Last week The Fan-led Review of Football Governance, a report produced by Tracey Crouch MP with help from football luminaries such as Roy Hodgson and Clarke Carlisle with view to protecting the future of football was published.
Supporters’ groups from nearly 130 different clubs, both professional and non-league, and footballing authorities participated in the report, which included a series of recommendations to improve the governance of the game (and may be downloaded here).
Tracey Crouch MP
One of the main considerations was the introduction and appointment of an an independent regulator established by an Act of Parliament to "ensure financial sustainability of the professional game".
Additionally it was proposed that a club licensing system with new owners' and directors' tests plus a golden share for democratic supporter groups should be introduced to ensure fans are consulted over key decisions giving them valuable input in how their clubs are governed.
"“Our national game is at a crossroads with the proposed European Super League just one of many illustrations of deep seated problems in the game," said Crouch in the wake of the report's publication.
“The commitment and passion of the fans who have contributed to the review has been genuinely humbling to see. Where this passion had been betrayed by owners it has been heartbreaking – and testimony from those who had lost their club in Bury particularly so.
“The sophistication of thought about the problems of the game and solutions presented by those fans was also remarkable. It is often said that football would be nothing without the fans. The same can be said for this review.”
The report was overwhelmingly welcomed by supporters and fan representative groups plus many clubs. Kevin Miles, CEO if the Football Supporter Association was one of them.
"This is potentially a huge step forward for football governance – the Government committed to a fan-led review which has listened to the voice of fans," he said in the wake's of the report's publication. "It’s now up to the Government to deliver upon the recommendations."
West Ham CEO Karren Brady
However some of the report's proposals - notably that which suggested an independent regulator should be appointed - have met with stiff opposition in recent days, notably from representatives of Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and, on behalf of West Ham United's board, Karren Brady.
"Rather like the hunt for a successful Covid vaccination, searching for a cure-all in football is not going to be possible," she wrote via her tabloid column. "Still, in a fan-led report on governance, the admirable MP Tracey Crouch and her team have had a good try.
"The main point of which is that professional football should be controlled by an independent regulator. This is revolutionary. The report says the regulator could control and force, if necessary, even more handouts of its cash.
"Crikey, a Government forcing a commercial business to give away its cash and telling them how much and who to give it to? The last time I looked we did not live in Russia, China or North Korea.
"We should not be forced to damage club finances at the point of an unelected regulator’s pen, no matter how impartial he or she might be.
"The Premier League is the world’s leading domestic competition because of the financial power it has fostered by being the best league in the world. Should it be bullied into giving away more that it can afford, it will be weakened. And if the Premier League isn’t strong, then no club is."
However Brady, did support the introduction of additional input from supporters - to a degree. "Supporters should have a greater say in all heritage matters," she wrote. "And we must guard against ownership that is likely to end in supporters’ tears or financial irregularity. We all agree with that."
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