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Politics better not get mixed with the FA. Then, if England win a bid to host a World Cup, they could be stripped of hosting if politics enter the frame.
Look what happened to Nigeria and recall what FIFA told the French Football Federation after the government got involved.

News flash....

The Government can't do anything.

"But if it fluffs its chance to pick a real leader who can turn the organisation around and tackle football's deeper problems, then the new government may be prepared to launch the sort of shake-up many believe is long overdue."

Wrong.

FIFA rules strictly prohibits government intervention. The only people that can introduce a regulator is.... The FA itself. And don't expect that to ever happen. Sepp Blatter would be ever so happy to ban England once again from any sort of tournament.

the situation regarding the French Football Federation in my above post is the one regarding France's debacle at the World Cup

The FA are so out of touch with actual fans, I don't think they'd recognize one if they bumped into them on the street. Your hard earned money at work ....

Boemfontein horn fans
Deaf the ear. Acapella
You have no chance here

The FA is an utter shambles, and the sooner it is sorted out the better. For me Dave Richards is the man accountable and he needs shooting as soon as possible.

The FA are hiding behind the WC bid, and know the government can't do anything before then, and are therefore getting as many rules as they can passed before the government give them the kick up the backside they need. There is a danger that the FA will ensure the government can't do a thing however, which wouldn't be good; the FA would keep on being the horror of an organisation it is.

Richards is simply terrible, the Times did a good article recently on his very large and very obvious incapablilites, and while he is in charge, do not expect a foward-thinking and efficient FA.

The FA's big problems continue. With this crisis continuing, I expect this to severely affect England's chances of hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. England do not deserve to host world cup under current problems on and off the pitch and they will continue!

the initials FA are synonymous with a colloquial saying, the winter break thing should be high on the list, shame for the punters but England will never be a great team with the overworked players, its a new world, old ideas are not working.

Most observers know that the FA is unfit for purpose, most also know that nothing will actually change, no matter what spin is put on things.

The FA are simply a bunch of self-serving politicians and just like MPs, they'll say all the right things but end up doing exactly what they want to, even if it keeps English football decades behind the more forward thinking nations.

and there should be more control over the fate of the England players, the foreign managers dont care, take fergusons attitude, he plays Rooney injured a few weeks before the wc, he talks scholes out of playing he makes a game of the carrick injury, for someone who has done really really well out of English football he shows no sign of recognizing this privilege, wenger is the same, does not want english players, is walcott being groomed especially, i dont think so

BLUESS,well said on your last comment,but DON'T EVER SAY SHAME FOR THE PUNTERS,re a winter break,they pay week in week out

the fa is useless but it is stupid to barr football related people from top jobs in the fa, can you imagine car makers saying anyone running their companys cannot be involved in the industry for 12 month's previous. football should be run by ex-footballers. They know what is needed, so let them run the game.

I'm still waiting,for you to mod my comment,just yes or no,
my bad, civil servants,no time limit

it makes sense to have an independent observer their is so much corruption in world football.....and no league can survive when it lets clubs run at 600 million worth of debt , the board at the moment is more concerned with the status quo than long term stability and survival, more clubs will go into admin like pourtsmouth otherwise...

The FA, FIFA, the British Government.
It's a pretty unholy trio as far as football is concerned, isn't it?

I wonder if perhaps we ought to invite the German FA to come and help us out. I've also read that some German journalists/newspapers give Mr Blatter a harder time than ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ moderators will allow us to.

The last thing we want is a "political grandee." Anyone involved with politics will have a political agenda. Better someone from the judiciary, business or academia, though I feel that all decisions should lie entirely with the football community, however hopeless their management.

Whatever the field, the record of government intervention is abysmal. After long years of an interventionist government, I hope that the Coalition will step back from such activism.

David Bond in 'DIg at the FA' shocker. I am stunned. After his piece on England fans 'deserving an explanation for the World Cup' this comes as a huge surprise.

I thought Mahir Bose was bad....

I used to feel really strongly about politics mixing with sport, but now I find I feel much stronger about FIFA believing that they are bigger than the UN. What right do they have to insist that a Government doesnt get involved in sport in its own country? I dont believe that Governments should run sport but when its clear that the FA (of any country) has lost its way then surely its time for the people that we chose (or not) to run the country should step in a do something about it. FIFA needs to learn that that threatening countries and governments is a no-no. What happens if there is a civil war in Brazil, the FA would then be waiting for guidance on wether to travel or not. Or under FIFA rules is that not allowed either?

