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The Football Association

The Football Association

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The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of association football in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and the Crown Dependencies
Crown dependency
The Crown Dependencies are possessions of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....

 of Jersey
Jersey
The Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes the nearly uninhabited islands of the Minquiers, Écréhous, the Pierres de Lecq and other rocks and reefs. Together with the bailiwick of Guernsey...

, Guernsey
Guernsey
The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.As well as the island of Guernsey itself, it also includes Alderney, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou, Lihou, Sark and other islets. Although the defence of all these islands is the...

 and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , or Mann , is a self-governing British Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Britain and Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Crown is represented by a Lieutenant Governor...

. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association. Based at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007.-History:...

, London
London
[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...

, it is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of football
Football
Football is the name of several similar team sports, all of which involve kicking a ball with the foot in an attempt to score a goal. The most popular of these sports worldwide is association football, more commonly known as just "football" or "soccer"...

 in England, both professional and amateur.

The FA sanctions all competitive football matches in England, either directly (at a National Level), or indirectly (at a local level through County Football Association
County Football Association
The County Football Associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of Sunday league football...

s). It runs numerous competitions, the most famous of which is the annual FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...

. It is also responsible for appointing the management of the men's, women's
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for two World Cups, 1995 and 2007...

 and youth
England national under-17 football team
The England national under-17 football team represents England in international football at this age level and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England....

 national football teams.

The FA is a founder member of both UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations is the administrative and controlling body for European football. It is almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA ....

 and FIFA
FIFA
The International Federation of Association Football, commonly known by its French acronym, FIFA , is the international governing body of association football. Its headquarters are in Zürich, Switzerland, and its current president is Sepp Blatter...

 and is a member of the International Football Association Board
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...

, which is responsible for the laws of the game.

Overview


The Football Association is a member of UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations is the administrative and controlling body for European football. It is almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA ....

 and FIFA
FIFA
The International Federation of Association Football, commonly known by its French acronym, FIFA , is the international governing body of association football. Its headquarters are in Zürich, Switzerland, and its current president is Sepp Blatter...

 and holds a permanent seat on the International Football Association Board
International Football Association Board
The International Football Association Board is the body that determines the Laws of the Game of association football.-Operations:...

 (IFAB). As the first ever football association, it uniquely does not use the national name (i.e. English) in its title (compared to the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...

, for example). It is headquartered at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007.-History:...

, London
London
[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...

, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...

 having moved from offices at Soho Square
Soho Square
Soho Square is a square in Soho, London, England, with a park and garden area at its centre that dates back to 1681. It was originally called King Square after Charles II, whose statue stands in the square. At the centre of the garden, there is a distinctive half-timbered gardener's hut. During the...

 in 2009.

All of England's professional football teams are members of the Football Association. The FA is responsible for the appointment of the management of the England men's
England national football team
The English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...

 and women's
England women's national football team
The England women's national football team represents England in international women's football. The side has been quite successful of late, qualifying for two World Cups, 1995 and 2007...

 national teams and the organization of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...

. Although it does not run the day-to-day operations of the country's top league, the Premier League, it has veto power over the appointment of the league Chairman and Chief Executive and over any changes to league rules. The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

, England's second tier league, consisting of The Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League.The Football League Championship was introduced for the 2004–05 season,...

, League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....

 and League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....

, is self-governing.

Both the FA and the Football League have the power to restrict transfers and deduct points from clubs, most commonly for clubs going into administration or experiencing financial irregularities. However this is controversial as it is often the case that points are deducted from struggling clubs, worsening their financial situations and upsetting the fans of the clubs so penalized.

The game is controlled at the local level, by 43 County Football Association
County Football Association
The County Football Associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of Sunday league football...

s affiliated to The Football Association but with responsibilities for organising and running football activities in their area. The Jersey
Jersey Football Association
The Jersey Football Association is the body that co-ordinates and organises the sport of football in Jersey. It is not a member of either UEFA or FIFA, but is a member of the Football Association and has the status of an English county, despite that Jersey is a Crown dependency, separate from the...

