MPS have ‘no confidence’ in current state of English FA

MPS have handed the Football Association a vote of no confidence as the Westminster sports minister warned the English governing body against playing “Russian roulette” with public money.

Tracey Crouch said the FA must bring forward plans to review its governance, saying its current model does not stand up to scrutiny.

A vote of no confidence, led by Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee chairman Damian Collins, was passed unopposed at the end of a backbench business debate.

Fewer than 30 MPS attended the debate and the motion is non-binding.

Mr Collins said the Government should step in if the FA failed to reform itself. The FA received £30 million from Sport England between 201317 for grassroots football but has so far only been given £5.6m to support its disability and women’s programmes for the next four years. A decision on the rest of its grant hinges on Ms Crouch’s approval of its reform plans, to be submitted by the end of March.

Ms Crouch said: “It’s up to the FA if they wish to play Russian roulette with public money.

“I think it’s fair to say, given the debate we’ve had today and the number of representations I and other members have received, that they will lose. The FA’S current model does not, in my opinion, and clearly that of other colleagues, stand up to scrutiny.”

The FA has faced repeated criticism that its board is failing to reflect and represent the diversity of the game, with the select committee publishing reports in recent years asking for an overhaul of the organisation’s board and council.

Conservative MP Jason Mccartney (Colne Valley) said the FA should follow the lead of athletics in its approach to funding a successful national team. He said: “Just like the lottery millions have been well distributed to nurture talent, participation and medal success, it’s important that the FA should be able to do the same with some of the Premier League’s billions in football.”

Conservative MP Andrew Bingham said of former England manager Sam Allardyce: “The issues of Sam Allardyce, who manages the team for 67 days, one game, walks away with allegedly around £1 million, it is destroying people’s faith in football.”