Shropshire FA achieves landmark governance standard

Shropshire FA has announced it has successfully achieved The FA’s rigorous Code of Governance for County Football Associations, demonstrating a commitment to the highest standards of leadership and accountability within grassroots football.

This significant accomplishment positions Shropshire FA among a growing number of County FAs to fully comply with the regional Code, which was launched by The FA in January 2020. The FA was the first national governing body in English sport to introduce such a regional governance framework.

The Code, now endorsed by Sport England and adopted by various sports organizations, comprises 65 stringent requirements drawn from Sport England and UK Sport’s Code for Sports Governance. It enables each County FA to critically evaluate its governance practices, ensuring robust structures, effective decision-making, and inclusive representation across key areas including gender and ethnic diversity, youth engagement, and transparent leadership.

All 50 County FAs across England have now undertaken self-assessments against the Code and are actively working to enhance their governance. Shropshire FA is the latest to be awarded the coveted County FA Code of Compliance logo, which will now be prominently displayed across its internal and external communications.

Andy Weston, CEO of Shropshire FA, expressed his pride in the achievement, stating, "We are incredibly proud to have achieved full compliance with The FA’s Code of Governance. This milestone reflects the hard work and dedication of our team, and our commitment to leading by example in delivering football in a transparent, inclusive, and forward-thinking way. We will continue to develop and improve to ensure we are serving our communities in the best possible manner."

Tim Foster, Head of Operations at The FA, commended Shropshire FA on its success: "As the national sport that millions of people play and support across the country, it’s vitally important that The FA and the County FAs serve and lead the game as effectively as possible. Through this Code of Governance for County FAs, we have set out how they can enhance their governance at county level and ultimately deliver an even better service to their communities. I’d like to congratulate Shropshire FA in becoming fully compliant and look forward to seeing many other County FAs achieve this same standard as their ongoing work progresses."