The FA Board met on Thursday 28 March and set out below are the main discussion points.
The Board discussed the incidents of racist chanting at the recent England senior men’s Euro Qualifying match against Montenegro, which were subsequently reported to UEFA.
And they agreed that there needed to be a structured campaign within UEFA and FIFA to ensure that incidents such as this are dealt with appropriately. This will be subject to further discussion.
We also looked at supporter behaviour on a domestic level in light of recent incidents of pitch incursions, missile throwing and discriminatory abuse. The Board agreed that there needed to be more transparency on when the FA charged clubs following such incidents and on the sanctions imposed when clubs were found to be in breach of the Rules.
As part of our commitment to continuing the significant financial investment into football facilities, the Board approved a three-year funding agreement with the Football Foundation of £29m per annum.
Since 2000, The FA, Premier League and Government have invested £515m into the Football Foundation which has resulted in approximately 700 artificial grass pitches, 3000 grass pitches and 1000 changing rooms / pavilions. However, we recognise that facilities remains the primary issue for grassroots football and we continue to explore opportunities to identify additional sources of investment.
Safeguarding remains an important focus for the Board and we take a keen interest in how the FA is managing cases, working with survivors and ensuring that County FAs continue to meet the Safeguarding Operating Standard. The Board commended County FAs for the considerable efforts they have collectively made towards ensuring that the Safeguarding Operating Standards are embedded within their respective organisations.
As part of the review of the structure of the women’s professional game, the Board approved the establishment of a new FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship Board, which will have a reporting line directly into the FA Board. This new Board will have the sole focus of developing the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship and will include senior representatives of clubs from both leagues.
The Board discussed some options regarding the branding of the FA and will consider this further at the next meeting.
The Board approved the proposed changes to the Rules and Articles of Association and these will now go forward to the April Council meeting. If approved, they will then go to shareholders at the AGM to be held on 23 May 2019.
