This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2017/oct/18/fa-chiefs-face-parliamentary-inquiry-over-mark-sampson-investigations-live

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Eni Aluko accuses FA of actions 'bordering on blackmail' as Glenn and co grilled – latest Eni Aluko accuses FA of actions 'bordering on blackmail' as Glenn and co grilled – latest
(35 minutes later)
4.54pm BST
16:54
Greg Clarke says that the committee should speak to Sport England about devising new governance procedures that can be shared with various national associations.
4.52pm BST
16:52
Greg Clarke is asked if he has considered his position. Of course not. He says the job is “career death” and that he wants to make the situation better.
4.52pm BST
16:52
Greg Clarke says the recruitment process has not been up to scratch in the past: “There is very little evidence of proper referencing at the time.” He says there were systemic historic failings that “have contributed to this mess. “This is not the FA’s finest hour.” But he believes the current team is making things better.
4.49pm BST
16:49
Martin Glenn says Mark Sampson’s conduct rather than his safeguarding at Bristol City was not appropriate. He says if he’d seen the original report at the time, he would have taken action sooner.
4.48pm BST
16:48
Martin Glenn: “Mark Sampson did not break any law.”
4.47pm BST
16:47
Martin Glenn is now being asked about safeguarding within the FA... He says investigators presented their findings to the FA in March 2017. He says there were recommendations for Mark Sampson to receive mentoring in order for him to be suitable to work in football. He says he did not hear about this until a later date.
4.45pm BST
16:45
Glenn says it was "the end of a long day and came out all wrong." He says he is willing to apologise but "it was not a pack of lies."
Damian Collins to Glenn: "You've done it (withdrawn comments re Guardian article) because if you had said that it would have been illegal."
4.44pm BST
16:44
It is being put to Martin Glenn that he is retracting his comments about the independent barrister because he realised it would have been illegal under employment law. Again he apologises if the comment came out incorrectly.
4.43pm BST
16:43
Martin Glenn: “I was pleased with the appointment of Katherine Newton.”
FA CEO Glenn previously said he selected investigation head based on ethnicity. Now says:"It’s not a pack of lies but it’s an embellishment"
Updated
at 4.44pm BST
4.43pm BST
16:43
Martin Glenn says he made the comment “at the end of a long day”. He apologises if it came out badly.
4.40pm BST
16:40
Martin Glenn retracts comments to the Guardian saying he deliberately wanted Newton as barrister because of sex/ethnicity (1/2)
Updated
at 4.42pm BST
4.39pm BST
16:39
Greg Clarke says his reply was not directed at Eniola Aluko but at the PFA. His responses on the issue have been bullish.
4.38pm BST
16:38
Greg Clarke says that his fourth reply was “abrupt”. He asks why he didn’t explain to the PFA that his hands were tied - he says he did. He is told that his response looked passive aggressive. He says seeing the evidence would restrict his governance role.
4.36pm BST
16:36
Greg Clarke defending dismissive email eerily reminiscent of Seb Coe at DCMS last year. "Don't tell me," he says, putting fingers in ears.
4.36pm BST
16:36
Greg Clarke says the PFA was “trying to suck him in”. But he adds that he doesn’t blame them for that. “However in a national governing body it is different.” Again he brings up the Sport England code which shows he is mandated to behave in that way. He feels he has been made to look “oafish” and he is “disappointed”. He feels the irony is that the people doing that have some “really, really bad governance”.
4.34pm BST
16:34
Greg Clarke continues to say that there were constant attempts to drag him into the issue. He says his hands were tied. Does that mean the whole FA process is flawed? “I have chaired a number of public companies. There must be a clear delineation between governance and management.”
4.32pm BST
16:32
Why did Greg Clarke ask to be “enlightened” about why the PFA put the allegations to him? He says he explained three times to the PFA chief executive three times at matches that his hands were tied by the Sport England code. He says if he was involved he would have had to recuse himself. “I’ve tried to stay in my governance box.”
Updated
at 4.36pm BST
4.31pm BST
16:31
It’s Greg Clarke’s turn. He’s asked about that 14-word email. He has a brochure. “I was mandated and directed by the Sport England code not to get involved.”
