The FA forced into job cuts amid Covid-19

Liam Watson
Grassroots football in England has been suspended as the country heads into a four-week lockdown from November 5 until December 2.

The Football Association (FA), English soccer’s governing body, has been forced into 124 job cuts as they try to fight their losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

FA chairman Greg Clarke has confirmed that all areas of the organisation will be affected, as a redundancy programme will see a large number of positions removed.

“All areas of the FA will be affected,” he said.

“We need to save UK£75 million a year and we’ve got a UK£300 million potential hole to fill over the next four years.”

Of the total 124 jobs to be made redundant, 42 of those will be achieved by stopping further recruitment. It leaves 82 positions that will have to be cut in order to save costs.

It’s been reported that the FA is bracing for a potential deficit of UK£300 million (AU$536 million) over the next four years due to the coronavirus.

“We have a responsibility to preserve our core functions that regulate and serve English football,” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said.

“We also have a duty to support our men’s and women’s senior teams in their efforts to win major tournaments. That means we have set out in our proposals some difficult choices because we do not think we can afford to do all the things that we did before.

“We believe the impact of this crisis is to force us to focus more than ever on our key priorities.”

Despite the English professional leagues getting their season restarts underway recently, the FA has already lost revenue given it’s the first bit of league action since the nationwide shutdown in March.

“It might seem that football has weathered the storm by getting the top-flight men’s game playing again,” Bullingham said.

“However, unfortunately the past few months have impacted the FA severely and we have lost a significant amount of money that we can never recoup.”

Associations such as the FA have the opportunity to receive a loan from Fifa, under the global governing body’s Covid-19 relief plan. However, it’s been reported that the FA has opted against taking advantage of the loan on offer by Fifa, despite them being forced into the job cuts.

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AC Milan and Puma Unveil New 2026/27 Away Kit

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Image Credit: AC Milan S.p.A.
AC Milan and Puma have officially unveiled the clubs the new 2026/27 away kit, a timeless white kit that celebrates resilience, heritage and the winning mentality that has defined the Rossoneri for generations.

Inspired by the phrase “after Istanbul, there is always Athens” the kit pays tribute to AC Milan’s triumph in the 2007 Champions League Final in Athens following their defeat in Istanbul in 2005. The message printed on the back of the collar, reflects the club’s enduring spirit and serves as a reminder that every setback can become the foundation for future success.

Leading the campaign is club legend Filipo Inzaghi who scored two goals to lead AC Milan in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final, embodying the determination, resilience and hunger that continues to define AC Milan’s identity.

Every detail on this years away kit reinforces this story. Gold accents and a laurel wrapped club crest celebrates a storied history of success, while the authentic version features the Greek inscription “Δύναμη Ψυχής” (“Strength of Spirit”) inside the collar. A subtle phoenix wing woven into the fabric symbolises renewal, resilience and the Club’s commitment to continually rising to new challenges.

The authentic jersey is engineered with PUMA’s advanced ULTRAWEAVE fabric, complemented by dryCELL and ThermoAdapt technologies to deliver lightweight feel and optimal performance. The replica version brings the same identity combining the same striking design with everyday wearability and is made with RE technology, incorporating 95% recycled polyester sourced from textile waste.

The new AC Milan 2026/27 Away Kit is available now through AC Milan Official Stores, the Club’s online store, PUMA and selected retailers worldwide.

Football NSW builds life‑saving network as cardiac safety push expands

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has distributed 20 defibrillators to associations and regional clubs through its Every Beat Matters campaign, part of a broader push to improve cardiac emergency preparedness across the state’s football network.

Sixteen of the devices were presented to participating associations at the inaugural Football NSW Association Championships in Mudgee. A further four went to regional clubs: Cowra and District Soccer Club, Westside Panthers, Yerrinbool Bargo Soccer Club and Narooma Football Club.

The rollout builds on the Heartbeat of Sport AED Mapping Project, which is mapping defibrillator placement at sporting facilities across NSW with funding from the Minns Labor Government. Twelve football associations have joined the effort, including Eastern Suburbs, Manly Warringah, Granville, Southern Districts, Nepean, Northern Suburbs, Football Canterbury, Bankstown, Hills, Sutherland Shire, North West Sydney Football and Football South Coast.

Data collected through the mapping project is being fed into NSW Ambulance’s GoodSAM emergency response system and NSW Health’s public AED map, enabling first responders to locate nearby defibrillators in real time.

The initiative responds to a gap that had gone largely unexamined. More than 2,400 defibrillators have been deployed across NSW sports facilities through the Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program, which offers grants of up to $3,000 to eligible organisations. But a device not registered in emergency response systems provides significantly less value than one that is accurately mapped and immediately locatable.

The urgency is not abstract. At Doyalson Wyee Football Club, a 70‑year‑old player survived a sudden on‑field cardiac arrest because an AED was available on site. Survival rates drop by about 10 per cent for every minute without defibrillation.

Football NSW is also establishing a long‑term defibrillator register to track equipment distribution, access and maintenance across all 636 clubs and 31 associations. The Every Beat Matters campaign, supported by Toyota and St John Ambulance, aims to raise about $240,000 through a raffle to fund an initial rollout of 65 defibrillators to clubs currently without access, prioritising regional and lower socio‑economic areas.

The #HeartHealthMatters Program is delivering CPR and AED familiarisation training to sporting organisations, with a particular focus on regional communities where ambulance response times are often longer and volunteer bases smaller.

The ambition, in the words of project organisers, is straightforward: that no preventable death occurs on a football ground because the right equipment was not there, or could not be found.

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