The Football Association s International Newsletter Issue Eight Communiqué Communiqué Issue Eight Leaders past and present England s captain David Beckham OBE takes the opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela on the eve of the recent international friendly against South Africa. For Lucas Radebe, the South African captain, the match marked his retirement from international football. Spreading goodwill in South Africa Growing the Game in Botswana AFC President visits FA HQ FA-CONMEBOL programme to launch in September FA-CONCACAF advanced administration workshop Mark Palios named as new FA Chief Executive Q&A with Graham Noakes
CAF Hand in hand at the mo During their goodwill trip to South Africa, ex-england players, Gary Mabbutt MBE and Viv Anderson MBE, visited the Soweto Mountain of Hope project. They participated in a coaching clinic and handed out mini footballs and shirts alongside Britain s Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP. The two FA Ambassadors took part in five short games with teams of all age groups and held a Q&A session with coaches from three schools in the Soweto area. A game progresses in the shadows of the Mountain of Hope FA Ambassadors shared their collective expertise and spread goodwill throughout the townships of South Africa in advance of the recent senior team international friendly match, arranged to coincide with the launch of the South Africa 2010 World Cup Bid. invited us to play this game when our Ambassadors Over 35s team played at the same stadium in Durban in June 2001 in memory of the victims of the Ellis Park disaster. We are delighted to have been able to fulfil our promise and it was a great honour to meet Mr Mandela, said David. The results of the BBC s shirt amnesty are proudly displayed As a prelude to the historic England v Bafana Bafana game at Durban s ABSA Kings Park Stadium, The FA s goodwill ambassadors also visited two township sports projects in England s captain, David Beckham OBE, grasped the opportunity to meet Madiba on the historic occasion. Mr Mandela Gary Mabbutt MBE and the Rt Hon Jack Straw MP distribute kit and mini footballs to those attending the coaching clinic
untain of hope Durban, at the King Zwethilini stadium in Umlazi, Durban s biggest township, and the Sport For All project at Cato Manor. The projects train coaches to give underprivileged children of all ages the opportunity to participate in sport, maximise their potential and develop their skills. Kit and equipment were donated to the projects, including shirts collected by BBC Radio Five Live through their nationwide Football Shirt Amnesty campaign. Viv shows a few pieces of trickery to the onlooking trainees Viv added, It has been a fantastic opportunity for me to get involved, having played here in South Africa 15 years ago and having participated in the charity game two years ago. The children s potential is there and they are hungry for success. With the help of The FA, SAFA and other stakeholders, I feel that these kids, who have a great deal of natural talent, could go a long way. Kim Fisher of The FA s International Relations Team commented, Our FA Ambassadors goodwill trips have proved to be very rewarding and inspiring experiences for all concerned. The goodwill generated by our delegation coming here is well worth the effort and we have seen the joy that a few people can bring to the youth population in countries such as Albania, Afghanistan, South Africa, China and Iran. Football is a unifying educational tool and by taking interest in youth development, we hope that more organisations will see the light and support community football projects such as these. Gary and Viv enjoyed warm welcomes on their visit to SoMoHo where they participated in games and coaching clinics I have been coming to South Africa every year for the past ten years and have been involved in many different football development initiatives, said Gary. It is obvious that standards have vastly improved over the past couple of years through projects such as these here in Durban, demonstrating that the country is tuning into the idea of using sport to develop the youngsters self-esteem and confidence. All cheers at the King Zwethilini stadium at Umlazi, Durban
CAF Growing The Game in Botswana On Saturday May 17th FIFA Executive Committee Member Ismail Bhamjee, the Deputy British High Commissioner John Smith, BFA President David Fani and other senior BFA staff attended the opening ceremony of The FA s workshop entitled Growing The Game. 30 Botswana football administrators from all over the country took part to learn about football development and human resources. FA instructors, HR Manager Helen Hughes, and National Football Development Manager for Small-Sided Football Dermot Collins, presented the workshop, with FA Ambassador Gary Mabbutt MBE adding the player s perspective. The FA s relationship with Botswana has flourished significantly under the auspices of the UEFA-CAF Meridian Project, explained workshop organiser Kim Fisher. This is the second workshop for football administrators, the first having covered strategic planning in the areas of finance, refereeing, competitions, PR & marketing. Other FA assistance has included kit donations, refereeing courses, a training camp for the U20s team in England and the hosting of study visits for senior BFA executives in London. As a gesture of goodwill, the delegation also visited the Ramotswa School for the Deaf Kim meets the children at the Ramotswa school for the deaf and the SOS Children s Village. Gary Mabbutt also ran a coaching clinic for 160 children at the National Stadium in support of the BFA s grassroots development programme. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to visit Botswana for the first time and have been touched by the warm welcome I have received from all at the Botswana FA, the British High Commission and at the schools we have visited, Gary said. I have been impressed by the abilities of the children and by the encouraging ideas on development we discussed with BFA senior executives. It was rewarding to hear from the Gary congratulates the attendees of the coaching clinic Gary meets the presidents of the FAs of England s Meridian Project partners - Botswana, Lesotho and Malawi President of the Botswana FA David Fani, and FIFA Executive Member Ismail Bhamjee, that England and The FA are well-respected in Africa for their efforts in Meridian partner countries, and for their co-operation with CAF, said Kim Fisher, International Relations Officer. Continuity is the key, and we look forward to the ongoing expansion of our work in the African continent.
