Only took the job in June last year
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle7071558.ece
Ian Watmore resigns as FA chief executive
The FA was plunged into a familiar sense of turmoil this evening by the sudden resignation of Ian Watmore from his position as chief executive.
Watmore, who had been in the high-profile post for only nine months, has stepped down after growing exasperated with the limitations of the role – in part due to the influence that the Premier League holds over the FA.
The 52-year-old informed Lord Triesman, the FA’s independent chairman, of his intention to resign last Friday, having felt over the past month that he was unable to implement the changes that he wished. Triesman attempted to talk the chief executive into staying, but, after further talks today, Watmore’s resignation was reluctantly accepted.
There has been speculation in recent days about the fragile nature of Watmore’s relationship with Triesman, but his principal frustrations were over the corporate structure of the FA, in which the Premier League is a powerful force.
A source said: “Ian is disappointed with the way this has worked out. It boiled down to the realisation that the job wasn’t what he thought it was going to be. He took a position as chief executive which, ultimately, he found wasn’t chief and wasn’t executive.”
The news comes as a blow to the FA, who had seemed to have gained some much-needed stability under Watmore. The Arsenal season-ticket holder had made some significant breakthroughs in his short tenure – notably over the National Football Centre in Burton-upon-Trent and the launch of the Women’s Premier League – as well as drawn up plans to reinvigorate the FA Cup, but now the organisation is looking for its fifth new chief executive since 2000.
The FA was plunged into a familiar sense of turmoil this evening by the sudden resignation of Ian Watmore from his position as chief executive.
Watmore, who had been in the high-profile post for only nine months, has stepped down after growing exasperated with the limitations of the role – in part due to the influence that the Premier League holds over the FA.
The 52-year-old informed Lord Triesman, the FA’s independent chairman, of his intention to resign last Friday, having felt over the past month that he was unable to implement the changes that he wished. Triesman attempted to talk the chief executive into staying, but, after further talks today, Watmore’s resignation was reluctantly accepted.
There has been speculation in recent days about the fragile nature of Watmore’s relationship with Triesman, but his principal frustrations were over the corporate structure of the FA, in which the Premier League is a powerful force.
A source said: “Ian is disappointed with the way this has worked out. It boiled down to the realisation that the job wasn’t what he thought it was going to be. He took a position as chief executive which, ultimately, he found wasn’t chief and wasn’t executive.”
The news comes as a blow to the FA, who had seemed to have gained some much-needed stability under Watmore. The Arsenal season-ticket holder had made some significant breakthroughs in his short tenure – notably over the National Football Centre in Burton-upon-Trent and the launch of the Women’s Premier League – as well as drawn up plans to reinvigorate the FA Cup, but now the organisation is looking for its fifth new chief executive since 2000.
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