I would happily take a ban from international football by FIFA if it meant that we finally sorted out the FA once and for all. I know that it is never going to happen, but something radical has to happen to the FA if we want to improve the future of our game.

The governement could get involved in reforming the FA by creating a mythical QUANGO, these non elected groups have run the governement for years and if you spin the title of the group well enough it would be easy to get it past FIFA's rules!

The key to moving football forward is to involve the people who really run the game, ie the coaches who teach the players of the future. That is how Klinsmann formulated the new German style of play, by engaging these guys. Every FA coach and club should vote on electing 6 ex players and 6 non football people to the board with a chairmen that is the best for the role, be it an ex pro or a fresh pair of eyes.

They then need to work on increasing the number of qualified coaches in the UK. Spain has a ridiulous coach per kid ratio. I hope with the opening of the " football hub" that we can make real steps in this direction...

Government interference in the matters of football associations is banned by FIFA...think again clever clogs

"Government interference in the matters of football associations is banned by FIFA...think again clever clogs"

Only because FIFA have got too big for their boots. I think there needs to be intervention from a higher authority when FA's constantly get it wrong. Its the time we got rid of the 'old boys' network and got a board in who have an idea.

Isn't it about time the FA handed over the small amount of control they have left to the Premier League?

Yes, I think so...

Lots of love,

Dave Richards & Richard Scudamore

12. At 00:23am on 20 Aug 2010, js-1973 wrote:

the fa is useless but it is stupid to barr football related people from top jobs in the fa, can you imagine car makers saying anyone running their companys cannot be involved in the industry for 12 month's previous. football should be run by ex-footballers. They know what is needed, so let them run the game.

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Actually you should imagine car makers having someone not involved in their industry as chairman. Good corporate governance practices indicate that half of the board (and preferably including the chairman) should be non executive directors (NEDs) - as in don't work for the company. As most companies wouldn't want their top people being a NED for a rival they are likely to come from outside of the industry. This is in order to ensure that those running the company look at the wider picture and all of the stakeholders involved not just their own narrow view with their blinkered experience. That said the CEO (who effectively 'runs the company') would be an executive director.

Personally I think there should be a massive shake-up of the board. Maybe 2 current Premier league Chairmen, 2 Football League Chairmen, non-league representitives, maybe a former player/manager, then some other NEDs who all have decent experience.


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@#17 Mark - I had exactly the same thoughts when reading the piece!

#17 Mark - David Bond in 'DIg at the FA' shocker. I am stunned. After his piece on England fans 'deserving an explanation for the World Cup' this comes as a huge surprise.

I thought Mahir Bose was bad....

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Agree 100% - Sadly the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ no longer seems to be able to give us the high standards of journalism we were once used to.

Most of the sports Blogs are based on little more than the current tabloid title-tattle and hearsay, and quickly develop into personal attacks on whatever person/organisation the Journo currently dislikes. Mr.McNulty is bad enough with his eternal 'I told you so' attitude, but Mr.Bond sadly follows close behind.

Please ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, in times of drastic cuts all over the UK, save yourself a few quid and put these horrendous 'Blogs' to the sword...they are simply an ego building machine for your so called 'Sports Journalists'.

Am I correct in thinking the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ journos get paid per column/page of text? If so, it may explain why there are so many Blogs full of such empty tripe....

Moves to clean up the FA by the Condem Coalition...is football now a devolved issue?

What utter garbage.

The new Government has far greater priorities than attempting to reorganise the FA! Even if they did decide to get involved, as previous posters have mentioned it would only lead to sanctions by Fifa.

Can someone please explain why if the F.A. can continue along without a chairman for over a year - one is actually needed? What does an F.A. Chairman actually do to deserve his/her mega salary apart from act as a glorified figure-head and if one of those isn't even wanted for 'fear it might hurt the World Cup bid' or decide the future of the England National manager, why go to the expense of hiring head-hunters to bother finding one? I take it they are currently trundling along led by their C.E.O at the moment?