, Guernsey, and Isle of Man
Isle of Man Football Association
The Isle of Man Football Association is the governing body of football on the Isle of Man. The IoMFA is not a member of either UEFA or FIFA, but is a member of the English Football Association and has the status of a County Football Association, despite the Isle of Man being a Crown dependency, a...

 Football Associations are organised as County Football Associations below the FA. A hierarchy of leagues operates throughout the game, each taking responsibility for the administration of their own activities, such as membership, fixtures and registrations.

The FA owns and runs both Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007.-History:...

 and the National Football Centre
National Football Centre
The National Football Centre is a planned centre for association football in England, to be run by the Football Association. It will be located at Byrkley Lodge, near Burton-upon-Trent, and is regarded as England's answer to France's Clairefontaine academy...

 (The National Football Centre is currently under construction with a target for completion set for 2010).

History


For centuries before the first meeting of the Football Association in the Freemasons' Tavern on Long Acre
Long Acre
Long Acre is a street in central London, England. Starting from St. Martin's Lane it runs from east to west just north of Covent Garden piazza, one block north of Floral Street. The street was completed in the early 17th century. It was once known for its coach-makers, and later for its car dealers...

, London
London
[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...

 on 26 October 1863, there were no universally accepted rules for playing football. In each public school the game was formalised according to local conditions; but when the schoolboys reached university, chaos ensued when the players used different rules, so members of Cambridge University devised and published a set of Cambridge Rules in 1848 which was widely adopted. Another set of rules, the Sheffield Rules
Sheffield Rules
The Sheffield Rules was a code of football devised and played in the English city of Sheffield between 1857 and 1877. They were devised by Nathaniel Creswick and William Prest for use by the newly founded Sheffield Football Club. The rules were subsequently adopted as the official rules of...

, was used by a number of clubs in the North of England from the 1850s.

Twelve London football clubs met in 1862 to agree common rules. The founding clubs present at the first meeting were Barnes, Civil Service
Civil Service F.C.
Civil Service F.C. is an English football club based in the city of London. The club originally played both association football and rugby football and the Civil Service, along with Blackheath F.C., is one of the two clubs that can claim to be a founder member of both the Football Association and...

, Crusaders
Crusaders F.C. (London)
Crusaders Football Club was an English association football club based in London which was founded in 1863 and was a founder member of the Football Association. It is now defunct....

, Forest of Leytonstone (later to become Wanderers
Wanderers F.C.
The Wanderers Football Club were an amateur football club based in Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, and were one of the leading clubs in English football in the 1860s and 1870s. They are most notable for having won the first ever FA Cup final, in 1872, and the competition another...

) , N.N. (No Names) Club (Kilburn), the original Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C. (founded 1861)
Crystal Palace F.C. were an amateur football club, founded circa 1861, formed from the groundkeepers of the Great Exhibition. Later notable players joined such as Cuthbert Ottaway. Their original colours were claret and blue....

, Blackheath, Kensington School, Percival House (Blackheath)
Percival House F.C.
Percival House Football Club was an English association football club based in Blackheath, London which was founded in 1863 and was a founder-member of the Football Association. It is now defunct....

, Surbiton
Surbiton F.C.
Surbiton Football Club was an English association football club based in Surbiton, in the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames which was founded in 1863 and was a founder-member of the Football Association. It is now defunct....

 and Blackheath Proprietary School
Blackheath Proprietary School
The Blackheath Proprietary School was an educational establishment founded in 1830 that was noted in the contemporary press as an extremely successful school in terms of its education but is perhaps most notable for its profound influence on the game of football, in both Association and Rugby codes...

; Charterhouse
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse, is a collegiate independent boarding school between Hurtmore and Godalming in Surrey, England....

 sent their captain, B.F. Hartshorne, but declined the offer to join. Many of these clubs are now defunct or play rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...

.

Central to the creation of the Football Association and modern football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...

 was Ebenezer Cobb Morley
Ebenezer Cobb Morley
Ebenezer Cobb Morley was an English sportsman and is regarded as the father of The Football Association and modern Football....