AFC OFC New vision for Asia Oceania s indigenous coaches The co-operation programme between The FA and OFC will officially kick off later this year following the conclusion of the OFC s new Technical Programme. Put together with the assistance of UEFA s special adviser Dr Zdenek Sivek of the Czech Republic, it will be managed by OFC s new Development Manager, Tai Nicholas. A major focus of the programme will be the development of the indigenous coaches throughout the region. CONMEBOL AFC President, Mohamed Bin Hammam, accompanied by General Secretary, Dato Peter Velappan, visited The FA in London to review the FA-AFC co-operation agreement in light of the AFC s new Vision Asia. We appreciate the efforts of The FA to assist the AFC in the development of its new vision for football within the Asian confederation, said the President. Saudi refs visit A delegation of referees from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation held a study visit in London in May, hosted by The FA, which included a visit to Upton Park, home of West Ham United FC. The AFC delegation pictured with The FA Cup on their visit to Soho Square English football has an established and sustainable structure, which is not the case in Asia, and we welcome the opportunity to share its expertise and knowledge. Jane Bateman, FA Head of International Relations, added, The discussions today were positive on a number of levels. The AFC embraces 45 national associations which, whilst of varying levels of development, are all being addressed by the AFC s new strategy. Asia is an enormous growth area in football, and therefore an important market for The FA, not least in terms of offering our expertise through training services such as FA Learning. The FA continues to play a role in the development of Afghanistan s football infrastructure alongside FIFA, AFC and the DFB, by finalising the arrangements for an administrator to be seconded to the Afghanistan Football Federation in Kabul. FA Chairman to launch new agreement The FA s International Development Programme will be expanded to include South America later this year when FA Chairman Geoff Thompson travels to Paraguay at the invitation of CONMEBOL President, Dr Leoz. The two workshops - on Strategy Planning for Coaches and Marketing & Administration - will launch the FA- CONMEBOL co-operation agreement. Football continues to grow in Afghanistan In the light of football s continued growth in Afghanistan, the Afghan national army team faced a British forces side in a recent match organised as part of the international support for the rebuilding of the country. The team sported shirts donated by English clubs
CONCACAF FA-CONCACAF advanced administration workshop your own countries and continue to develop your associations in accordance with these changes. Richard Braithwaite, CONCACAF's Director of Development, explained, Through CONCACAF S co-operation agreement with The FA we have placed significant emphasis on quality, both in terms of organisation and content. We are delighted that this workshop has attracted so many senior officials from the region which is testimony to this quality and to the enthusiasm of our members to learn, share and develop. The group of 38 attendees ranged from association Presidents and General Secretaries to Vice Presidents and Finance Directors 38 senior administrators from 17 countries attended the recent FA-CONCACAF workshop in Port of Spain in June. Even Mexico and the USA, two of the strongest football nations in the region, were present to hear from the panel of English experts which comprised The FA s Director of Football Administration and Refereeing, Graham Noakes, FA County Business Development Manager, Mark Ives, and Director / Legal Adviser to Manchester United Plc and FC, Maurice Watkins Maurice Watkins. The main themes included contracts, transfers and structures for development with participants asked to make presentations on the four main topics: Defining the Role, Structure and Responsibilities of a National Association; Setting up a Premier League; Establishing a National League Structure - Club Development; and Making Football Commercially Attractive. The FA delegation is seen here along with Richard Braithwaite, CONCACAF s Director of Development Marina Lee, senior administrator to the Caribbean Football Union and one of two women at the workshop, commented, I have to be aware of the needs of countries in the CFU and the knowledge I have gained will assist me to deal more efficiently with our member countries. I am grateful to The FA for sharing their knowledge. Maurice Watkins said in his closing remarks, Football is a global game and times are changing fast. We must be responsive to this change and develop the new skills necessary to survive and grow. It is vitally important that each of you imparts the knowledge you have gained here back in In giving the vote of thanks, the Mexican Federation s Director of Finance, Sr. Manuel Moreno Quiroga, said, I have learnt a lot, from The FA and from the other participants. Football is a big family and is a force for uniting all our countries. I congratulate the organisers on an excellent workshop. Kim Fisher, FA International Relations Officer, said, Preparation is the key to the success of our workshops. CONCACAF guided us as to the themes they wanted this particular workshop to cover and with the range of expertise within our FA delegation, we were able to deliver on topics that were highly relevant to all involved. The FA programme continues with a refereeing workshop in October which, together with The FA International Coaching Licence course held in March (pictured below), concludes the programme for 2003.
