Mel from personnel rejects blame claim
THE frenzied blame game around the abject handling of the Mark Sampson affair has seen the besieged FA point the finger at a former human resources chief who disputes any involvement.
Mel Millner, who lost her HR role a year ago in the FA’s executive restructuring, is considered to be the senior figure in the governing body who knew the details about Sampson’s inappropriate conduct at Bristol Academy. But she did not flag it up to the high command, it is claimed.
However, that version of events is disputed by Millner, now working at Aston Villa. She says she was never informed about the fine print of the Sampson report.
The two current members of FA staff who were present — along with Millner and others — in November 2014, when the management were first briefed on the allegations surrounding Sampson, were technical director Dan Ashworth and head of safeguarding and equality Sue Ravenlaw.
The details of what Sampson was alleged to have done were not disclosed.
Ravenlaw was shown the final report in March 2015, when an investigation ruled Sampson had done nothing unlawful — although the evidence showed he was wholly unsuitable to be in charge of the England women’s team.
Owing to the strict code of confidentiality surrounding safeguarding information, Ravenlaw is said by the FA to have only flagged up Sampson’s reported behaviour at Bristol to her line manager Millner. But this did not happen, according to Millner, who is claiming FA safeguarding worked separately and confidentially as an independent unit.
It is also claimed that safeguarding personnel other than Ravenlaw informed Glenn in October 2015 that Sampson was clear to continue in his job after the investigation, not being a material risk and having been given mentoring and training. THE FA board meeting last Friday gave unanimous backing to chief executive Martin Glenn over his handling of the Sampson affair. And even after what has emerged since, the directors are calling it a yellow card for Glenn rather than a red one. The pressure is said to be more on FA technical director Dan Ashworth.
in their wisdom, have chosen to stage their Best awards at the London Palladium, just when English football is at such a low ebb that Harry Kane is the country’s only representative in the 55-strong shortlist for the Best Eleven — to be announced on October 23. Last year’s inaugural Best event, staged at a nondescript TV studio on an industrial estate outside Zurich, was instantly forgettable.