4 years ago
231 
By Laura Scott & Dan Roan
BBC Sport
Football Association chairman Greg Clarke says he is "disappointed" after claiming the professional game representatives on the FA board blocked a move to try to improve the diversity of its members.
In a letter to the FA Council, Clarke said a number of options were discussed at last week's board meeting, including making Paul Elliott - chair of the Inclusion Advisory Board - a director.
He says the representatives of the EFL and Premier League "were against such a review".
Clarke added that they believed the changes introduced in 2017 "were sufficient".
Although the National Game representatives were said to be "sympathetic" to a review and consultation, Clarke said they "did not want to oppose the professional game".
He wrote: "Without the support of the professional game and national game, who have a majority of directors, a review of the FA board composition is not possible.
"I had hoped that the FA, as the game's governing body, would have been able to examine whether its own board was appropriately constituted to represent a diverse game and share its thinking with council. This process is happening across football but will not now happen with respect to the FA board."
He added: "As FA chairman this disappoints me".
Other options discussed included giving the professional and national Games an extra board seat each "that could provide the flexibility to allow appointment of diverse candidates should they be the best qualified person for the role."
Clarke also said: "Both our independent directors offered to stand down to create opportunities for a more diverse board but the board was united in declining their offer."
BBC Sport spoke to one board member who described Clarke's statement as "bizarre" and "divisive" and said he had been urged not to issue it by members of the board this morning when he made them aware of his plans.
There are three representatives of the professional game on the FA board - former Premier League chairman Peter McCormick, who is chair of its legal advisory group, English Football League chairman Rick Parry and lawyer Rupinder Bains, who jointly represents the Premier League and the EFL.
The reforms in 2017, which they deemed sufficient, led to BAME representation on the board reaching 10%, 10% representation from the LGBT+ community and 40% representation by women.
The Premier League has shown its solidarity, with players' names replaced on the back of their shirts with 'Black Lives Matter' for the first 12 matches of the restarted season, and a Black Lives Matter badge will feature on all shirts for the rest of the campaign.
Several high-profile players, including Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling, have called for greater diversity in the hierarchy of sports organisations following the the Black Lives Matter campaign.
The Premier League and EFL have been approached for comment.
