Watmore wants FA independence

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    20110322

    Former chief executive labels governing body as ‘conflicted’

    Last updated: 22nd March 2011   Subscribe to RSS Feed

    Watmore wants FA independence

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    Former Football Association chief executive Ian Watmore doubts that the governing body will ever be able to make progress unless it is restructured with an independent board.

    Watmore succeeded Brian Barwick in the post in February 2009, but resigned four months later due to perceived obstacles that hindered his vision of the future.

    Speaking as part of the Culture Media and Sport Committee’s Football Governance inquiry, Watmore has insisted that conflicted interests are hampering both the FA and the chief executive position.

    “I think the words at the time I used was there was nothing chief or executive about the job and that is why I left,” he said.

    Hit the buffers

    “I was frustrated about a number of things and just could not do it, in my time as chief executive of the organisation, get on and do some stuff.

    “Most of what I was trying to do either hit the buffers, got stuck in governance or was just impossible to do and I didn’t really feel I had control.”

    Speaking on the independent board, he added: “First of all, I sent a note to the committee in which I argue that all of the FA should be independent of inflicted interests.

    “The reason I argue that is because an organisation like the FA is seen to be the governing body of football yet is people on its board who have a severe conflicted interest.

    “They are very good people, have a very good knowledge, experience and so on but are conflicted.”

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    Watmore wants FA independence