Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Digital, Culture,
Media and Sport) (): The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media
and Sport announced an independent fan-led review of football
governance on 19 April. This will be chaired by the Honourable
Member for Chatham and Aylesford.
This manifesto commitment followed a number of high profile club
collapses in recent years, including Bury Football Club which
resulted in its expulsion from the English Football League.
Football clubs are integral parts of our local communities and it
is vital that they are protected. The European Super League
proposals, which would have been detrimental to the entire
football pyramid, demonstrated that now is the right time to
launch the review.
The Government has now published the Terms of Reference(opens in
a new tab) for the review. It will seek to make recommendations
on ways to improve the governance, ownership and financial
sustainability of clubs in English football, building on the
strengths of the football pyramid. This will include examining
the Owners' and Directors’ Tests, exploring ownership models from
other countries, and assessing the merits of an independent
regulator.
Football begins and ends with fans and we have seen that
passionately displayed over the past few days, with clubs being
the beating heart of their communities. This review will help put
football on a firmer footing for the future and ensure that
supporters’ voices are heard.