. He was a founding member of the Football Association in 1862. In 1863, as captain of the Mortlake-based club, he wrote to Bell's Life newspaper proposing a governing body for the sport that led to the first meeting at the Freemason's Tavern that created the FA. He was the FA's first secretary (1863-66) and its second president (1867-74) and drafted the Laws of football
Laws of the Game
The Laws of the Game are the rules governing a game of association football. They are written and maintained by the International Football Association Board .-Current Laws of the Game:...

 that determine the way the game is played internationally today at his home in Barnes, London. As a player, he played in the first ever match in 1863. He is, therefore, considered the father of Association Football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...

.

The first version of the rules for the modern game was drawn up over a series of six meetings held in the Freemasons' Tavern from October till December. At the final meeting, F. M. Campbell
Francis Maule Campbell
Francis Maule Campbell was born in Blackheath, London. The son of Dawson Campbell, a wine merchant, who died around 1860 while Campbell was in his teens. Campbell attended the Blackheath Proprietary School and left in 1859 aged 15. A year later he was playing for the School’s old boys team,...

, the first FA treasurer and the Blackheath representative, withdrew his club from the FA over the removal of two draft rules at the previous meeting, the first which allowed for the running with the ball in hand and the second, obstructing such a run by hacking (kicking an opponent in the shins), tripping and holding. Other English rugby clubs followed this lead
History of rugby union
The history of rugby union follows from various football games played long before the 19th century, but it was not until the middle of that century that rules were formulated and codified....

 and did not join the FA but instead in 1871 formed the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union is the rugby union governing body for men's rugby in England - women's rugby is currently administered by the Rugby Football Union for Women . Among the Union's chief activities are conferences, organising international matches, and educating and training players and...

. The term "soccer" dates back to this split to refer to football played under the "association" rules.

An inaugural game using the new FA rules was initially scheduled for Battersea Park
Battersea Park
Battersea Park is an 83 hectare green space in Battersea, London, England. It is situated on the south bank of the River Thames opposite Chelsea...

 on 2 January 1864, but enthusiastic members of the FA couldn't wait for the new year and an experimental game was played at Mortlake on 19 December 1863 between Morley's Barnes team and their neighbours Richmond
Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...

 (who were not members of the FA), ending in a goalless draw. The Richmond side were obviously unimpressed by the new rules in practice because they subsequently helped form the Rugby Football Union in 1871. The Battersea Park game was postponed for a week, and the first exhibition game using FA rules was played there on Saturday 9 January 1864. The members of the opposing teams for this game were chosen by the President of the FA (A. Pember) and the Secretary (E. C. Morley) and included many well-known footballers of the day.

After the first match according to the new FA rules a toast was given "Success to football, irrespective of class or creed"

The Football Association founded the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...

 - now the longest-running major football competition in the world - in 1871. This competition was initially contested by mostly amateur teams but by the end of the 19th century it was dominated by professional teams that were mostly members of the Football League that had been founded in 1888 and expanded during the 1890s.

In 1992, the Football Association took control of the newly-created Premier League which consisted of 22 clubs who had broken away from the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was the top division of The Football League between 1892 and 1992 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Coca Cola Championship.-History:The Football...

 of the Football League. The Premier League reduced to 20 clubs in 1995 and is now one of the richest football leagues in the world.

Finances


The FA's main commercial asset is its ownership of the rights to England internationals
England national football team
The English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...

 and the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...

. Turnover for the year ending 31 December 2007 was £237.9 million. The FA owns the new Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007.-History:...

, which opened in 2006, via its subsidiary Wembley National Stadium Limited. For the 4 seasons from 2008 to 2012, the FA has secured £425 million from ITV
ITV
ITV is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC. ITV is the oldest commercial television network in the UK...

 and Setanta
Setanta
Setanta can mean:* The given name of the Irish mythological figure Cúchulainn* Setanta Sports, Ireland-based international television sports channel* Setanta Records, record label* The LÉ Setanta, former Irish Naval Service ship...

 for England and FA Cup games domestic television rights, a 42% increase over the previous contract, and £145 million for overseas television rights, up 272% on the £39 million received for the previous four-year period.