Updated
at 4.31pm BST
4.28pm BST
16:28
Does Rachel Brace agree the FA’s own investigation was inadequate? She says she doesn’t and that nor does the barrister.
4.28pm BST
16:28
Did you accepted that what Eni had said was true? “I accepted Eni had heard something that Drew had said.”
4.28pm BST
16:28
Which witness did you speak to? “We couldn’t speak to Drew Spence. We watched the video. There was no evidence on the video of anything untoward happening.”
4.27pm BST
16:27
The committee is telling Rachel Brace that the FA did not investigate a serious investigation satisfactorily. Rachel Brace says she spoke to Lianne Sanderson and Anita Asante.
4.26pm BST
16:26
Rachel Brace says there were no stones unturned in Katherine Newton’s investigation. However the committee is saying that the FA did not do enough to interview key witnesses.
4.24pm BST
16:24
The FA's director of HR, Rachel Brace, has just told inquiry they always knew the player at China Cup was Drew Spence (1/2).
(2/2): yet the FA media dept has said since the start they did not initially know Drew Spence's identity - and blamed Eni Aluko for that.
4.24pm BST
16:24
Rachel Brace agrees that none of the 16 players put forward to Katherine Newton by Dan Ashworth were in the meeting relating to issues about Drew Spence. She is being grilled about whether it’s right none of the eye-witnesses were interviewed. Did the FA steer the barrister away from the right witnesses? “You can only speak to players who want to come forward.”
Rachel Brace adds FA recommended 16 players for K Newton to speak to - yet not Drew Spence and none of the eye-witnesses. Laughter in room.
Updated
at 4.29pm BST
4.22pm BST
16:22
Rachel Brace says she did not instruct Katherine Newton to do anything as that would be inappropriate. She says the names of players were put forward as witnesses. She is asked if any of them were in the relevant meeting. She says they were players who were happy to come forward.
4.21pm BST
16:21
Rachel Brace: “These were really serious allegations and it was my understanding from the first meeting that this was very sensitive. It needed to be kept tight. It needed to be done with absolute privacy. Eniola gave us the name of two witnesses she wanted us to speak to. We recognised that the internal process had not got where Eniola wanted it to.”
4.19pm BST4.19pm BST
16:1916:19
Rachel Brace is defending the FA against suggestions that it did not speak to Drew Spence. She says that Spence said she did not want to be involved in the investigation. Rachel Brace is defending the FA against suggestions that it did not speak to Drew Spence. She says that Spence said in a meeting at Chelsea that she did not want to be involved in the investigation.
Updated
at 4.20pm BST
4.15pm BST4.15pm BST
16:1516:15
Rachel Brace: “We had a second meeting with Eniola and the PFA and we admitted that we hadn’t seen the video. We admitted that was an oversight.”Rachel Brace: “We had a second meeting with Eniola and the PFA and we admitted that we hadn’t seen the video. We admitted that was an oversight.”
4.14pm BST4.14pm BST
16:1416:14
Is it right that Aluko’s specific complaints were not answered by the FA? “We did not ask her to do that,” Rachel Brace says.Is it right that Aluko’s specific complaints were not answered by the FA? “We did not ask her to do that,” Rachel Brace says.
FA executives now in front of hearing. Martin Glenn's written evidence says FA "followed what we believe to be a robust and fair process."FA executives now in front of hearing. Martin Glenn's written evidence says FA "followed what we believe to be a robust and fair process."
UpdatedUpdated
at 4.14pm BSTat 4.14pm BST
4.13pm BST4.13pm BST
16:1316:13
Martin Glenn says Eni Aluko received “a fulsome response” to her grievances. The committee is taking issue with the level of the response Aluko received. “I wont admit she didn’t get a response,” Glenn says.Martin Glenn says Eni Aluko received “a fulsome response” to her grievances. The committee is taking issue with the level of the response Aluko received. “I wont admit she didn’t get a response,” Glenn says.
