Threat of European Super League shows need for better governance in football
“The European Super League is not in the wider interests of the sport and undermines national leagues and grass roots football. The devil is in the details, but what is essential is that such a venture cannot ever be allowed to pass.
It is now up to the incoming independent regulator to put the final nail in the coffin of the European Super League.”
Niall Couper, CEO, Fair Game
FAIR GAME has today responded to the European Court ruling which re-opens the door to the European Super League with a first-of-its-kind Code of Governance aimed at raising standards within the sport.
On the ruling, Fair Game CEO Niall Couper said:
"The European Super League is not in the wider interests of the sport and undermines national leagues and grass roots football.
“The devil is in the details, but what is essential is that such a venture cannot ever be allowed to pass.
“It is now up to the incoming independent regulator to put the final nail in the coffin of the European Super League."
The looming prospect of a return to viability for the European Super League illustrates the need for a strong independent regulator capable of enforcing and upholding standards within the industry. Developing a Code for Governance for English men’s football clubs is expected to be one of the first tasks for a new Independent Regulator for English Football (IREF).
Commissioned by Fair Game and produced by experts and leaders from within and beyond the sports industry, Fair Game’s draft code is designed to provide a comprehensive template for IREF to build on. The Code has been through an extensive consultation process, with stakeholders from across the football industry have contributed to the first-of-its kind document.
The document outlines 11 key tenets of a well-run club.
The 11 Tenets are:
Effective board
Integrity
Long-term sustainability
Respect for heritage and culture
Engagement
Transparency and communication
Accountability
People
Equality, diversity, and inclusion
Continuous improvement
Spirit of the rules
Led by Greg Campbell of management consultancy Campbell Tickell and Dr Mark Middling of Northumbria University, the Code draws from several established governance codes, including the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Sport England Code for Sports Governance, the Charity Governance Code, the EPL Charitable Fund and EFL Trust Capability Code of Practice, the Wates Code for Larger UK Private Companies, and the National Housing Federation Code of Governance.
The result is a wide-ranging Code of Governance which could transform football for the better. With clubs required by the IREF to comply with the Code of Governance, fans will see their teams safeguarded against the pitfalls of bad management.
The code’s co-author Greg Campbell said:
“Good governance is at the heart of sustainability for any organisation or business. There is little doubt that football needs this kind of structure to help ensure that clubs are well run, financially robust, and engage effectively with their fans and their communities.
“We’ve looked at numerous codes across the sport, business and charity sectors and have worked with football clubs and industry experts to produce a code that we believe can put football on a solid foundation for generations to come.”
Co-author Mark Middling said:
“A Code of Governance is essential for good decision-making and financial sustainability of clubs, and for the IREF to have a framework to support and assess clubs.
“Our 11 tenets address different aspects of good governance. We have borrowed the best good governance principles from other industries and overlaid them with the needs of the football industry. We hope this is the basis of stronger and more stable clubs in the future.”
Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, added:
“Research is at the heart of everything Fair Game does. It is no use just sitting there and saying the game is broken: we need to develop realistic long-term solutions, and with the publication of the Code today, we believe we have achieved that.”
Fair Game’s Code of Governance for Football Clubs can be found in its entirety here.
Fair Game’s other research work can be found here.
About the Report
The Tenets come from a document which sets out guiding principles and provisions for the governance of football clubs. It is based on having three bands, according to the sizes of clubs, so that the largest clubs are expected to meet more stringent requirements, while it is lighter-touch for smaller clubs.
The document is the culmination of over six months of research and analysis from leading figures across the sports industry and a comprehensive and open three-month consultation period.
