April 4 – Members of the English Football Association’s council have unanimously backed a package of governance reforms proposed by the governing body’s board aimed at enhancing diversity.
The reforms will now go forward to the FA’s annual general meeting on May 18, when they will need a 75% majority for approval.
The reforms were a response to government pressure and end years of inertia by the FA’s unwieldy antiquated structural set-up.
In February, parliament passed a humiliating “no confidence” vote in the FA’s ability to reform itself but chairman Greg Clarke, who replaced Greg Dyke in August, promised to quit if he failed to get the reforms, which include increasing the number of women on the FA’s board, over the line. Term limits of nine years (three x three years) for both board members and councillors were also approved.
But the changes have been criticised by some as not going far enough. Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out said last month that the reforms were “a sham” that still failed to give sufficient representation to minority groups.
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