UpdatedUpdated
at 4.18pm BST at 4.30pm BST
4.12pm BST4.12pm BST
16:1216:12
Martin Glenn is asked whether it was right that Dan Ashworth was a witness in the FA’s own inquiry. “I have a different opinion. We took the concerns and the complaints seriously. We followed them in the way that was typical of most organisations, an internal review, and then when that fell short for the complainant, we looked outside.”Martin Glenn is asked whether it was right that Dan Ashworth was a witness in the FA’s own inquiry. “I have a different opinion. We took the concerns and the complaints seriously. We followed them in the way that was typical of most organisations, an internal review, and then when that fell short for the complainant, we looked outside.”
4.11pm BST4.11pm BST
16:1116:11
Martin Glenn is told that Katherine Newton was critical of the FA’s own inquiry. He defends the FA’s approach and tries to bring in Rachel Brace at this point. The focus, however, stays on him.Martin Glenn is told that Katherine Newton was critical of the FA’s own inquiry. He defends the FA’s approach and tries to bring in Rachel Brace at this point. The focus, however, stays on him.
4.10pm BST4.10pm BST
16:1016:10
Martin Glenn: “I believe the subjects were dealt with honestly and diligently.”Martin Glenn: “I believe the subjects were dealt with honestly and diligently.”
4.10pm BST4.10pm BST
16:1016:10
Martin Glenn is asked if he should apologise for the FA’s handling of the affair. “I want to reiterate the apology to Eniola Aluko and Drew Spence. It’s not right an FA employee should behave that way. We have a grievance procedure, but it’s clearly fallen short in respect to the pressures elite players have.”Martin Glenn is asked if he should apologise for the FA’s handling of the affair. “I want to reiterate the apology to Eniola Aluko and Drew Spence. It’s not right an FA employee should behave that way. We have a grievance procedure, but it’s clearly fallen short in respect to the pressures elite players have.”
Glenn says he believes the FA have acted with “decency and openness”. He says opening an independent inquiry shows the FA took grievances seriously. He references “inappropriate banter.”Glenn says he believes the FA have acted with “decency and openness”. He says opening an independent inquiry shows the FA took grievances seriously. He references “inappropriate banter.”
4.06pm BST
16:06
Lianne Sanderson has finished giving evidence. The FA suits, Greg Clarke, Martin Glenn, Dan Ashworth and Rachel Brace, have arrived.
Updated
at 4.07pm BST
4.04pm BST
16:04
Lianne Sanderson’s evidence is starting to wind down. Next up will be Martin Glenn, the FA’s chief executive. Eni Aluko earlier said that Glenn intimated to her that if she released a statement saying that the FA is not institutionally racist then she would receive the rest of her settlement money. She refused. “I felt that was bordering on blackmail,” she said.
4.01pm BST
16:01
Also from Aluko evidence - how, she says, her former team-mates were encouraged behind the scenes to think she was a bad influence (1/3)
(2/3) This included, she says, black actress being hired – portraying her, she believes – for role-play about a selfish, misbehaved player.
(3/3) players were “uncomfortable with this demonstration because they believed actress was perpetrating negative, unfair perception of me”
Updated
at 4.02pm BST
3.58pm BST
15:58
Lianne Sanderson: “I wasn’t asked to be part of the culture review.” She says that when Rachel Brace contacted her about the inquiry she was perplexed not to be told in advance what it was about.
3.53pm BST
15:53
Lianne Sanderson: “I would have expected a phone call as opposed to finding out on Twitter that I hadn’t been selected for the squad. There was preferential treatment to certain players.”
Updated
at 4.01pm BST
3.52pm BST
15:52
Lianne Sanderson says more publicity for the team means there must be more professionalism off the field.
3.51pm BST
15:51
Lianne Sanderson is asked about changes to grievance procedures at the FA. “It has to happen naturally. We don’t want things to happen just to tick a box. It doesn’t mean you lose your England career just because you’re sitting here today.”
3.50pm BST
15:50
Lianne Sanderson says that Mark Sampson’s sacking doesn’t solve everything. She says there are deeper issues.
3.49pm BST
15:49
Is the treatment of Aluko and Sanderson an encouragement for women to enter sport? “We want change,” Sanderson says.
3.48pm BST
15:48
Lianne Sanderson also critical of FA investigation: "The first report wasn't the truth because they didn't interview anyone who was there."
3.47pm BST
15:47
Having been dropped by Hope Powell after a fall-out with the former England manager, Lianne Sanderson says she returned to the England set-up in 2015 because of Mark Sampson. She says past experiences with England had left her vulnerable and she felt Sampson knew that.
