Gareth’s cold feet over top job at FA
GARETH SouTHGATE made his shock decision to turn down the offer to become the FA’s technical director after becoming increasingly concerned about the job description during protracted talks.
Southgate, who is also leaving his role as the FA’s part-time head of elite development, had been the shoo-in selection for the new technical supremo role since the recruitment process started last March.
His appointment was indicated well before Euro 2012 but negotiations over his wages delayed the contract signing. Southgate wanted parity with England under 21 boss Stuart Pearce, who is understood to earn around £500,000, and it was expected an agreement would be reached.
But in Southgate’s time away in Poland and ukraine as an ITV pundit, he changed his mind over his suitability for a post which carried wide responsibilities across the game with a complicated remit. Southgate remaining as an England analyst for ITV, which he would have given up if he had become technical director, does not affect the commercial network’s signing of Lee Dixon — first revealed in Sports Agenda.
The FA suffered another setback yesterday when they were forced to defer the £12,000-a-year salaries being paid to board directors until the controversial move is debated by the FA council. This follows councillor fury at the lack of consultation before the announcement last week. THE
BBC’s 81-year-old voice of golf Peter Alliss normally strongly objects to anything written about him in Sports Agenda. But the ‘dinosaur’ description this week must have struck a chord. Alliss (right) made reference to this column during his Open commentary saying, in a surprisingly friendly manner, ‘That puts me in good company, Charlie’ after his BBC colleague Wayne Grady called himself a dinosaur for favouring old-style putters. BILL BEAuMoNT, new chairman of the RFu, is a member at Royal Lytham but keeps away from golf club politics, having enough on his hands at toxic Twickenham. Beaumont, whose popularity with all factions makes him best suited to restoring fractured RFu relationships, has promised to resolve the issues between former chairman Martyn Thomas and judicial officer Jeff Blackett before they reach the High Court. GOLF
devotee Prince Andrew, a former captain of the R&A whose frequent use of expensive helicopter travel has been well documented, at least saved on his golf travel expenses yesterday. The Duke of York arrived for his traditional Friday visit to The Open at the wheel of his own £100,000 Range Rover, which had a personalised number plate.