Article Taxonomy: Football Governance

FA challenge Blatter

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The English and Scottish Football Associations are undoubtedly right to call for Fifa’s presidential election tomorrow to be postponed but whether they will get anywhere is another matter.  

Blatter stalks out

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A badly rattled Sepp Blatter has just stalked out of an extraordinary press conference at Fifa headquarters in Zurich.   This follows a day in which various allegations have been made, not least by the suspended Jack Warner who increasingly looks like an unguided missile that could hit any target.  

Blatter is cleared

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Fifa’s Ethics Committee has cleared Sepp Blater of turning a blind eye to possible corrupt behaviour within football’s world governing body.   However, it has found that two executive committee members, Mohamed bin Hammam and Jack Warner, do have a case to answer and they will be investigated further.  As a consequence, Mohamed bin Hammam has stepped down as an opponent to Sepp Blatter in this week’s election of a president.

Real go for the English model

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On one level the sacking of Jorge Valdano as director-general at Real Madrid is the outcome of a power struggle with Jose Mourinho.   There were personal tensions between the two men, the special one wanted more autonomy and he has come out on top.

But it is interesting that when he announced the move club president Florentino Perez explicitly said that he wanted to move the club towards an English model. 

Swindon lose sponsor over di Canio

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Off the top of my head I can’t remember  the last time a football club lost a sponsorship deal over the appointment of a manager but that is what has happened at Swindon.   The local branch of the GMB union has taken exception to the controversial political views of new manager Paolo di Canio.

Admittedly, the sum involved is not large – £4,000 – and they are not the main sponsors (last year this was the magazine 4-4-2 which fan ‘insider’ features on the club).

Wombles ready for Football League

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I know that many football fans were delighted to see AFC Wimbledon win promotion to the Football League in a penalty shoot out yesterday.   It’s been a remarkable story and a great victory for fan power.   However, I do feel sorry for Luton Town who have also been victims of the football authorities.  They don’t deserve to be playing in the Conference and they are only doing so because of some harsh treatment.

Should the World Cup be auctioned on eBay?

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The Football Association has decided that it cannot support either of the candidates for the presidency of Fifa, the current incumbent Sepp Blatter and his rival Mohamed Bin Hammam.  Blatter has failed to tackle the serious governance problems at Fifa and there are doubts about whether the Qatari candidate would either.

QPR decision delayed

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Considerable uncertainty surrounds the outcome of this year’s Championship competition after a decision on charges brought against Queen’s Park Rangers over the Faurlin affair was delayed.   It had originally been intended to come to a decision by 4 p.m. on Friday, but an outcome is not now likely until Monday.  The club will still receive the Championship trophy on Saturday.