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Letter from Martin Glenn to all EURO 2016 England fans

Letter from Martin Glenn to all EURO 2016 England fans

Posted by Team England at 17:07 on Wednesday 29 June 2016

Dear Member,

Our defeat to Iceland and exit from Euro 2016 was obviously a bitter disappointment to us all.

The performance was nowhere near the standards required in the knockout stage of a major tournament and far below the level we aspire to for England. It was a huge let down to the many thousands of fans who followed the team so passionately and loyally - not just in France but through the qualifying campaign as well.

You will have all seen Roy Hodgson's decision to step down from his role along with the other members of his coaching staff. It is the right decision and we support it. Clearly we need to change to improve if we are going to achieve our ambitions in the years ahead.

As I say, what has stood out has been the magnificent support given to us from the stands. At every single match, England fans were incredible and never stopped singing.

In Marseille, you came through an incredibly difficult situation with great dignity. In Saint-Etienne, the Mayor of the town was amazed by the backing you gave. It was no different in Nice and then in Lens alongside the Welsh fans, you created a celebratory atmosphere befitting of a special fixture between Home Nations. Everywhere we have played, the reaction has been the same.

Our young squad will better for the experience and the passionate support you have given them will encourage them to want to do better in future tournaments.

Rest assured, from my side we will consider everything that has gone into this tournament and ensure we learn the lessons. Work is already underway with Dan Ashworth, myself and David Gill to ensure we manage the process of appointing a new England manager. These are not easy decisions but we will take the appropriate time to get it right.

I am confident that our investment in Coach Education and Sports Psychology in the National Football Centre at St. George’s Park which we started two years ago will bear fruit in the coming years and the success of our development teams gives me confidence that this will happen.

Of course, I appreciate nothing I can say about the future can make up for the hurt we are currently feeling, but I felt it important to say ‘thank you’ and stress we will never take you for granted.

Martin Glenn
FA CEO

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  • As already said empty words, NO we will get a manager asap we all have certain people in mind, but he must be English. Again no mention of asking us members what WE think is wrong with the membership. My first euros were Germany 88 not much changed still getting home sick of it all, said I would stop going then but still going what a mug I am

  • You surely have to reward the fans that bought tickets officially free memberships for the next 'campaign' . Just by resting players and playing in Nice cost me an extra £800. Let alone the previous three games

  • Free renewal to reward the fans who followed England in Euro 2016 is a must no more than we deserve.

    As for searching for new manager forget the likes of Shearer, Big Sam, Rogers, Harry for me has to be someone with passion and proven coach and someone who will not take s**t from the so called superstar players easy choice for me Slaven Bilic fits this profile 100%

  • lets have a referendum- i vote a call of no confidence to all at the f.a .THATS ALL OF YOU INCLUDING STAFF

    sick of being *** on by you lot in your free hotels,free travel that we pay for,and then tell me as my wife not with me i can't have here ticket, i explain that 4 of us got a shared taxi to pick tickets up, and she was 10 miles away with the others, but no our fa over rule uefa and say no, she stayed on the beach with the others and watched it in a bar, wish id done the same,

  • Unfortunately we are just talking to ourselves, no one is listening.  Not renewing membership hurts us as well as the FA.  Who makes all these stupid decisions and what can we do to get a voice?  In any other walk of life treating patrons so poorly would result in termination.  Amanda Docherty head of communications should be fired.  You can hire me for the job; knowing your audience is a basic part of communications strategy and you clearly don't.  If you did you would keep the website up to date, get some decent forum software, monitor the forums and proactively respond with knowledgeable answers, not write ridiculous ghost letters and have someone proof those letters while you are at it.

    How about a members only online chat with "FA CEO" or with some players or youth team managers?  Drive regional in person forums, listen and take action.  Hold focus groups to get feedback on the latest hideous kit.  Understand why it's stupid to give away fans more tickets than we get in return (Scotland anyone?)

