Burnham issues ‘now or never’ rallying call to Government in bid to save football

“For too long change has been kicked down the road, whilst our clubs have kicked the bucket. The weight of public opinion is there. It is a now or never moment.”

Niall Couper, CEO, Fair Game

ANDY Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, today gave his full support to Fair Game and issued an urgent call to the government not to waste a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ to save the future of football.

In the next few days, the Government are going to respond to the Fan-Led Review - a review run by the Conservative MP Tracey Crouch and widely welcomed by football fans and fully supported by Fair Game.

Burnham said: “It is not enough just to welcome the findings – which included a new independent regulator – there needs to be a firm commitment that legislation will be included in May’s Queen’s Speech. Without it this once in a lifetime opportunity to save the future of football risks being kicked into the long grass.

“There’s no doubt that football is at a crossroads. Just this month, we’ve seen a new study from Fair Game reveal that in 2020 – that’s BEFORE the pandemic – that 52% of our top clubs were technically insolvent. And since the turn of the century a third of our clubs have gone into administration and dozens of clubs outside the Football League no longer exist.

“We need a sustainable future for football at every level. And a future where the history, heritage and traditions of our football clubs are protected. Football needs to change.

“I call on everyone in this country, who loves our beloved game, to appeal to the Secretary of State Nadine Dorries to ensure a commitment to legislation is included in the Government response.”

Niall Couper is the CEO of Fair Game - a group of 34 value-driven professional football clubs backed by over 40 world-renowned experts working together to develop realistic long-term solutions to the problems football faces. He added: “We hugely welcome Andy Burnham’s intervention. There is no doubt that this is a now or never moment. Today we have also submitted a 30,000-strong petition to Nadine Dorries. The petition calls on the Government to ‘put fairness first’ and implement the Fan-Led Review of Football Governance in full.

“For too long change has been kicked down the road, whilst our clubs have kicked the bucket. Our petition demonstrates the strength of feeling to secure our national game. Now is the time to secure the future of our national game with legislation. In the next few days Nadine Dorries could become football's saviour.”

Fair Game has also created an action for fans to also appeal to their MPs to work hard to ensure there is a new Football Bill in the next Queen's Speech. The action is here.