MPs pass motion of no confidence in FA

They debated it at the House of Commons on Thursday afternoon

The FA have until April to make a series of reforms (Getty)

MPs have passed a motion of no confidence in the Football Association following a debate in the House of Commons.

The motion is largely a symbolic one, however MPs have warned that legislation will be brought in from the government, should the FA fail to make their own changes.

Sports Minister Tracey Crouch, who opposed the motion, said the FA could lose as much as £30-£40m of public funding if it does not modernise, with Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Select Committee chairman Damian Collins saying: “No change is no option."

He added: “The FA, to use a football analogy, are not only in extra time, they are at the end of extra time, in 'Fergie Time'. They are 1-0 down and if they don't pick up fairly quickly, reform will be delivered to them."

The FA must agree to a series of reforms by April or risk losing government funding.

Senior Conservative MP Damian Collins suggested ministers should intervene to overhaul English football’s governing body because “turkeys won’t vote for Christmas” and the FA will refuse to reform themselves.

FA Chairman Greg Clarke had promised to step down if he fails to convince Ms Crouch that the organisation was determined to make changes.

Ahead of the vote, he said he "strongly disputes" the motion, stressing that the FA invests £65m-a-year in grassroots football, which is more than any governing body in the world.

"Our duties require us to promote, develop and invest in the game; and whilst I freely admit that our governance needs improvement, it doesn't prevent us from supporting the game from top to bottom.

"In fact, the FA is in good shape.

"It is investing record amounts into the grassroots game and changing the face of football in England."

The non-binding motion was passed unanimously on Thursday afternoon by fewer than 30 MPs who were present.