Today, the government publishes the White Paper into football governance which will strengthen governance in our great game, ensuring both that it can retain its place as a world-leading competitor, and also preventing situations like we saw at Derby County from ever happening again.
The plan is based on the Fan-Led Review into football governance which was led by Tracey Crouch MP, and which I spoke about in the House of Commons when I arranged a debate about Derby County last summer.
Clearly, the current system is entirely unsustainable when one of the Football League’s founder members had its very existence threatened, and suffered an administration procedure which gave opportunities to entirely unsuitable purchasers.
Fortunately, Derby County has been bought instead by a fan – a true local owner who is able to take us sustainably back to where we want to be. However, we must learn from the mistakes made during this process.
One of the most difficult parts of the process was that as soon as the Rams entered administration, there was absolutely no official say given to the fans. Instead, the decision had to be made in terms of the best outcomes for the club’s creditors, rather than Rams fans who have been with the club through thick and thin for generations.
Today’s White Paper will redress this balance by setting out proposals for a new football Regulator which will have fans' interests at its core.
This Regulator will set out, and operate, a licencing system to ensure that all clubs operating professionally are licenced, and therefore meeting the relevant requirements for appropriate financial resources, management, conduct and fan engagement.
As part of this system, the regulator will properly scrutinise the ownership, management and wider corporate governance of professional clubs, ensuring that any changes to these are in the best interests of the club as a whole.
The regulator will also put fans at the heart of football. This will include implementing minimum standards for fan engagement, reinforced protection of club heritage, and fan consultation and approval for any sales or relocations of the club. It will also ensure that clubs are only able to compete in approved competitions, preventing future ‘super-league’ attempts.