The FA's income does not include the turnover of English football clubs, which are independent businesses. As well as running its own operations the FA chooses five charities each year to which it gives considerable financial support.

In November 2007, Radio 5 Live estimated the cost to the FA of non-qualification for Euro 2008 to be in the direct region of £5million, with loss of revenue to the UK economy likely to run into the billions of pounds.

Competitions


The FA also runs several competitions:
  • FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association. The name "FA Cup" usually refers to the English men's tournament, although a women's tournament is also held...

  • FA Trophy
    FA Trophy
    The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...

  • FA Vase
    FA Vase
    The Football Association Challenge Vase is an annual football competition for teams playing below Step 4 of the English National League System. For the 2008–09 season 514 entrants were accepted, with two qualifying rounds preceding the six proper rounds, semi-finals and final to be played at...

  • FA Women's Cup
    FA Women's Cup
    The Football Association Women’s Challenge Cup Competition, commonly referred to as the FA Women's Cup, is the top cup competition for women's football clubs in England - designed as an exact equivalent to the FA Cup created 99 years earlier....

  • FA Women's Premier League Cup
    Premier League Cup
    The Football Association Women's Premier League Cup is a cup competition in English Women's association football. It is also referred to as the Women's League Cup as it is the women's equivalent to the men's League Cup....

  • FA Youth Cup
    FA Youth Cup
    The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...

  • FA Sunday Cup
    FA Sunday Cup
    The FA Sunday Cup is a knock-out competition for English Sunday league football teams.Prior to 1960 The Football Association did not permit clubs or players under its jurisdiction to take part in competitive football played on Sunday...

  • FA County Youth Cup
    FA County Youth Cup
    The FA County Youth Cup is a football competition run by The Football Association in England. It was launched in the 1944-45 season to provide young players who had not yet signed with a professional club, even on a scholarship basis, with competitive representative football...

  • FA Community Shield
    FA Community Shield
    The Football Association Community Shield is an English association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of the FA Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup, though this tradition was only established twenty years into the fixture's existence...

  • FA National League System Cup
    FA National League System Cup
    The FA National League System Cup is a football competition run by The Football Association. It was created in the 2003-04 season to provide an English representative in the UEFA Regions' Cup....

  • FA Futsal Cup
    FA Futsal Cup
    The FA Futsal Cup is a national competition organised by the Football Association in the game of futsal.In 2005, Doncaster College for the Deaf became the first disability side to win a major open football competition.-Winners:*2003 - Sheffield Hallam...


Principals


The FA has a figurehead President, since 1939 always a member of the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
Image:Roy-fam-2007.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Members of the Royal Family gathered for a dinner celebrating the 60th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh Image:Roy-fam-2007.jpg|right|500px|thumb|Members of the Royal Family gathered for a dinner...

. The Chairman of the FA has overall responsibility for policy. Traditionally this person rose through the ranks of the FA's committee structure (e.g. by holding posts such the chairmanship of a county football association). In 2008 the politician Lord Triesman was appointed as the FA's first "independent chairman", that is the first from outside the football hierarchy. The day to day head of the FA was known as the Secretary until 1989, when the job title was changed to Chief Executive.
Politicians
Office Name Start yeartime End yeartime
President Arthur Pember
Arthur Pember
Arthur Pember was a British sportsman, journalist and author, notable for being the first president of The Football Association, from 1863 to 1867, as a member of N.N. Club or N.N...

1863 1867
E. C. Morley 1867 1874
Major Sir Francis Marindin
Francis Marindin
Colonel Sir Francis Arthur Marindin, KCMG served with the Royal Engineers and was a key figure in the early development of association football. He was later knighted for his work in public services....

1874 1890
Lord Kinnaird 1890 1923
Sir Charle Clegg
Charles Clegg (footballer)
Sir John Charles Clegg , better known as Charles Clegg, was an English footballer and later both chairman and president of the Football Association. He was born in Sheffield and lived there his whole life. He competed in the first international match between England and Scotland in 1872...