    Improve the online experience for those looking to build their coaching skills or players looking for video explanations.  The experience is truly pathetic. I've got plenty more constructive feedback-shame "FA CEO" doesn't care.

  • Mr Glenn, your English and grammar in this letter are atrocious.  I'd also like to inform you that the game in Nice came after the game in Lens.  Perhaps some attention to detail from the top wouldn't go amiss.  

  • does he actually know that fans spent thousands of pounds, took holiday from work etc to watch another shambles.  how about the FA giving something back to travel club members for a change?  an offer of free membership for the next two years is not much, but it would be something...  not sure I will bother to renew until i know who the next manager is.  The FA have not got it right for so long, why should be think they will do any better this time.

  • Can the players have whip round and remburse my travel expenses for the trip to Paris this weekend?

  • what a load of rubbish ,meaningless words , DO SOMETHING TO MAKE US FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T TAKE US FOR GRANTED ,

  • Sorry !!! seems all we get to hear now a days, i like many others have spent a fortune watching England over the years... and all we get is sorry, fact is players officials and any one to do with the FA need to take a good hard look at themselves and have the passion the fans have wherever they play, wish it could be bottled up and injected into the players management and staff then we might go somewhere.......Heres hoping !!!!

  • Is this letter supposed to make things right ? Would of been nice to read that the FA were going to offer something back to the fans.                            

  • The next England game I attend will be at Twickenham or Trent Bridge sick and tired of wasting my hard earned money on a bunch of overpaid prima donna's who in the latter stages of the Iceland game couldn't control the ball or pass it five yards to a teammate.

    The FA should look to the championship and the lower leagues for a team, we will still probably lose but at least the team would lose with pride knowing that they'd given their all for the fans, the shirt and their country and every loyal England fan could accept that.

  • Have any of these 3 jokers ever kicked a ball?

  • Did Sir Alf Ramsey or Bobby Robson have a sports psychologist just out of curiosity

  • It's just the same old same old, years and years of watching England fail miserably due to inept management. Who ever felt Roy Hodgson was the right man to lead England. There is not doubt Mr Hodgson is an extremely nice, honest and respectable person, but he was never the right man. England have always been the same, 70s failure to pick Mr Clough and flair players, 80s failure to pick Glenn Hoddle in favour of "safe " Ray Wilkins, 90s were unlucky, but Mr Hoddle s failure to pick Paul Gascoigne for 98'. In the noughties' continually sticking with "Gerrard /lampard" and neglecting Paul Scholes/Michael Carrick when the best manager in the history of football (Sir Alex) continually picked them for Manchester United. Now after 3 consecutive glorious  failures in tournaments, we seem "surprised" . Danny Drinkwater left out, Raheem Sterling picked continuously when it's clear for everyone to see he is out of form, Jack Wilshire selected when it's clear to see he s unfit, Jordan Henderson, James Milner...oh my god.....and then Roy see s a little bit of sense at half time against Wales and makes the sensible substitutions, wins the game then goes mental against Slovakia.... And then finally gives Marcus Rashford 2 minutes. This is not hindsight this is basic common sense which everyone saw apart from Mr Hodgson. We don't need a major re think or a "root and branch" investigation, we have the players, we just need someone who doesn't bottle it and applies common sense to the proceedings. The thing is these managers try to over complicate things and make out they are more intelligent then the average fan...news flash.... "They aren't"..... I v heard things like ' the players froze.... The players were scared' ...rubbish they just lacked leadership.. The first game against Russia...first corner ...Harry Kane goes and takes it....hello... If I was on the pitch I'd have screamed at Kane to stay on the goalkeeper.... He should nt be taking corners or free kick s..... That's not " freezing " or being " scared" that's just basic football..... Roy should have sorted that out early doors... It's just basic lack of leadership and tactical ineptness... Not "players froze..." etc. We now need a manager who will convey leadership, we have the players just pick them in form, them who score goals, them who have just won the premiership.... Not injured, out of form substitutes....

    Regards John Newsome