The new Independent Regulator - how does the
Government's response shape up?
Earlier this week, the government released a policy paper outlining the
responsibilities of the prospective new Independent Regulator for English
Football. The paper, titled "A sustainable future - reforming club football
governance: consultation response", unfortunately
left a lot to be desired.
After thoroughly scrutinising the document, Fair Game's experts released an 11-page briefing document welcoming the
promise of a regulator, but identifying the areas the government must go
further in order to protect the future of our national game.
First and foremost, the policy paper re-asserts the government's faith in
football's existing bodies to sort out the game's unfair financial flow.
Yet the football authorities have presided over decades of failure on
this issue, with 64 clubs falling into administration since the Premier League
was founded. The Fair Game Index offers a real and feasible fix for
football's unfair financial flow, and the regulator needs to have the teeth and
willingness to implement it.
Second, the government has weakened its commitment to the so-called
"Wimbledon Clause" which gave fans the final say on any proposal to
relocate a club or change elements of the club's heritage such their colours or
name. Instead, "financial considerations" are now identified as
the ultimate deciding factor. This is obviously very concerning, and
leaves the door opens for more "franchise" clubs in the future.
And finally, the policy paper still fails to put equality and diversity within
the remit of the regulator, or address environmental concerns. These are
glaring omissions for any policy that looks to secure a fairer future for
football.
You can read Fair Game's full response here.