Fair Game calls for culture change after Wigan Athletic ‘wake-up call’

“The sad news about Wigan is the latest wake up call for football. the current system cannot be allowed to continue.  We need an independent regulator and, crucially, financial flow that rewards well-run clubs.”

Niall Couper, Fair Game CEO

FAIR Game today called for an overhaul of football governance following reports that HMRC has lodged a winding-up petition against Wigan Athletic over unpaid tax bills.  A pattern of bad ownership and repeated financial mismanagement has placed the Latics’ very existence on the line and Fair Game wants better protection for clubs as well as financial incentives for good governance.

Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, said:

“The sad news about Wigan is the latest wake up call for football.

“The current system cannot be allowed to continue.  We need an independent regulator and, crucially, financial flow that rewards well run clubs.

“Football needs a culture change. Without it our National Game is doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.”

Fair Game advocates the use of the Fair Game Index to reward well-run clubs and fix football’s unfair financial flow. The Index combines multiple metrics to produce a club score that an Independent Regulator could use to fairly redistribute funds throughout the football pyramid.  It scores clubs based on four key indicators of long-term stability: financial sustainability, good governance, equality standards, and fan engagement.

Implementing the Fair Game Index would incentivise good governance, rewarding well-run clubs with financial benefits. This would offer clubs like Wigan a vital lifeline, encouraging a more sustainable future for football.