Monday debate must see all sides commit to an independent regulator for football

‘Some owners are playing Russian roulette with the futures of their clubs. It has to stop’

Niall Couper, Director of Fair Game

FAIR GAME, a growing group of football clubs, today called on all political parties to publicly back a new independent regulator, ahead of a debate on the topic in Westminster Hall tomorrow.

Fair Game represents the views of 15 professional clubs. As an organisation it has brought together the nation’s finest football academics, those with lived experience in the industry, and supporters trusts to work together and develop realistic long-term solutions to the problems the game faces.

Fair Game believes the regulator should be given broad powers and the teeth to make a difference, and with it the government funding to truly deliver.

The remit of the regulator could include:

• operating and running a new robust Owners and Directors’ Test;

• imposing financial rules to ensure clubs are financially sustainable;

• allocating funding to clubs’ that perform well;

• monitoring clubs’ financial well-being in real-time and stepping in when needed; financially incentivising good equality standards and good fan engagement;

• and protecting the core cultural assets of clubs, (eg badge, location, name, nickname) through a licensing system.

Niall Couper, director of Fair Game, said: “Football plays a vital role in our communities. The heritage and traditions are part of the social fabric of towns up and down the country.

“Yet, some owners are playing Russian roulette with the futures of their clubs with scant regards for the communities and traditions that they are putting at risk.

“The football authorities have had decades to get it right and failed to deliver.

“We need an independent regulator to finally sort it out and make our national game fit for purpose.

“Our politicians need to wake up, smell the coffee and commit 100% to make it happen.”