The FA Unveils New Four-year Strategic Vision
Following an extensive review period, The Football Association has unveiled a four-year strategic vision including ambitious performance targets for the England national team.
As part of the document, new England manager Fabio Capello has been told he is expected to lead England to at least the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup or Euro 2012.
The review – which is believed to be the most extensive ever carried out by the FA – was ordered following England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008.
Capello was appointed in the wake of that, and has only been at the helm for two matches, but the FA’s ‘Vision 2008-2012’ makes it clear what is now expected of him.
The extensive report also recommended the appointment of an international performance director and approved plans to have the National Football Centre (NFC) at Burton up and running by 2010.
Commented FA chief executive Brian Barwick: ‘The plans for the NFC had come to a grinding halt when I joined – not least because of Wembley Stadium.
‘It was a case of ‘let’s get one built, finished, and operational’ and now it’s time to turn to the NFC. We want it opened and we want it to be at Burton and I expect that to be 100% clarified by the board in June.’
Capello backed plans for the NFC, which he believes will play a major part in the development of talented young players.
‘It is important to have a centre, to have a home – a place where we can go back and be together, spend time together, feel the spirit of the shirt we are wearing, regroup and achieve the targets that we want to achieve.
‘As we all know there is only 38% of players who are English in the Premier League. But having said that there are a lot of young players in the under-21 level and younger that are very good so there is plenty of talent.’
Among The FA’s other ‘Major Milestones’ outlined in the review include successfully bidding to host the 2018 World Cup; Wembley achieving an annual operating profit by 2012 and The FA’s move to the stadium completed by 2010.
Additionally, The FA has set the target that the RESPECT campaign improves overall disciplinary performance by 25% by 2012 and that commercial/broadcast revenues increase by a substantial amount at the next review date in 2011.
One million 5-11-year-olds are also set to be trained through the FA Tesco Skills Programme by 2010.
125,000 existing teams are required to be retained and 20,500 new teams created by 2012 with 26,000 referees retained and an additional 8,000 referees recruited within those four years.
