Watmore Resigns As FA Chief Executive
Ian Watmore, the chief executive of The Football Association, has surprisingly resigned after only 9 months in the post meaning that the governing body has now lost six chief executives in 11 years.
Watmore, 51, who came to The FA from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, was appointed in February 2009 but joined in June.
He resigned just before the weekend after a series of disagreements with senior figures on The FA board.
Watmore succeeded Brian Barwick, who left the FA at the end of 2008, and who has been preceeded by Graham Kelly, David Davies (in an acting capacity), Adam Crozier and Mark Palios in the last 11 years.
FA chairman Lord Triesman said in a statement: ‘Ian Watmore tendered his resignation to me on Friday. I asked him to reconsider but he has confirmed that his position remains unchanged and I’ve accepted it.’
It is speculated that Watmore had a number of disagreements with Premier League chairman Sir David Richards which prompted his sudden departure
Media outlets also stated that Watmore was further incensed by an e-mail leak to a national newspaper.
The e-mail mentioned details of a briefing given to the FA board and other senior FA figures on the appointment of new marketing and communications director Julian Eccles.
In response, Watmore sent an e-mail to every member of the FA board.
According to the BBC, the email read: ‘I don’t know which sad person thought to brief yesterday but we know it had to be from this list as you are the only people who received it.
‘I have three things to say: There’s not a cigarette paper between me and the (FA) chairman on any issue and he is a man of ethics, character and courage, rare in my experience of any walk of life let alone football.
‘If I ever find the person who leaked the briefing then I will ensure that that person’s reputation is damaged beyond repair. This is the last time I share any information in advance.’
Triesman is The FA’s first independent chairman but attempts by English football’s governing body to implement the recommendations made by leading civil servant Lord Burns in 2005 to improve governance have never come to fruition.
