CEO David Eland leaves Northern NSW Football after 13 years

Eland and NNSWF announced a mutual agreement to terminate the CEO's contract, effectively immediately, during the meeting held at NNSWF headquarters at Speers Point.

The meeting, which finished after the Newcastle Herald deadline, was held to hear resolutions tabled by a bloc of five member zones - Hunter, Macquarie, Newcastle, Mid North Coast and Far North Coast - attempting to remove four of five remaining NNSWF directors and replace them with their own nominees.

The Herald reported on Thursday that directors Bill Moncrieff, Peter Dimovski and Mansell Laidler were resigning before a potential vote.

Chair Helene O'Neill was the other remaining director targetted for removal since a letter submitted to NNSWF from the zones on August 23 demanding a meeting to table the resolutions. Mike Parsons, David Willoughby, Lisa Evans, Lauren Edwards and Paul Sandilands were the nominated replacements to join Mark Trenter, who was excluded from the action, on the board.

The dissenting zones together held the voting power to make the changes, which they said were "in the best interests of football".

The campaign to overthrow the board started a day after zones received NNSWF-endorsed recommendations for change from an independent review report into the game's administration and governance in the region. Among the recommendations was facilitating a club-driven move to an aligned structure under NNSWF which streamlined administration and effectively dissolved the zone bodies which run community football.

The exit of Eland, who in 2015 also acted as interim boss of the embattled Newcastle Jets, was the major change to NNSWF management in the lead-up to Friday night's meeting.

The Herald understands Eland was signed to a four-year contract extension shortly before the zones' move against the directors.

In a press release last night, Eland said: "I have been fortunate throughout my long tenure to have been supported by volunteer directors who selflessly dedicated their time and expertise to the game's best interests. The current board is no exception. I respect their determination to address the challenges constraining the game's continued growth and prosperity.

"It has been a privilege to lead football throughout northern NSW. I'm satisfied that I'm leaving the member federation in a sound position. The last couple of years have been very challenging, however, I could not be happier with how the governing body responded to the unprecedented challenges of the global pandemic."

Also leaving NNSWF is chief financial officer Annette Hervas, football operations administrator Margaret Wand and finance assistant Kaitlin Radstaak.

The full press release is below:

The Northern NSW Football board and CEO David Eland have mutually agreed to terminate the CEO's contract of employment, effective immediately.

The board and Mr Eland determined that after 13 years the time was right for the member federation to seek new leadership and allow him to explore new opportunities and challenges.

NNSWF Chair Helene O'Neill thanked Mr Eland for his service and contribution to the game.

"David has been a loyal and dedicated leader," O'Neill said.

"He has led significant growth in participation, established the 'Home of Football' at Speers Point and lifted the member federation's overall capacity to better serve the needs of the game's diverse stakeholders."

Since Eland's appointment in April 2009 participation has increased by 40 per cent, annual revenues have tripled and the member federation's equity has increased from $3.3m to more than $17m. The governing body's reliance on player registration fees as a source of revenue has halved.

Mr Eland responded by thanking the board of directors for their support.

"I have been fortunate throughout my long tenure to have been supported by volunteer directors who selflessly dedicated their time and expertise to the game's best interests," Eland said.

"The current board is no exception. I respect their determination to address the challenges constraining the game's continued growth and prosperity. As stewards of the game, the board has an ongoing responsibility to drive change, transform and be better.

"It has been a privilege to lead football throughout northern NSW. I'm satisfied that I'm leaving the member federation in a sound position. The last couple of years have been very challenging, however, I could not be happier with how the governing body responded to the unprecedented challenges of the global pandemic.

NNSWF is well positioned to invest and take full advantage of the once-in-a-generation opportunities which come with hosting the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on home soil.

"I extend my sincere gratitude to NNSWF's dedicated staff and executive who work tirelessly in collaboration with the game's stakeholders to grow, develop and promote our great game. My genuine appreciation is also extended to the thousands of volunteers who selflessly give their time to providing opportunities for their local communities to play and enjoy the world's biggest and best sport."