FA’s blazers suffer a buffet blow at lunch

THE blazers on the FA council are having their long- standing lavish fine- dining experience at Wembley matches cut to a buffet-style meal.

Also, much to the upset of some of the traditionalists, the strict jacket-and-tie rule is being altered to a more relaxed dress code.

FA chief executive Martin Glenn wants to change the atmosphere of Wembley’s VIP function room, where the FA entertain guests, from one of a stuffy London club to a more welcoming place.

Glenn and FA chairman Greg Clarke had a meeting with the FA’s preposterous protocol committee, whose chief concern has been whether dessert should be served before a match or at half-time. Remarkably, Clarke, fresh from his success introducing governance reforms, was able to persuade the blazers to accept queueing for their food in future, rather than silver service, and that wearing a tie will not always be necessary.

Ironically, all the protocol councillors turned up at the Wembley summit wearing jacket and tie, while Clarke and Glenn appeared open-necked. The buffet in the Wembley Suite was tested at the FA Women’s Cup final and deemed a success. And for the Community Shield, the blazers are being booted out to accommodate survivors and victims’ families of the Grenfell Tower disaster, plus community workers and the emergency services. The FA have pledged to donate £1.25m from the game to the disaster fund. IT was good to see the media pundits who like to pose on the Test pitch before play — because their accreditation allows them — to at least stand outside the roped- off wicket surrounds yesterday. That is apart from serial offender Simon Hughes and the bouffant hair-styled Mark Nicholas, neither of whom played for England.

AFTER the heavy defeat in the second Test against South Africa, it wasn’t unexpected that England captain Joe Root was asked about his confidant, the Test Match Special pundit Michael Vaughan, saying England had a ‘lack of respect’ for Test cricket. What was surprising was the question was posed by Stephan Shemilt, Vaughan’s BBC colleague.

Charles Sale

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