Kick It Out CEO Roisin Wood statement in response to FA letter on Phil Neville appointment
Following the publication of a letter written by The Football Association today (24 January), in response to a statement regarding Phil Neville’s appointment from Roisin Wood, CEO of Kick It Out, she has issued the following statement.
Roisin Wood, CEO of Kick It Out, said:
“We welcome The FA’s full account of the process they used to identify suitable candidates for consideration for the appointment of Head Coach of the England Women’s Senior Team.
“In doing so, The FA has shown it is willing to be open, accountable and provide explanations. We hope that this new openness will be a feature of a changing culture.
“However, there are still outstanding concerns about how the final decision was made to appoint Phil Neville, once the initial process was unsuccessful following the withdrawal of several candidates.
“It is difficult to accept that there were no BAME qualified candidates who could have been considered for the position in the same way Neville was, who did not apply. For an organisation that wants to put women’s football high up on its agenda, it is equally hard to accept that The FA could not find one qualified woman who could have filled this position.
“The FA may also have created a problem for itself in what appears to be double standards regarding the threshold for what social media posts are considered discriminatory. They may find it difficult or even impossible to bring charges against those under investigation presently, or in future.
“The people involved in football who have raised their concerns about The FA’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, following the decision to appoint Phil Neville, will have to make their own judgements about The FA’s explanations.”
