Report from our Board meeting on Wednesday 5 November 2025
This was Tim Score’s final meeting as an Independent Non-Executive Director and Group Audit & Risk Committee Chair. The Board expressed its appreciation for Tim’s contributions to the Group Audit & Risk Committee, which he was appointed to in October 2016, and as a member of the Board since July 2021. He has now been replaced by Stephen Morana.
The Board welcomed the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) Chair, David Kogan, and CEO, Richard Monks. They spoke on the IFR’s responsibilities as defined in the Football Governance Act, its approach to regulation, the initial priorities – to consult with the game on licensing requirements and the Owners, Directors’ & Senior Executives’ Test; establish relationships within the game; and to operationally establish the IFR – and the timeline of activities though to 2027/2028. It is important for The FA to develop a good working relationship with the IFR and be clear on any requests it has, and this was a helpful first stage in developing that relationship.
Our General Counsel, Tim Bratton, presented to the Board on how The FA regulates the game and how we could reshape our regulatory framework in the future. The Board felt that there was merit in reviewing this area and agreed the scope of the review. Progress will be reported on at future meetings.
Our Women’s & Para Football Director, Sue Day and Director of Tournaments & Events, Chris Bryant, updated the Board on progress with the bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Board was reminded of the rationale behind the bid, its status, and the approvals that were required to submit it to FIFA by the deadline last month. FIFA will announce the tournament host in April 2026.
The Board received a presentation from the Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) Chair, Martin Glenn, Chief Refereeing Officer, Howard Webb, and Chief Operating Officer, Dani Every. They were able to update on progress with the core funding for PGMOL, which comes from The FA, Premier League, and EFL; outlined a new referee development model in the professional game; and reminded the Board of the respective responsibilities of PGMOL and The FA on refereeing. PGMOL is an important stakeholder in the professional game, and as one of the core funding partners it is a requirement for the Board to receive regular progress reports.
Our Company Secretary, Rich McDermott, presented on a couple of matters that the Board would like to progress as part of the next evolution of its corporate governance. This includes how the various leagues from across the men’s and women’s games are represented on The FA Council, and the membership of football clubs in The FA (through which they hold one ordinary share). Additionally, the Board continued its discussions on the formula used to distribute funding to the various parts of the game and set out the framework for a future discussion on the composition of the Board.
