Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke resigns

I have been a long-standing critic of Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke - who resigned earlier this month (11 November 2020) -  on basic corporate governance grounds. My first call for Clarke’s resignation was back in October 2017 when I noted, “Greg Clarke’s stewardship of the Football Association has been an accident waiting to happen and his proven track record of corporate governance shortcomings has been there for all to see – I even produced a report card on his performance in the summer of 2017 - almost since his first public appearance in the role. There is little satisfaction to be gained for this sad day for English football but questions definitely need to be asked of the other Football Association board members and especially the non-executives who were prepared to publicly support such a man continuing as Chairman until now despite numerous corporate governance reasons for an enforced early bath.”
 
Some of my quotes from my various written statements on corporate governance at the Football Association and its stewardship under Clarke Chairmanship discuss different lowlights of his reign and include:
20.10.17
“After the horror show the FA endured giving evidence to the digital, culture, sport and media committee, it is a mystery why Greg Clarke hasn’t already proffered his resignation? He publicly threatened to do so if the government didn’t support his board changes and corporate governance plans for 2018 yet – with racism, child-abuse and cover up allegations swirling – Clarke can’t even manage the ordinary every day vanilla executive board functions the corporate governance of the FA requires. Greg Clarke is not fit for purpose and should resign with immediate effect so that the Football Association can put in place the leadership and corporate governance structures and protocols it so badly and urgently requires.”


01.02.17
“with Mr Clarke already on a board governance yellow card over the lack of due diligence prior to the appointment of Sam Allardyce (let alone the supine handling of his dismissal), he is now putting £30 million from Sport England in jeopardy by failing to have sufficient independent non-execs in his FA board executive team!...the key parameters of good governance are not rocket science. If he continues to attend to FA board level governance in this manner – believing the board geggenpresses when it can barely pass or dribble - Greg Clarke deserves to be given the early bath he gave Allardyce unless he can find additional capable and independent non-executive directors quickly.”
 
08.05.17
“Though obviously legally complex and while, of course, due process is vitally important, the very serious matters surrounding child abuse within English football and the FA response to those allegations and investigations fall to Greg Clarke to lead. So far, his leadership and good governance has been conspicuous by its absence. The lack of updates or public statements – beyond the usual boilerplate ‘unable to comment upon ongoing Police investigations’ - also speaks very loudly to perceptions of inadequate governance.”
 

My FA Report card is free to use under Creative Commons

Photo image credit: Getty Images