Ever wondered what being on the PFA Management Committee involves? Fulham captain Brede Hangeland talks about his role with the union.
How did the opportunity to join the PFA Management Committee come about?
I’ve been on the Committee for a couple of years now. Nick Cusack from the PFA comes down to the club quite a lot and he talked to me about the possibility of joining the Committee. I’m the PFA delegate at Fulham now. I wasn’t at that point but a lot of players come and go and our delegate left, so I agreed to take on that responsibility as it’s a good opportunity to take part in the good work that the PFA do. Then the chance to get on the Committee arose and I was very keen to take it.
What does your role on the Committee entail?
You get an insight into how things are run and one of the responsibilities of the Management Committee is to make sure everything goes on as it should. You get to read reports from different departments at the PFA and realise what work goes on. Even more important than that is the opportunity to try and influence how the PFA work and what work they do for members. We meet around three or four times a year and there will be a specific agenda with current issues and general things to discuss. We also go through the different reports from the different departments at the PFA and make sure everything is in good order. It’s a great opportunity to get involved and get a first-hand knowledge of the things that go off within the PFA.
Were you unaware of a lot of the work the PFA do before you joined the Committee?
I think that’s the case for a lot of the players in England. The problem I think the PFA have first and foremost is to get the message across as to how much they’ve done in the past and what they’re doing at present to make sure the players have the type of support they need. The PFA are really fighting our corner whenever it’s necessary. I certainly didn’t know that before I was on the Management Committee and it’s only since I’ve joined the Committee that I’ve seen all the great work that the PFA do for us as players.
How do the PFA compare to unions in other countries you’ve played in and do you feel you bring a different perspective as a foreign player?
Coming from Norway - and I’ve also played in Denmark - my impression very clearly is that the PFA have come extremely far in the UK compared to other player organisations in the rest of Europe. I think they are a model to follow for similar organisations in other countries and I believe it’s good that on the Management Committee we have players from different backgrounds. We have some foreign players, such as myself, some that play in the Premier League and some who are playing for lower-league clubs, so there is a good scope for knowledge and different input. At the moment we have a good mix of people on the Committee and I believe that is important so different points of view are put across and everyone is represented.
How much of an influence do you feel players such as yourself have on the Committee?
There is always room for everyone to voice their opinion on different matters. Gordon Taylor and the rest of the people at the PFA are always receptive to our opinions on different issues and that’s what makes the committee so effective.
What advice would you give to any players who are interested in joining the Committee or getting involved with other PFA work?
The main message to get across is that the PFA have done and are currently doing so much great work on behalf of all the players on so many fronts and we should all appreciate that and support the PFA. For anyone who wants to get involved more, there are so many different causes you can support and obviously the PFA would welcome anyone who wants to make a contribution. It’s a big family and the PFA are looking after us, we need to acknowledge that and support them.
Do you think your experience of being on the Committee will benefit you when your playing days are over?
That was certainly not my main motivation for being on the Committee, but the experience that you get from the meetings and seeing how the PFA is run is extremely valuable and that’s something that will benefit me when I’m done with playing football and have to get a normal job. I’m sure the experience will help me, from a selfish point of view it’s very beneficial but that was not my reason for wanting to get involved.
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