Joining new Chair, Alan Smith, Wiltshire FA is pleased to also welcome Simon Russell as the new CEO.

With a background in supporting different organisations with their communication, public affairs and stakeholder engagement, Simon joined the team at Wiltshire FA in March 2024.

Ready to lead the organisation through the next four-year strategy for grassroots football, Simon comes with experience of running a commercial enterprise after he founded and led his own consultancy business for 14 years.

Also, bringing a knowledge of football, Simon has been a grassroots coach since 2008 and amongst other qualifications, holds the FA Youth Awards and the UEFA B license. When time permits, he supports coaches as a mentor, focused on disability football and as a Coach Tutor.

With combined knowledge of business and football, and with additional voluntary commitments such as a Trustee for a regional Active Partnership and a regional charity which supports people that are blind and visually impaired, Simon embarks on the CEO role with a strong ambition to make a difference in the grassroots game.

The role of CEO is responsible for providing overall directions and leadership, making decisions to direct Wiltshire FA towards growth and development.

Despite leaving his roots and moving South, Simon remains an avid Aston Villa fan and continues to attend matches. At a more local level, as a keen footballer himself, he has over 500 appearances for Cribbs FC, occasionally still playing for the Vet’s side.

Simon said, "I'm delighted to join Wiltshire FA as Chief Executive, and to have the chance to support the people right across the county that are involved in our national game - whether that be as players, coaches, referees, league officials, welfare officers, and the hundreds of other dedicated volunteers.

"Football is making progress on a number of fronts - from the greater participation of women and girls, addressing diversity and inclusion, improving facilities, and more besides. Though we have more to do on all of these and also issues like poor behaviour on the pitch and on the touchline.

"With the team at Wiltshire FA, and most especially working with stakeholders and our partners we are ambitious in what we can achieve. I'm particularly keen to build on the growing recognition that sport, and especially team sport, can deliver bring about positive change on physical and mental wellbeing, community cohesion, and engaging people of all ages and backgrounds."

Wiltshire FA is about to launch the new Strategy for Grassroots Football 2024 - 2028. The long-term plan will provide clear direction on how Wiltshire FA will support the growth and development of the grassroots game in Wiltshire over the next four years.