Board
Meet The Board
The Directors are the architects of our strategy, setting the vision and ensuring alignment with our mission. The ability to make informed decisions, navigate complexities, and adapt to an ever-changing landscape is a core requirement of our Board now and in the future.
The Board are:
- The ultimate decision-making body and accordingly experience all powers of the Association.
- Responsible for setting the strategy of the Association.
- Maintain and demonstrate a clear division between the Board’s management and oversight role and the executive’s operational role.
| Subject to reappointment | |||
| Term end (3 years) | Term end (6 years) | Term end (9 years) | |
| A McPhillips | Oct 2026 | Oct 2029 | Oct 2032 |
| B Chaplin | Oct 2026 | Oct 2029 | Oct 2032 |
| H Islam | Oct 2025 | Oct 2028 | Oct 2031 |
| J Byrne | Oct 2025 | Oct 2028 | Oct 2031 |
| M Harris | Oct 2027 | Oct 2030 | Oct 2033 |
| M Heap |
Oct 2026 | Oct 2029 | Oct 2032 |
| N Wordsworth | Oct 2025 | Oct 2028 | Oct 2031 |
| P Cook | Oct 2027 | Oct 2030 | Oct 2033 |
| R Secker | Oct 2025 | Oct 2028 | Oct 2031 |
| S Atkinson | Oct 2027 | Oct 2030 | Oct 2033 |
| T Rothwell | Oct 2026 | Oct 2029 | Oct 2032 |
Board Committees
The Board delegates the day-to-day management of the company to the Chief Executive Officer who fulfils this task with the support of the Board Committees.
The Board operate three (3) Board Committees:
1. Nomination and Appointments Committee
2. Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
3. HR and Remuneration Committee
Two (2) additional groups are strategically alighted to the Board:
1. Youth Advisory Group (YAG)
2. Inclusion Advisory Group (IAG)
The Nominations and Appointments Committee is responsible for:
• Leading the process of recruitment for Board and senior executive appointments.
• At least once per year, evaluate the Board’s current capability against the agreed skills matrix, and, considering this evaluation, agree a description of the role and capabilities required for an appointment.
• Consider applications for re-appointment against agreed criteria and to ensure that the candidates have the skills, knowledge, and experience to adequately perform the role.
• Oversee the process for recruiting Independent Directors.
• Oversee the process for appointing to the key positions on The Board.
The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee is responsible for:
• Assisting the Board in its oversight of risk
• Reviewing the company’s risk appetite and risk profile in relation to capital, liquidity, and franchise value
• Reviewing the effectiveness of the company’s risk management framework.
• ensuring due diligence appraisals are carried out on strategic or significant transactions.
• Working with the HR and Remuneration Committee to ensure that risk management is properly considered in setting remuneration policy and monitoring prudential regulatory requirements across the company.
• Primary responsibility for setting the company’s conduct and financial crime risk appetites and overseeing the company’s profile against them.
• Overseeing the brand and reputation of the Company and ensuring that the reputational risk is consistent with the risk appetite.
The HR and Remuneration Committee is responsible for:
• Review and make recommendations to the Board on the People Plan and associated HR policies.
• Oversee and make recommendations to the Board on succession planning of the Leadership Team and key personnel as identified in the Risk Register.
• Provide guidance to the Executive on the structure of the Executive Performance Management process.
• By way of the Committee Chair, act as a point of contact to whom individuals can raise concerns as part of the West Riding FA Whistleblowing Policy and take appropriate action to investigate and resolve any concerns raised.
• Give advice to the Board for final decision-making on terms of employment of executives, including, without limitation, salaries, bonuses, benefits in kind, and the duration /type of contract.
• Receive evidence on internal and external trends in remuneration and benefits, including where necessary commissioning any reports or surveys aimed at establishing West Riding FA’s market position or exploring particular aspects of remuneration.
• Approve salary review process and any collective annual incremental raises (RPI).
• Give advice to the Board for final decision making on any major changes to the benefits policy.
• Receive reports and advise on changes needed for restructuring and organisational change, overseeing implementation of such change.
See below for the full terms of reference for each Board Committee. Details of which Directors sit on each Committee is available to view in the Board Standing Orders.
I joined West Riding FA in May 2023 and was appointed as one of the Independent Non-Executive Directors to bring skills, experience, and expertise from outside of football. Due to my previous experience as chair of Leeds Credit Union, I have a particular interest in how West Riding FA manages risk and monitors its performance against its strategic objectives.
My involvement with football to date has mainly been as a supporter until my son began playing junior football a couple of years ago. As many people will have no doubt experienced, it didn't take long until I was asked to help with running the team and found myself enrolling on the FA's Introduction to Football course and beginning my coaching journey.
Having seen how the FA was improving grassroots compared with when I used to play junior football, I was keen to play my part in encouraging more people to get involved with the game. I am passionate about making sure football is open and accessible to all regardless of age and ability and, most importantly of all, takes place in a safe and enjoyable environment.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmcphillips
After joining the West Riding County FA Council in 2008 and working on the Development, Discipline and Referee's Committees I received a nomination to and was successful in becoming a member of the Board in 2017. Having established my position on the Board I was invited to take on the role of Board Safeguarding Champion and became County President in 2019.
Being nominated for and then offered a seat on the Board was an opportunity that I was honoured to take as I have held and continue to hold several voluntary roles within different organisations allied to grassroots football.
I am pleased with the contribution I have been able to make across more than 50 years of football themed activity and happy to know that I have played a small part in helping the County F.A. to become the strong organisation that it is today. The game has grown in its various incarnations and regulation is ensuring that it continues to remain a safe environment for its participants and the reward of seeing the pitch at Fleet Lane full of aspiring footballers being coached in that safe environment is testament to the work of the staff and the Board.
I have been a West Riding Country FA Director since May 2023 and previously for Barkston Ash District FA representative on West Riding County FA Full Council since September 2009.
I have been a registered referee since 1996, refereed Disability football in serval formats since 2011 refereeing Blind and Partially Sighted, Deaf and Cerebral Palsy football. I refereed at the IBSA European Championships 2015 (Hereford), World Grand Prix 2018 (Tokyo) African Championships 2019 (Enugu, Nigeria) and World Championships 2023 (Birmingham) in the B1 Blind category. Also, referee at the first 6 editions of the FA Disability Cup in B1 Final.
Outside of this I have worked in a public service role for over 35 years at home and in Australia. Also I have experienced freelance events co-ordinator working with several organisations including the Premier League.
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-heap-9591a0a4
The West Riding FA Council was disbanded in May 2022 and therefore all Directors recruited after this date are Independent and shall be from hereon.
