Shaw quits in wake of Muir review
New Zealand Football chairman Deryck Shaw has resigned.
It’s the latest twist in the ongoing fallout from the NZF review, which was released last Wednesday.
The review contained both explicit and implicit criticism of the board.
Shaw informed various stakeholders yesterday of his decisison to step down.
Phil Barry will be the interim chairman for at least the rest of this year.
Shaw has been under severe pressure for the last few months, since the Football Ferns/ Andreas Heraf scandal first came to light in June.
That pressure only increased with the various revelations and allegations around former CEO Andy Martin, even though much of that couldn’t be detailed in Phillipa Muir’s review, because the NZF board had signed a confidentiality agreement with Martin as part of the terms of his departure.
The revelation in the Herald in August that both Martin and Heraf had been paid significant settlements also angered many football stakeholders.
Last week Shaw maintained he wanted to remain at the helm of the board, to be part of the implementation of the changes recommended by the review.
But it’s believed the board has been split, with some feeling that Shaw’s position was untenable.
A further layer was added on Wednesday, when the Herald revealed that board member Jon Ormond had resigned.
In a statement sent to the board, Ormond said that the details in the confidential element of the review meant that ongoing tenure on the board came down to a conscience vote.
“As is now a matter of public record, the recent NZF review also comprised a confidential briefing to the board about matters which fell within the purview of the review but which cannot be published by NZF or the reviewer due to legal constraints, including obligations of confidentiality,” said Ormond
“I formed the view that when read together with the published portion, that the position of the chair, and potentially the board itself was untenable. The collective duty of a board has essentially made this a conscience vote. I respect those board members who prefer to act from the inside to effect change.”
Some other board members are said to be currently considering their positions.
Shaw was president of NZF since 2015, and deserves credit for some of his achievements, especially how he helped mend the near-broken relationship with OFC. But ultimately his inability to manage and oversee Martin, in what Muir referred to as a “hands-off approach” proved to be the pivotal factor.