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INTERVIEW
What I would like to see is the wider football world take the
same opportunity to fundamentally reform the game. It’s a
once in a lifetime opportunity to make the radical changes that
we need to safeguard the football pyramid. Sadly, I’m just not
sure that those running the game have what it takes to effect
the change, or even understand what needs to be done.
You both have experience of top level sports outside of
football. Do you feel that your experience there has helped
with your involvement in football, or is football different
from other sports?
Nicola: I was, until a couple of years ago, a non-executive
director of British Rowing. I think football is a long way
behind rowing in terms of sports science. Football has adopted
a lot more sports science in recent years, particularly as some
of the younger coaches and managers have broken through,
but it still has a lot of catching up to do compared to some of
the Olympic sports.
From a governance perspective, I can certainly see the parallels
between the issues that football and rowing face, and the
tensions with governance reforms that are being driven by
public bodies. The clubs don’t want outsiders interfering with
“their game” but having the governance done by clubs gives
rise to horrible conflicts of interest and an ability to ensure that
boards are properly skills-based.
Mark: I have in the past been a non-executive director of British
Judo and was involved in the review of their performance post
the 2012 Olympics. That has certainly helped me crystallise
some of my thoughts on the elite performance pathway for
players and how it could be improved. This was something I
had looked at when at The FA. I was also involved with Surrey
Cricket and saw what is a well-run commercial operation on a
top sporting business. My position on the ECB Audit and Risk
Committee gives me a further insight into a top level sport
Nicola, how is it being a woman working in football?
Is your background as a lawyer useful?
Nicola: Law is one of those qualifications which is useful in any
business environment. I tend to look after commercial contract
matters, and the more complex employment law issues, but
I also have a background as CEO of a company which had
1,200 employees, so that gave me a general grounding in
management which has been useful.
Who are your top 3 football heroes?
Mark: Dave MacKay for me epitomised the old-school nononsense
football hard man, and for years I have had the
iconic picture of him squaring up to Billy Bremner on the wall
of my gym. They don’t make players like that anymore, and
if they did, they probably wouldn’t stay on the pitch for long.
I did in fact emulate him once by refusing to leave the pitch
when shown a red card: another story!
Dennis Bergkamp would be another. He was a real football
genius – double footed, and with an unrivalled football brain –
he was an artist of the game. I would pay to watch him.
My final pick would have to be Franco Baresi – one of the most
formidable defenders of all time. His outstanding physical and
mental attributes - pace, strength, tenacity and stamina, made
him as effective in the air as on the ground, despite being only
5’9”, which is very small for a central defender.
Is the turnaround of the Club complete?
Mark: Essentially, the answer is yes. But that doesn’t mean we
have gone as far as we can. There is still much more to do but it
is fair to say that we now have a base from which to go forward
that many clubs would envy. We have attracted investment,
and we have projects that are planned that keep moving us
on. I always say that the fans are the Club. Players, managers,
owners come and go. The one constancy is the fan base. They
were here before we came and will be long after we go.
Nicola: I am very lucky because I haven’t really experienced
any issue with it. When I first came I expected to get a bit of
stick, but I can genuinely say I haven’t. Tranmere has had quite
a few women involved at senior levels in the business functions
at the club for many years and so it is accepted as normal.
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