Leyton Orient defender Omar Beckles has been elected as the new chair of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).
The 31-year-old succeeded former chair John Mousinho who left the role three weeks after being named as Portsmouth’s new head coach.
In a statement announcing his new role Beckles said: “I’m honoured to be elected to this role. It’s a real privilege to be chosen to represent the players.
“I’m looking forward to fighting the members’ corner and building on the great work done by John Mousinho.”
The PFA
The PFA is the union for current and former professional footballers and scholars in the Premier League, football league and Women’s Super League.
As with any other trade union, the PFA offers a variety of support, education and advice to it’s members and advances their interests by lobbying governing bodies for improvements in areas such as working conditions and culture.
Some of the most pressing issues facing the union currently are concerns around demands and workloads being placed on players by the sport’s increasingly congested calendar.
Beckles claimed he was keen to ensure players were listened to during his time as chair: “We really want the PFA to be player-centric, with members at the heart of what the union does. I’ll be the link from the dressing room, making sure that the players are at the centre of everything we do.”
Charity work
The defender has played for his hometown club, Leyton Orient since arriving as a free agent in the summer of 2021 and has represented the likes of Crewe Alexandra, Shrewsbury Town and Accrington Stanley.
The 31-year-old also represents the Caribbean Island of Grenada at international level and has earned seven caps since making his debut for The Spice Boys in 2019.
The new PFA chair is no stranger to responsibility having sat on the PFA board for a number of years and has been involved in a variety of charity work.
Beckles launched the Hub365 Foundation in 2018 while playing for Shrewsbury Town in EFL League One. Created in memory of his late father, the Foundation was set up with the aim of improving the lives of young people and providing mental health support to those who require support.
The Orient defender had also met King Charles and the Queen Consort in October 2022 when they visited Project Zero in Walthamstow.
The meeting took place shortly after Charles’ ascension to the throne and Beckles spoke to the royal couple about Leyton Orient’s connections with the project and his time as a professional athlete.
On the pitch, Omar Beckles’ performances for his club have helped Leyton Orient to their best-ever league campaign and they currently sit top of EFL League Two, 11 points above second-placed Stevenage.
Beckles is a commanding presence in the O’s back line and his resolute defending, combined with his leadership ability has made him one of the club’s standout performers since arriving at the club in 2021.
Strike action?
As the representative body for professional footballers in the UK, the PFA has the power to call it’s members out on strike, as they famously threatened to do in 2001 over a disagreement with the Premier League and the distribution of a lucrative broadcast deal.
PFA board members such as Manchester United’s Gary Neville were vocal at the time about the union’s commitment to strike action before a compromise between both parties was eventually reached.
The threat of strike action was raised again in December 2021 over players’ misgivings about proposed schedule pile ups.
A possible player strike was suggested by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola who believed industrial action by the players was the only way to force the Premier League organisers to review the congested nature of the annual festive period.
PFA chief executive Maheta Molango reacted to Guardiola’s comments in a statement issued to Sportsmail stating: “I’ve spoken with many senior players on this issue. I can tell you that it isn’t going away. Players don’t choose to speak out on issues like this without having given it a lot of thought.
“As their union, the PFA enables players to stand together. That unity gives them enormous strength.
“Now it’s up to those who run the game at all levels to begin to take this seriously so it’s an issue that can be addressed constructively with players at the heart of the conversation.”