What good did Lord Triesman do to sort out how the F.A. was run given it's current malaise in sorting out his successor? Give someone like Bobby Charlton or Geoff Hurst the role and let proper businessmen deal with the administrator side.

Why does someone not do something ?

You whinge about ticket prices, too many foreigners, power of TV, too many kit changes, the EPL being the powerbase and not the guardians of the game, the FA, Agents fees, players salaries.

The whole thing is rotten to the core.

Nothing will change because there are too many vested interests, both within this country and in FIFA.

The only people that can change football is the fans by staying away but look, 72000 turn up after being taken the mickey out of in South Africa.

NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE.

Football RIP

The FA is a farce. Because it caot rei i the excesses of the EPL.

Anyone reading between the lines of Oyston's resignation at Blackpool can sense that bungs are rife. And Oyston wouldn't play ball.......

The reason the State wants to step in is that the FA is showing itself incapable of doing so.

Appointing an insider is a green light for the bungs to go on, if my sense of current reality is accurate.........

IMHO.........

In an ideal world there would be the following changes.

1. No agents
2. Player salary Cap
3. No sponsored stadiums
4. Kit changes limited to once every 3-5 years
5. Free to air Football(No Sky)
6. Football on a Saturday with 1 big match on a Sunday afternoon
7. No Joey Barton!

Sadly money rules, and the Sky/Premier League will continue to fleece the fan and kill our game.

The suits in the FA will continue to run and ruin the game. No one in the FA wants to change the system of committees having committees to vote on the same things. One day they will realise that this is big buisness as well as being a sport that needs to be run professionally and not by amateurs.

I wish people would stop spouting that ex players should run the FA. They were normally after a huge pay packet and didn't care about the game. How many times have people said ex players should become referees and that hasn't happened. It's just like being a football manager. Very few great players become great managers so why would they be great administrators of the game.

The FA should force the Premier League back fully under it's wing and start to get proper control on everything or banish them from playing in Europe as you couldn't then have two FA's in one country. But who is going to vote for this and for losing their jobs and cushy salaries for the good of football in this country. We are lacking in coaches from grass roots to the top end. We are lacking in youth developement by the FA with still no FA academy at Burton to be seen.

All the suits do is over spend on stadium and over run on delivery. They need to rethink everything and let the next CEO and Chairman make the decisions and go with them.

#30 JamTay1 - I agree with all 7 apart from maybe the kit changes every 3-5 years. I look forward to seeing the new kits. and they get good wear for the money..maybe just restricting home kit changes would be better?

As for point 5. Free to Air Football. The government could actually do something about that by adding EPL to the protected viewing list and Fifa couldn't call that 'government interference' could they?

#29 If Oyston knows bungs are rife he should come out and blow the cheats and con-men out of the water...with all our thanks!

@ 32 JoC

Perhaps I was a little OTT with kit changes! Just feel sorry for some of the parents. Perhaps if they were a bit less expensive.....

The Government 'Could' do something about free to air football but Mr Murdock also has a rather large Press influence...........

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

David

- Are you sure you're not Nasser Hussain or his long lost brother ?

Uncanny !

I may be wrong on this, but the government does have a stick it could use to beat the FA with, Lottery Funding. All lottery funding for FA projects should be immediately withdrawn until the FA implements the Burns report in full.

Give Lineker this Job!

#36

That would be government interference?! And why would the 'British' government have a view on what the 'English' FA does outwith their support for a WC bid? Football is neither a devolved issue (since England does not have a devolved parliament), nor is it open to this kind of threat. When the French government wanted an enquiry about the conduct of their WC squad, UEFA said 'No'!

no matter how much money they have or not, rooney should remember what arsenal's board said recently about becoming bigger than manchester united or liverpool, that they have tried to close the gap for 10 years or more without getting close. Roman appears to have privatly come to the same conclusion @ chesea' and with the new rules coming in concerning finances, city have to qualify for the c.l this year and WIN it next year, because they cannot turn their books around in time for the following year. do as you want mufc and lfc are the real superpowers of the epl, and that is why REAL mufc fans do not want to see lfc relegate because it s still the first fixture every mufc or lfc or neutral looks for, together we dominate the honours list and we will continue to for many decades to come, Why because all the history and prestige cannot be bought or sold or held to ransom.