FA News FA welcomes new Chief Executive The Football Association s new Chief Executive, Mark Palios, officially took up his position on July 1st. A former professional footballer with over 400 league and cup appearances to his name and, until recently, a Partner at global professional services firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mr Palios brings with him football experience together with a degree in psychology and business acumen, qualities described by FA Chairman, Geoff Thompson, as huge assets. I am excited at the prospect of leading The FA through a very important period in its history, said Mr Palios. From what I can see, The FA has talented and committed staff and loyal high quality commercial partners. It enjoys a fabulous name in world football and owns some of the game's most prestigious brands including, of course, The FA Cup, the England team and Wembley. All of this provides a firm foundation on which to take the business forward. Manchester International Mini Soccer Festival Following the success of the 2002 Spirit of Friendship Commonwealth Games Mini Soccer Festival, the Manchester FA and The FA will run this year s festival on Sunday August 10th. 84 clubs - over 700 children from Under 7s to Under 10s - from the North West of England will take part and each will adopt a country with each team receiving learning resources and information on their country. FA Learning releases range of educational tools The FA Learning website, www.thefa.com/falearning is now home to Soccer Star, a resource designed for coaches and teachers comprising practices and games to learn the essential soccer techniques. Also available is Soccer Parent, a free online course designed to focus on the key issues encountered when a child joins a football team. FA Learning also produces a catalogue promoting coaching-specific books, videos, CD-Roms and training tools. Products can FA Coach Instructor Colin Morris on the field in Uganda be delivered overseas, so if you would like to receive a catalogue please email Kim.Fisher@TheFA.com. Stadium stewards take centre stage The event was hailed as a great success in 2002 May 2003 saw 20 teams of FA Premier League and Football League Club stewards come together for a unique tournament hosted this year by Newcastle United FC. Now in its 10th year, the Stewards Championships is recognised by both The FA and the FA Premier League, and supported by brand names synonymous with football such as FA Partner Carlsberg. Andrew Dean of organisers enjoyfootball said, The tournament has gone from strength to strength and we really are seeing stewards being recognised for the vital contribution they make to football. A donation from the tournament will be made to Sargent Cancer Care for Children.
Q&A with Graham Noakes, Director of Football Administration and Refereeing What does your role at The FA entail? My role covers four main activities: in addition to Refereeing, I oversee FA competitions including The FA Cup, FA Trophy, FA Youth Cup and FA Women's Cup; Disciplinary, dealing directly with the misconduct of clubs in the top six leagues (over 300 clubs) and indirectly with appeals from decisions of County Football Associations; and finally Registrations which involves the registration and transfer of nonamateur players and the sanctioning of over 250 competitions each season. Is there a significant international dimension to your work? I am frequently in contact with other associations over requests for international clearance certificates and issues concerning Players' Agents. The most important contact is probably in receiving overseas visitors at The FA. In my eight years here, I have met representatives from over 40 national associations which has offered the opportunity to exchange views and ideas. It is always reassuring in meeting people from other countries to find that in many cases we all face common issues within the game. The scale may vary but the issues are similar. Is there much interest in your field from overseas? I have presented on two occasions recently to international audiences: in Egypt last year and at an FA-CONCACAF workshop in Trinidad & Tobago last month. Both addressed the issue of player contracts and registrations and how The FA has reacted to the new FIFA regulations for the status and transfer of players. On both occasions, The FA was fortunate to have the services of Maurice Watkins - a solicitor and Director of Manchester United FC as well as The FA's representative on the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber. They were excellent opportunities to convey the English experience as well as to hear the issues facing other countries on governing the game. In terms of refereeing, we have conducted courses in the CAF and CONCACAF regions under The FA's International Development Programme, and of course we hold the respected International Course for Referees Instructors every year in England. What has been the impact of the recent changes to the way that the game is regulated? In Europe we probably face more changes than other parts of the world as a result of the intervention of European law on sport. The changes to the FIFA regulations were largely prompted by possible intervention from the EC and have already had an impact on international football. They introduced a number of new concepts which, as with any new system, have given rise to many questions on the application of the new rules. However, FIFA made it clear from the start that a review of the new regulations would be carried out to assess its success. International Events Kit donations DATE VENUE EVENT August 10 Cardiff FA Community Shield - Arsenal v Manchester Utd August 16 England FA Barclaycard Premiership season begins August 20 Ipswich England v Croatia - Senior Friendly International Aug 24 - Sep 13 Lilleshall FA International Coaching Licence Course Pupils at a school in Lisbon (pictured above during a visit from the Royal Navy FA) and Dr Bertie Chimilio in Belize (below) are the grateful recipients of recent FA kit donations September 6 Macedonia Macedonia v England - Euro 2004 qualifier September 10 Manchester England v Liechtenstein - Euro 2004 qualifier September 11 Germany Germany v England - Women s Friendly International September 26-28 Paraguay FA-CONMEBOL Workshops October 5-12 Lilleshall FA International Course for Referee Instructors October 11 Turkey Turkey v England - Euro 2004 qualifier Designed and produced by The Bridge Contact Rob Chappelhow Tel: 01525 288000 Email: rob@the-bridge.co.uk The International Relations Team, The Football Association, 25 Soho Square, London W1D 4FA, England. Tel. +44 (0)20 7745 4703, Fax +44 (0)20 7745 5703 For more information on The FA s international activities, email info@thefa.com or visit TheFA.com/InternationalRelations