The SAFF appoints Polly Handford as head of Legal Affairs

2024-02-20
14:02:44

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation is delighted to announce it has appointed Polly Handford as General Counsel and President for Legal Affairs.
Handford has been a qualified lawyer for over 25 years, more than half of which have been working in-house in sports law. She is currently the Director of Legal and Governance for the English Football Association, where she has worked since 2014.
Prior to this, she was Deputy Head of Legal for England’s Rugby Football Union.
Before moving to being an in-house lawyer, Handford was a partner in a London law firm. She has practical experience in all areas of sports law and is a recognised leader in the field, speaking on the topic nationally and globally.
Handford is responsible for all legal aspects at The Football Association covering administrative, disciplinary, regulatory, integrity, commercial matters as well as all contentious matters and arbitrations. She is also responsible for the Company Secretarial function.
Handford has worked closely with FIFA and UEFA in this role, and is a member of FIFA’s Disciplinary and UEFA’s Appeals Body.