We are pleased to announce that, after an open and robust recruitment process, Thura Win has been appointed to serve as our County FA Chair.

Thura, 59, was previously our Senior Independent Director, and takes the reins from the late Mathew Major.

A former Chief Information Officer and IT Consultant with over thirty years’ experience, Thura’s background is also in law, having been a Magistrate in Hampshire since 2004, where he continues to sit as a presiding justice in adult and youth courts, and in his second spell as the Bench Chair, responsible for around 120 magistrates. 

Thura has a Master of Laws degree and is an accredited Civil & Commercial and Workplace Mediator, and an Arbitrator. Thura is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

His first involvement in football administration was back in 1981 when he qualified with us as a young referee, and he has continued to be passionately involved in the game ever since.

Previous roles in football include serving on The FA’s: Group Health, Safety & Wellbeing Committee which he chaired, Women’s Football Board, Referees’ Committee, Women’s Football Ambassadorial Panel, Women’s Football Committee, Business Development Committee, Sanctions and Registrations (Rules) Committee, National Game IT Committee, Football Development Committee, Inclusion Advisory Board, Race Equality Advisory Group, FA Tutor for Equality and Race Equality; and chaired FA Women’s Premier League and FA Safeguarding Review Panel. Thura was also the Chair, Vice-Chair and Trustee of Crawley Town Community Foundation.

Currently the Chair of The FA Women’s Football Conference, who he represented on The FA Council from 2007 until 2023, and since then he represents Sussex County FA on The FA Council. Thura is a Director of The FA Board, member of The FA Board’s Group Audit & Risk Committee, Vice-Chair of The FA National Game Board, Vice-Chair of The FA Affiliated Associations Committee, member of The FA Judicial Panel, Chair of The FA Disciplinary Sub-Committee, The FA National Game Disciplinary Chair, and member of The FA National Serious Case Panel, where he chairs disciplinary commissions and appeal boards. 

He is also a UEFA Match Delegate, FIFA Match Commissioner, member of the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body, and a Governor of the University of Winchester.

Upon his return to Sussex from Hampshire, where he was a Director and Deputy Chairman of Hampshire FA over many years, Thura offered his experience and services to Sussex County FA. 

He was elected onto the Sussex County FA in 2013, then as a Board Director in 2016 and appointed as the Senior Independent Director in 2021.

Speaking on Thura’s appointment, our Chief Executive, Ken Benham, said: “My congratulations to Thura on his appointment to the position of Chair, one I know he will undertake with the same level of due diligence and commitment that he has shown since he first joined us as a Director.

“I look forward to working with him over the coming years as we continue to help grow and support the beautiful game here in Sussex.”

Thura said: “I am honoured and delighted to be appointed as the Chair of the Sussex County FA, where I started in football administration as a young referee in 1981.

“I would like to thank John Edwards, our Deputy Chair, who had provided the interim leadership, since the very sad passing of our brilliant former Chair, Mathew Major.

“I look forward to working together with our experienced and dedicated Board of Directors; talented and passionate Staff members, ably led by our skilful Chief Executive Ken Benham; and enthusiastic and supportive County Members and volunteer workforce to help our stakeholders and to make a success for Sussex football.”

For more information about our governance structure please contact Football Services:

Football Services
T: 01903 753547
E: Info@SussexFA.com