It is expected that the leading associations of the game both global and individual, are supposed to be the shining examples for the clubs and countries that they hold responsibility over.
Nine times out of ten that is the case, but on the rare occasion those associations make slips or errors in judgement and the English FA is one of those associations that make more mistakes than others.
It has been a tough few months for the English game, both on and off the pitch for the national side and the sides that the FA govern. When it is expected to lead by example throughout these difficult moments, on more than one occasion the FA have failed to do so.
Rooney situation
The ‘booze culture’ has always been present in football, but in the modern game when elite athleticism is everything that culture has been pretty much eradicated.
However, this hasn’t seen the permanent departure of questionable incidents, and one of the most significant incidents in recent memory has been England captain Wayne Rooney.
The skipper for both club and country was photographed in the team hotel at 5am looking worse for wear after England’s win over Scotland, and the release of the photos brought a media storm on the 31-year-old.
Anyone and everyone had an opinion on Rooney’s antics, but it was ultimately the opinion of the association that mattered however they not only failed to defuse the situation but fanned the flames.
Rooney was forced to apologise for his antics and it was announced that association would begin an investigation. Rooney later rescinded his apology quoting the media coverage of his behaviour as a “disgrace” and the FA and specifically chief executive Martin Glenn were criticised for their actions.
They were mainly criticised for throwing their captain to the lions, rather than standing by Rooney and the team standing as a collective rather than one individual even though it was public knowledge that other members of the squad were out enjoying themselves.
Their biggest fault in proclaiming that an investigation would be launched, even though Rooney had been given time off and time to go out and in that they committed what former national Gary Neville called a “PR disaster”.
Sex abuse/Southgate introduction
The football world has been shaken to it’s core by the recent revelations of the terrible sexual abuse cases that have been terribly rife in football for decades.
More than 350 cases had been reported by the time that Gareth Southgate was announced as the permanent manager of the England senior side, with Southgate even announcing that one of his former teammates was a victim who had come forward.
It was obviously important that the FA acknowledged this serious situation, however the fact that they decided to announce their response during the press conference of their new manager did strike as odd.
The fact that they mixed what is quite clearly two separate issues into one press conference was odd, and in hindsight looked a bad move on behalf of the association. The comments of Glenn didn’t improve the situation that the association was in.
Glenn said all the right things saying that a full investigation would take place, but his comments stating that he doubted that any cover-up of abuse in the game had taken place is where he dropped the ball.
It would emerge only days later that Chelsea had paid off a former player to keep quiet about the horrifying trauma that he had suffered, and Glenn comments came back to haunt him and put doubts into many that the country’s football association could be trusted with such an important and delicate matter.
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