departure – three months before the World Cup, with the FA facing an uncertain future and in the midst of a wide-ranging debate about the way the game should be regulated – was said to reflect the depths of his frustration in the "vested interests" on the board that had blocked a series of key proposals.
There are fears that Watmore's departure, due to be discussed at an FA board meeting today, could leave the organisation rudderless at a crucial point in its history. The FA has now lost four chief executives in the space of a eight years.
Watmore has left at a pivotal point for the FA. He had spoken of devising a "four‑year plan" for the FA's finances, which had been severely hit by the demise of Setanta and the need to service loans taken out to build Wembley.
His decision could also have a knock-on effect on England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup, which was rocked last year by a high-profile boardroom spat.
Most observers thought that Watmore would remain in the post longer than his predecessors, variously undone by financial meltdowns, sex scandals and power struggles, due to his diplomatic skills and long‑term vision. But after less than 10 months he has resigned in anger and frustration at what he is understood to feel is the uncooperative and petty nature of some on the board.
The representatives of the professional game – three from the top tier and two from the Football League – on the main FA board are the Bolton Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside, Manchester United's chief executive David Gill, the Premier League chairman Sir Dave Richards, Barnet's chairman Anthony Kleanthous and the former Ipswich chairman David Sheepshanks.
It is understood that a leaked email from one member of the board, detailing suggested responses to questions from the media on the appointment of Julian Eccles as the FA's new director of marketing and communications, was the final straw as Watmore considered whether to remain in post over the weekend.
In a furious response, he is understood to have taken umbrage at the leak, believing it to be symptomatic of attempts to undermine him.
There had been rumours of tension between Lord Triesman, who was the FA's executive chairman for a time until Watmore arrived to replace Brian Barwick, but sources close to both men last night insisted that was not the reason for the resignation. However, there are believed to have been tensions between Watmore and Richards, the Premier League chairman.
One of the ironies of Watmore's departure is that he was considered to have built a good working relationship with his opposite number at the Premier League, Richard Scudamore. Relations between the two bodies were at an historic low thanks to Triesman's public intervention on the topic of football's "debt mountains" when Watmore took over.
He recently submitted a discussion paper on the issues raised by the public debate on football's future. A Premier League source said that it had formed the basis for a constructive dialogue. But on a series of issues, from big ones such as regulatory reform to more modest proposals regarding changes to the disciplinary procedure, he felt constantly frustrated.
Triesman, the FA chairman, last night confirmed Watmore had resigned with immediate effect. "Ian Watmore tendered his resignation to me on Friday. I asked him to reconsider over the weekend. However, he has confirmed today that his position remains unchanged and I have accepted it with great regret," he said.
The FA board, long considered dysfunctional in its structure, contains five representatives from the professional game and five from the amateur game, as well as Triesman and the chief executive.
Triesman has previously expressed deep frustration at his inability to form a consensus around key issues affecting the governance of the game, most notably last summer when he submitted a deeply unsatisfactory response to a series of government questions on football's future after the board failed to agree.
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/mar/22/ian-watmore-football-association-resignation
