Our Board met on Thursday 7 September and set out below are the main discussion points.
The Board welcomed Kevin Miles and Tom Greatrex to the meeting as part of the structured dialogue we have with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA). They covered a range of topics of interest to supporters, notably fan behaviour; the Council Review; the proposal for an Independent Regulator for English Football; and their input to the fan experience for the 2024 UEFA Men’s European Championships. We will continue to have a regular dialogue with the FSA both in and out of Board meetings, and are appreciative of the positive engagement we have with them.
Our Director of Women’s Football, Sue Campbell, Director of Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs, Joanna Manning-Cooper, Director of Legal and Governance, Polly Handford, and Head of Public Affairs, James MacDougall, joined the Board to present on the main recommendations arising from the review of women’s football carried out by Karen Carney, Raising the Bar – Reframing the Opportunities in Women’s Football. We are making progress against many of the recommendations in the review, such as restructuring the talent pathway and starting the process of integrating the governance of the women’s game within The FA, and recognise that we will need careful planning, investment and potential redistribution to address some of the other priorities.
The Board reflected on discussions between The FA, Premier League, EFL, National League, PFA and Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) regarding the proposal to establish an Independent Regulator for English Football, including the scope of potential club compliance requirements. We continue to engage with the DCMS to help shape the development of an Independent Regulator.
Our Chief Information Officer, Craig Donald, presented on the investment made into technology products and the benefits compared to our plan, and provided an overview of the services each provides to the game. Craig focussed in particular on the Matchday, Full Time and Events products, and how they are helping improve the efficiency of administering the game at the grassroots level.
The Board receives an annual update on Health and Safety across The FA Group. Wembley Stadium’s Director, Liam Boylan, and Head of Health and Safety, Tom Wike, presented on progress made in the previous 12 months. This included the expansion of the Health and Safety Management System, and achievement of ISO045001 Accreditation for both St. George’s Park and Wembley Stadium, which is a credit to their hard work to embed good working practices across the organisation.
Finally, our Deputy CEO, Mark Burrows, updated the Board on the 2028 UEFA Men’s European Championships hosting bid. Italy and Turkey announced in July that they intended to merge their bids to jointly host the 2032 edition. Until the viability of this is formally assessed by UEFA, Turkey remain in the bid for 2028. We are working closely with Government and Football Partners on ensuring all of our own bid requirements are satisfied, and the UEFA Executive Committee will vote on and announce the appointment of the tournament host on 10 October 2023.