1923 1937
William Pickford 1937 1939
The Earl of Athlone
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone , was a close relative of the British Royal Family, as well as a British military commander and major-general who, between 1924 and 1930, served as the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, and...

1939 1955
The Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. Philip was originally a royal prince of Greece and Denmark, and thus a member of the Danish-German House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, but renounced these titles shortly before his marriage and adopted the...

1955 1957
The Duke of Gloucester
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester PC, KG, KT, KP, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, KStJ was a member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary, and thus uncle to Elizabeth II...

1957 1963
The Earl of Harewood
George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, KBE , styled The Hon. George Lascelles before 1929 and Viscount Lascelles between 1929 and 1947, is the elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood , and Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Queen...

1963 1971
The Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent is a member of the British Royal Family, a grandchild of George V. He has held the title of Duke of Kent since 1942....

1971 2000
The Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
The Prince Andrew, Duke of York , is the second son and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...

2000 2006
Prince William
Prince William of Wales
Prince William of Wales , KG, is the elder son of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...

May 2006
Chair Sir Charles Clegg
Charles Clegg (footballer)
Sir John Charles Clegg , better known as Charles Clegg, was an English footballer and later both chairman and president of the Football Association. He was born in Sheffield and lived there his whole life. He competed in the first international match between England and Scotland in 1872...

1890 1937
A. G. Hines 1938
M. Frowde 1939 1941
Sir Amos Brook Hirst 1941 1955
Arthur Drewry
Arthur Drewry
Arthur Drewry was an English president of FIFA from 1955 to 1961. He was elected as President on June 7, 1955 at the FIFA Conference in Lisbon where he succeeded Rodolphe William Seeldrayers from Belgium who had only been President for 15 months following the death of Jules Rimet...

1955 1961
Graham Doggart
Graham Doggart
Alexander Graham Doggart, JP was an English administrator, cricketer, footballer and magistrate.Doggart was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. He was educated at Bishop's Stortford College and Cambridge...

1961 1963
Joe Mears
Joe Mears
John 'Joe' Mears was chairman of Chelsea Football Club and the Football Association.Mears was the son and nephew of Chelsea F.C. founders, Joseph and Gus Mears respectively. He was a goalkeeper for the Old Malvernians before joining the Chelsea board in 1931, in doing so becoming the youngest...

1963 1966
Sir Andrew Stephen
Andrew Stephen
Sir Andrew Stephen was a chairman of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. and the Football Association. He was born to a family of tenant farmers near Aberdeen. He trained as a doctor at the University of Aberdeen's School of Medicine and qualified in 1928. Two years later Stephen moved to Sheffield to become...

1967 1976
Professor Sir Harold Thompson 1976 1981
Sir Bert Millichip
Bert Millichip
Sir Frederick Albert Millichip was an English association footballer best known for his sometimes controversial contributions to the administration of the game....

1981 1996
Keith Wiseman 1996 1999
Geoff Thompson
Geoff Thompson (football)
Geoff Thompson is best known as the former Chairman of The Football Association. He has long been associated with football especially in South Yorkshire having previously been General Manager of Doncaster Rovers. He subsequently became Chairman of Sheffield & Hallamshire Football Association before...

1999 2008
Lord Triesman 2008
Secretary E. C. Morley 1863 1866
R. W. Willis 1866 1868
R. G. Graham 1868 1870
Charles Alcock
C. W. Alcock
Charles William Alcock was an influential English sportsman and administrator. He was a major instigator in the development of both international football and cricket, as well as being the creator of the FA Cup....

1870 1895
Sir Frederick Wall 1895 1934
Sir Stanley Rous
Stanley Rous
Sir Stanley Ford Rous was an English football referee and administrator.-Career:Originally a sports teacher at Watford Boys Grammar School , Rous played football at amateur level as goalkeeper, as well as becoming a FIFA...

