Supporters Direct have released a statement today regarding the outcomes of the Burns Report which has looked at the restructuring of the Football Association.

The major talking point as far as supporters’ trusts are concerned is that Lord Burns has NOT recommended that a supporters’ trusts representative be given a place on the FA Board.

The full statement is as follows:

Commenting on the report, Supporters Direct Chief Executive, Phil French, said “With over 100 supporters' trusts and 13 Clubs in trust ownership or control we are at a loss to understand why the report has not recommended that a supporters’ trust representative be given a place at FA Board level given their work promoting corporate governance and financial control. The absence of such a recommendation is glaring, and one we believe will make it very difficult for any reconstituted FA Board to pursue its strategic role of representing the whole of the game’s interests effectively. The suggestion that the FA set up a customer panel may be regarded as a step in the right direction, but its limited scope in dealing purely with the regulatory commission and not being able to ask any direct questions about individual cases does not suggest anything but a marginal involvement.”

Responding to the recommendation on reform of The FA Council, French said, “There is a recommendation that the Council ‘evolve to become more representative of the diverse interests in the game’. Whilst we acknowledge that this is a step along from the status quo, we believe the lack of a firm proposal to include supporters is a missed opportunity.”

Summing up Supporters Direct’s response to the report, Phil French said:  “There is a distinct lack of direction and clarity of the role of the FA and the report seems to have glossed over this key question.  The report does refine the management structures and provides some sensible proposals for the introduction of non-executives at Board level.  But overall the recommendations are largely cosmetic and have not addressed the wider issue of representation. We cannot understand how the report can claim that the FA is the game’s governing body and not represent the views of the whole game in any meaningful capacity.”

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EDITOR’S NOTES:

•    Supporters Direct is a democratic, Industrial and Provident Society, funded by public money and with over 120 member trusts.

•    With a combined membership of over 100,000 people, supporters’ trusts have now put more than £10 million into the game and own or control 13 clubs in England and Scotland.

Dave Boyle

Deputy Chief Executive