Eccles Resigns as FA Marketing & Comms. Director

The English Football Association’s (FA) marketing and communications director Julian Eccles has resigned from his post after little more than a year in the role.

Eccles was hired by former FA chief executive Ian Watmore after spells at both Ofcom and BSkyB.

FA general secretary Alex Horne said in a statement: “Julian Eccles has resigned from his post as director of marketing and communications at the FA with immediate effect.

“I would like to thank Julian for his contribution to the FA and wish him well for the future. He has been very professional throughout his time here and I am grateful to him for introducing a number of valuable initiatives and ideas to the organisation.

“Details of how the FA will manage the functions within communications, marketing and public affairs will be communicated in due course. The FA will not be making any further comment at this time.”

Eccles resignation comes during a turbulent period at the FA, starting with Watmore’s resignation in March last year before ex-chairman Lord Triesman resigned from his posts at the FA and England 2018 exactly one year ago yesterday, after a newspaper published a transcript of a conversation where he repeated gossip about rival World Cup bids.

After England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup failed in dramatic fashion the acting chairman Roger Burden ruled himself out of a permanent position, claiming he could no longer work alongside FIFA. That was followed by the appointment of a new chairman in David Bernstein whose short reign at the FA has been a busy one after the announcement of a Parliamentary inquiry into soccer governance.