Fa Defends Chief Bullingham's £1.32m Salary

The Football Association has defended paying main executive Mark Bullingham £1.32m past twelvemonth – including a £450,000 prize - saying he had "met and exceeded robust targets".

Bullingham is thought to beryllium nan highest-paid main executive of a sports governing assemblage successful nan UK.

The 50-year-old's net for nan twelvemonth ending July 2024 included a net of £869,000 and nan semipermanent inducement scheme (LTIP) bonus.

The fig of £1.32m is an summation of much than 55% connected nan erstwhile year.

In November, it was revealed Rugby Football Union main executive Bill Sweeney pocketed £1.1m, aft scooping a prize of £358,000 to spell pinch his net of £742,000 - contempt an operating nonaccomplishment of astir £40m.

The FA's yearly accounts, published connected Tuesday, shows nan organisation recorded turnover of £551.2m for nan year, up £69.4m connected nan erstwhile year, and made a nett profit of £49.7m.

In a statement, an FA spokesperson said nan turnover was "the balanced to a FTSE 250 company", truthful nan main executive's performance-based remuneration package needs to beryllium competitory to "attract and clasp high-calibre executives".

It added: "Mark has led nan business to meet and transcend robust and eager capacity targets connected and disconnected nan transportation and present our 2020-2024 strategical objectives.

"In bid to beryllium competitive, nan opportunity to gain a prize and a semipermanent inducement scheme are important - but payments are only made if capacity targets are delivered aliases exceeded."