ECB to investigate misconduct claims against incoming chairman

The ECB is to investigate claims that Ian Watmore, its incoming chairman, left his role as an English Football League independent director following allegations of misconduct.

Watmore joined the EFL in 2018, but left his role after less than five months in November that year, citing ill health. According to a report in the Daily Mail, Watmore’s departure followed a week after the EFL had commissioned an independent inquiry against him. 

The inquiry surrounded allegations that Watmore was involved in talks of forming a breakaway league that would leave behind Sky, the EFL’s broadcast partners, potentially jeopardising a £595m TV deal. 

Watmore was named as Colin Graves’ replacement as ECB chair in February, but his position will need to be ratified at next month’s AGM. He has held a number of roles in sport, having been chief executive of the FA and sat on the board of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and English Institute of Sport.

The ECB is now set to “review and understand the situation” regarding the claims surrounding Watmore. 

“Ian Watmore was appointed following a rigorous search and selection process, led by global executive search firm Odger Berndtson and a dedicated nominations committee chaired by ECB non-executive director Lucy Pearson,” said an ECB spokesperson. 

“The ECB board is aware of the claims made against Ian and will seek to review and understand the situation.”

In a statement to the Daily Mail, Watmore revealed that “the League was split down the middle” over a new TV deal, but that discussions over the impasse with “a leading representative” were shared with the board and executive colleagues. According to the report, Watmore held talks with Derby owner Mel Morris surrounding a breakaway league. 

“I became chair of the EFL commercial committee in 2018 and inherited a difficult contract situation over the new TV deal, which had been developing over the previous year,” Watmore said.

“The League was split down the middle over the deal and I sought discussions with a leading representative to explore ways we could overcome this impasse. That meeting, and conversations within it, were shared with the board and executive colleagues at the time.

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“In the event, all work to bring the deal to a successful outcome was delivered on, when it was signed after a unanimous vote by the EFL board on which I sat. My resignation from the EFL role was taken after medical advice in November 2018. Since then, I have willingly participated in reviews by the EFL into the overall rights sale process and my role within it.

“During my short period at the organisation I operated with honesty and integrity and until today I have not heard any reports from the EFL that their view is any different.”