Brian Barwick axed: FA lose fourth chief executive in less than 10 years

FA chief executive Brian Barwick is being dramatically ousted from Soho Square after just three years in the job.

Labour peer Lord Triesman, who has made sweeping changes since becoming the first independent chairman of the FA at the start of the year, has agreed a a pay-off on Barwick's one-year rolling contract worth around £450,000-a-year. He will leave offfice on December 31st.

Surplus to requirements: FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick with England manager Fabio Capello

The subject was discussed at yesterday's FA board meeting, but staff at the headquarters of English football had no knowledge they were about to lose their fourth chief executive in less than 10 years.

Barwick, a former TV executive who was widely criticised for the bungled appointment of former England manager Steve McClaren, has found himself  surplus to requirements in Triesman's root and branch re-structuring of the FA. He did not chair the FA weekly management board meeting two days ago (Tuesday), having also missed the previous two meetings.

The writing has  been on the wall for Barwick since Triesman's whirlwind arrival into football. The chairman never wanted to work with the avuncular Barwick, believing he lacked the necessary business skills to modernise the FA despite being one of the most popular and best connected figures in football.

Seasoned FA watchers realised it was only a matter of time before Barwick was forced out of office when Triesman revealed his re-structuring blueprint last May.

Not only were most of the chief executive's responsibilities hived off to the chief operating officer - the newly appointed Alex Horne, the former boss of Wembley - but Barwick had also been stripped of his leadership of all matters to do with England.

His route to the exit  door was signposted in a document outlining the FA chain of command structure when only a dotted line linked Barwick to half of the FA's business. Barwick tried to give the impression he and Triesman were a good team, but the ruthless new leader of the FA gave off different vibes whenever the two of them were seen together.

Triesman has been acting as a full-time executive chairman since taking office at Soho Square. and though his long-term plan is apparently to revert back to the original chairman's job description of a three-day week, no timescale has been given.

Barwick won't be missed by the Premier League, with whom he had a difficult relationship, but he can leave Soho Square with his head held high after a number of notable achievements, including the opening of Wembley, completing major TV and sponsorship deals that have greatly improved the FA's bank balance and the appointment of Fabio Capello as Mccalren's successor.

But ironically the Burns report recommendations, which brought him a vote for the first time on the FA board also brought in a new chairman who wanted other changes at the top of the FA as well, including Barwick's head.

He will, at least, leave Soho Square without the controversy surrounding the departure of his predecessors Mark Palios, Adam Crozier and Graham Kelly.

There is no need for the FA to rush into finding a replacement for Barwick as they already have an executive chairman and chief operating officer in position.