Clarke promises FA cultural review after admitting 'we have lost trust of the public'
The 60-year-old offered a damning assessment of the FA's processes and lack of "inclusivity" in the wake of the Eni Aluko row.
Clarke, along with other senior officials, appeared before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in what he described on Thursday as "a bruising personal experience" and a damaging one for the FA.
He has come under serious criticism for his handling of a complaint by England international Aluko against former manager Mark Sampson, who was accused of making racial remarks to her and Drew Spence.
In a speech to the FA Council, Clarke apologised again for their handling of the complaint and admitted the grilling at parliament had "stripped us of our veneer and exposed some deeper fundamental truths".
He conceded the view of the FA being out of touch was because they had lost public support due to incompetence and a lack of representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in the organisation.
Clarke promised a "top to bottom" cultural review of the St. George's Park national football centre to improve "inclusivity and the collective care of our players".
.@DamianCollins asks @liannesanderson about whether other players may come forward: pic.twitter.com/0AvtoiGIKi
— DCMS Committee (@CommonsCMS) October 18, 2017
In the 2,580-word speech, he also said: "People need to be able to trust us to deliver a safe and inclusive game for them to enjoy at any level. They need to be able to trust us to make the right decisions to keep the game fair and protect its integrity.
"We have not earned the right to be listened to because people look at the FA and they don't see an organisation that reflects society trying to make football better or easier for them – they simply see an organisation that at best is not relevant to them and their enjoyment of the game. They don't see an organisation they can trust to be on their side.
"So I think we have a choice in front of us today. We can fix the storm damage – address some of the immediate concerns that have arisen from the Aluko case and wait for the weather to change. Or we can be more honest with ourselves and address the fundamental 'climate' of the FA so that when the next storm comes along, and the organisation is stripped back and exposed once again we can show a different more progressive face to the world."
Chairman's speech to FA Council https://t.co/0OI0HVxPZr pic.twitter.com/iQBI0c5CPA
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) October 26, 2017