At IFS hadde et anstrengt forhold til Norges Fotballforbunds sentrale ledelse i min tid som leder, er kjent. Morgenbladets Håkon Gundersen skrev om blant annet dette i en artikkel i 2008. Og han fikk frem en sentral hendelse (klippet fra engelsk oversettelse):
«The Gospel of the Individual. (..) Diplomacy and caution are now being set aside, declares the sport’s driving force. (..) Frank H. Hartvedt has, in fact, started a confrontation with his «disgraceful opponents» (..). When forced to choose between lessening his criticism of the NFF and losing the sponsorship of Umbro, Frank Hartvedt chose to lose Umbro. ‘Being moderate is no longer relevant. We are even willing to sacrifice a good, nearly ten-year long collaboration with Umbro for this. All caution and diplomacy are now set aside. Defence of the [political and the philosophy of life] IFS principles has indisputable priority,’ says Hartvedt.»