Ancient Athens was arguably run more successfully than the FA for quite a long time, so why doesn’t the ruling body adopt a lot-drawing system for selecting council members – how could it possibly be worse?Biannual news in catatonia, now, with suggestions that next month’s Football Association council meeting may feature discussion on moving into the late 20th century. This would feel radical. It is normally advisable to think of these gatherings as akin to the movie Awakenings – except with all the hope, tenderness and learning stripped out. Related: FA aims to double number of women involved in football by end of the decade Continue reading...
The British set the principle of keeping politics and religion out of sport and Sir Stanley Rous was absolute in his interpretation of itWhisper it – you have to, beneath the barrage of furious indignation, bad temper, even declarations of “war”, from the prime minister down, over our gentle symbol of peace – but Fifa has a point about poppies. World football’s governing body, which Fifa still is, tried to articulate this as it unveiled the fines levelled at the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, for framing their November World Cup qualifiers as Armistice Day events.“It is not our intention to judge or question specific commemorations as we fully respect the significance of such moments in...
A backbench bill to remodel English football’s governing body is being drafted but the focus should be on refusing to snuggle up to the reflected glamour of the top flightThere are, inevitably, mixed feelings about seeing past chairmen and directors of the Football Association speaking out now about the need to curb the Premier League’s power, given their propensity mostly to do nothing about it when they had the chance, in the actual job. That might be unfair to David Triesman, who was savaged by the Premier League during his unhappy stint as chairman for daring to assert the primacy of the FA, but the reform proposals of David Bernstein and Greg Dyke, which they failed to secure, always seemed...
If England’s new manager looks like the safe choice that is perhaps because he’s also the right choice, even if his appointment prompts a yawn of indifferenceDivorced, beheaded and died; sacked, disgraced, resigned. Not forgetting, of course, seduced by sheikhs, humiliated by an emerging volcano‑nation and bought and sold for a pint of wine and a keynote-speaker gig. Like doomed Tudor wives, this seems to be the lot of England football managers now, remembered more for the frenzied drama of their departures than any tangible success on the pitch.With this in mind welcome, finally, to the dawning of the age of Gareth. After a trial period that ended just short of matching Sam Allardyce’s 67-day reign, Gareth Southgate has finally...
Most of the fans cramming the stadium for international friendlies and qualifiers are after a fairly cheap night out. The result matters rather less than it used toThey are among the hardest working men and women in football. Even before Spain arrive at Wembley on Tuesday night to provide the latest obstacle to the tottering baby steps of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England manager, those whose job it is to continue to fill Wembley began trumpeting their wares for March’s home qualifier against Lithuania.No matter how big the humiliation or how small the pool of English talent, the masses keep trudging up Olympic Way for the friendlies and qualifying ties that keep the FA’s tills ringing and have helped contribute...