3.42pm BST
15:42
Lianne Sanderson: “The way they treated Eni in the first place was different to other people on the team.”
3.41pm BST
15:41
Lianne Sanderson: “As Eni’s friend, I’ve seen it’s been a torrid time for her.”
3.39pm BST
15:39
Lianne Sanderson: “From that moment, I felt I was forced out. When I reached out to the team psychologist to ask why I wasn’t involved in team activities, he said he’d been told I wasn’t available.” She adds that she once found out on Twitter that she hadn’t been included in a squad last year.
3.38pm BST
15:38
Lianne Sanderson feels that she has been ostracised ever since her 50th cap was forgotten about in England. She says she has received no contact from the FA while she has been injured, for instance.
3.37pm BST
15:37
Lianne Sanderson mentions an occasion when Mark Sampson told her she wasn’t included in a squad as only four strikers were being named for a game England expected to win. When the squad was named, there were eight strikers.
3.36pm BST
15:36
Lianne Sanderson says she raised the issue with Mark Sampson. He asked if she was sure it was her 50th cap, which she found insulting given her love of playing for England.
3.36pm BST
15:36
Lianne Sanderson: “To this day, I haven’t been told I’m not good enough for England.” She says things started to change after her first year under Sampson. She pinpoints the moment when nothing was made of her 50th cap in China. Instead nothing happened, which she says is out of the ordinary. “This had never happened before. No other player had ever been forgotten about before.” She says other players were made a fuss of after their 99th cap and wondered why she had been left out.
Updated
at 3.38pm BST
3.33pm BST
15:33
Did the culture change under Mark Sampson. “I had a great time in the first year under Mark Sampson.” But she adds that she noticed problems with Aluko. In reference to the video analysis, in which derogatory comments were made about Aluko and heard by the entire squad, she says that this is usually mute.
3.32pm BST
15:32
Have other players been speaking about this case. Sanderson: “I think so, but it’s more older players from 15 years ago who have raised a few things. I have always maintained that as long as Mark Sampson was in place no one was going to speak out. The consequences are quite harsh. I don’t blame the girls. It’s not easy being here. It’s not easy being called a liar. I was always going to stand by Eni. She was telling the truth.”
3.31pm BST
15:31
Sanderson is asked if she agrees with Aluko’s comments on the FA’s grievance procedures. “There definitely needs to be something in place so this doesn’t happen to other players in the future.”
3.30pm BST
15:30
Eni Aluko has made way for Lianne Sanderson. We are expecting to hear from Martin Glenn at 4pm.
3.29pm BST
15:29
Eni Aluko's evidence finishes
Eni Aluko closes by saying: “One of the core purposes of me coming to speak today was so to enact change in grievance procedures. I’ve given my experiences, but that was well documented, so I would hope there are changes in that area. If players have any issues, I would encourage them to speak to the PFA.”
3.28pm BST
15:28
Some banter: Aluko is asked if she has any Scottish roots. There is laughter.
3.28pm BST
15:28
Eni Aluko continues: “I won the Golden Boot in September 2016, but by this time we were six months into this case. The timing of why I wasn’t picked at this time, even winning the Golden Boot wasn’t enough.”
3.27pm BST
15:27
Eni Aluko asks why any player would ever come forward with issues again after seeing what’s happened to her. She’s asked if it’s normal for the Golden Boot winner not to be in the England squad. “I don’t think so. Hypothetically would Harry Kane not be picked if he won the Golden Boot? I don’t think so.”
3.26pm BST
15:26
Aluko says that her issue isn’t necessarily not being picked, but how she was treated while she was in the team. But she believes she wouldn’t be picked by Mark Sampson since May 2016.
Updated
at 3.26pm BST
3.24pm BST
15:24
Eni Aluko: “I have been available for selection since May 2016, but I haven’t been selected.”
3.24pm BST
15:24
Will Aluko take legal action to get the rest of her settlement money? “I haven’t thought about.”
3.23pm BST
15:23
EA evidence refers to “shambles” inquiry and points finger at Dan Ashworth, FA technical director, for “protecting his recruit” (Sampson)