1934 1962
Sir Denis Follows
Denis Follows
Sir Denis Follows was educated at the universities of London and Nottingham. He was President of the National Union of Students between 1931 and 1933.He was later General Secretary of the Football Association and Chairman of the British Olympic Association....

1962 1973
E. A. Croker
Ted Croker
Edgar Alfred Croker was an RAF pilot and a footballer for Charlton Athletic.-Career:In 1974, as the then Football Association secretary, he proposed the current format for the Charity Shield, with the match to be played between the champions of the top division of the Football League , and FA Cup...

1973 1989
Chief executive Graham Kelly
Graham Kelly (football)
Graham Kelly is an English football administrator. He was Secretary of the Football League and Chief executive of the Football Association from 1989 to 1998....

1989 1998
Adam Crozier
Adam Crozier
Adam Crozier is the chief executive of the Royal Mail. He took up this position in February 2003.-Early life:His father was a manager for Lord Bute, and his mother was secretary to the Managing Director of The Scotsman. He went to a school in Ayr then Graeme High School a comprehensive school in...

2000 2002
Mark Palios
Mark Palios
Mark Palios, is an English chartered accountant, football administrator and a former professional footballer. He played professional football for Tranmere Rovers and Crewe Alexandra...

2003 2004
Brian Barwick
Brian Barwick
Brian Barwick is an English football administrator and the former chief executive of The Football Association having held the post from January 2005 to December 2008. He previously worked with the BBC and ITV. He is a known supporter of Liverpool F.C...

2005 2008
Ian Watmore
Ian Watmore
Ian Watmore is the Chief Executive of The Football Association. Before that, he was a Civil Servant, latterly as the Permanent Secretary for Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills..-Career:...

2009
Executive Director David Davies
David Davies (football administrator)
David Davies OBE was an Executive Director of the The Football Association. He previously worked as sports correspondent for BBC Midlands Today as well as presenter from 1988 until 1994, and also appeared on BBC North West Tonight previously....

1998 2000
Acting Chief Executive 2002 2003
2004 2005

Board of directors

  • Chairman
Lord Triesman
  • Vice-Chairman & Kent FA
Barry Bright +
  • Chief Executive
Ian Watmore
Ian Watmore
Ian Watmore is the Chief Executive of The Football Association. Before that, he was a Civil Servant, latterly as the Permanent Secretary for Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills..-Career:...

 (from June 2009)
  • Devon FA
Dave Henson +
  • Essex FA: Michael Game +
  • Bolton Wanderers
    Bolton Wanderers F.C.
    Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently in the Premier League....

     Chairman
Phil Gartside
Phil Gartside
Philip 'Phil' Gartside is a businessman and the current chairman of Bolton Wanderers Football Club.He joined the board of Bolton Wanderers Football Club in April 1989, having been a fan of the club since his days as a pupil at Leigh Grammar School.He became chairman of Bolton Wanderers in October...

 ^
  • Manchester United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...

     Chief Executive
David Gill ^
  • Gloucestershire FA
Roger Burden +
  • Premier League Chairman
Sir Dave Richards
Dave Richards
Sir Dave Richards is chairman of the FA Premier League, chairman of the Football Foundation, an FA Board Director and vice-chairman of The FA International committee....

 ^
  • Hampshire FA
John Ward +
  • Ipswich Town
    Ipswich Town F.C.
    Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk...

     Chairman
David Sheepshanks
David Sheepshanks
David Sheepshanks is best known for being the chairman of Ipswich Town football club in the Football League Championship in England.He was elected to the Ipswich Town board in 1987 and was appointed chairman in 1995...

 %
  • Norwich City
    Norwich City F.C.
    Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk.Norwich are currently members of League One, having been relegated from the Championship in 2008–09...

     Chief Executive
Neil Doncaster
Neil Doncaster
Neil Doncaster is an association football administrator. He was appointed as chief executive of the Scottish Premier League in July 2009, having previously held the same position at Norwich City F.C...

%


Equations:

+ = National Game Representative

^ = Premier League Representative

% = Football League Representative

External links