Last month the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee asked the public what the Government should do to guarantee the survival of community sport. The financial viability of many community sports clubs is in doubt, with the future of many at risk even before the pandemic.

The DCMS Committee wants to identify specific actions the Government can take to guarantee the future survival of the community sports sector.

The Committee has been gathering evidence from organisations and individuals interested in community sport, specifically looking at sports governance, funding and the case for elite professional sports, to support the lower leagues and grassroots.

Local sports enthusiast, Dave Wilkinson, who has been closely involved in football since the 1960s, has shared with The Journal the submission he made to the DCMS Committee, based on his experience of dealing with the Football Association. Over the coming weeks, extracts from Dave’s submission will be published in The Journal, starting this week with an assessment of whether the Football Association is fit for purpose?

Dave writes: “In my opinion, the FA is incapable of co-ordinating a whole game response to Covid-19 and in terms of the financial bailout being asked for by professional football, the FA is irrelevant!

“When the FA wanted to conclude the 2019/20 season with a “cohesive” approach across the game, they were unable to do so, with the professional game, including Steps 1 and 2 (the National League) of the non-league pyramid, choosing their own approach.

Steps 3 and below were voided, but the process was highly criticised for its lack of transparency, a lesson the FA appear not to have learnt as they attempt to undergo the same process again.

“The future of the FA is not just about their ability to govern the game of football, but their ability to administer, advocate and mediate on behalf of the game should also be called into question.

“I feel the FA’s decision-making is heavily influenced by its income, namely the FA Cup and the England Men’s Senior team. This has been evidenced by their recent decision to halve the prize fund available to the lower level clubs in this season’s FA Cup competition, depriving them of much-needed funds when they need it most.

“Equally, when football did resume, it was to the news that the administration cost of processing an on-field caution had risen from £10.00 to £15.00 for players whose clubs compete below Step 4 in the national non-league pyramid, once again hitting the pocket of the grass roots game and with the prospect of rising unemployment and less disposable income, their dictatorial attitude will force young men and women to give up the sport they love.

“In a modern, open democracy there is no place for an organisation that sets the rules, polices those rules, (through their own trained referees), and then acts as the judge, jury and appeal court – but that is exactly what the Football Association is doing.

“Whilst the Premier League and the EFL have the strength and power to be listened to when the FA’s actions are not in their best interest, the largest majority of clubs and players in England have virtually no effective voice and are therefore subject to the whims of an organisation that is not democratic in its approach to its primary function, which is to develop the game of football. Not to strangle the life out of grass roots clubs and deny access to the game because of them driving the cost of playing up and up to pay for their own existence!

“A business model that was fit for purpose in 1863 is not fit for purpose in 2020! The FA has not proved to be an effective regulator and the Government should consider this function as a priority, post Covid-19.”

You may have your own views on the suitability of the FA or other sports Governance organisations, particularly as grassroots sport comes to terms with the ‘new normal’, if so, please let us know at The Journal: [email protected]