Asked by
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of
the “Project Big Picture” proposals for reforming the governance
of English football.
(Lab) [V]
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question in my name on the Order
Paper and refer to my interests declared in the register.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport () (Con)
My Lords, it is clear that this proposal has not been cleared
with all those affected. We strongly urge the Premier League and
the EFL to continue to work constructively to come up with a deal
that provides a comprehensive package of support for the whole
football family. The Government promised a fan-led review of
football governance in their manifesto. Events of the past few
weeks have made this look more essential than ever.
(Lab) [V]
My Lords, I congratulate the Minister on that reply, with the
contents of which I completely agree. The overriding priority is
to agree a rescue package for members of the English Football
League, especially those in the lower level, which can generally
be regarded as community clubs and are in the deepest trouble. I
am sure that she agrees that it makes no sense to use the present
emergency as cover for a power and money grab by the wealthiest,
mostly foreign-owned, clubs in the Premier League. Can she say a
bit more about the fan-led review of football governance to which
she referred? Will that consider proposals for a national
football board, charged with distributing the wealth in the game
more fairly and evenly?
(Con)
The noble Lord is right that this proposal risks conflating some
of the governance issues with the immediate financial pressures
that many in the football family are facing. The fan-led review
that we have committed to will include consideration of the
owners and directors tests but, more broadly, we are currently
deciding on the scope and structure of the review and will liaise
with football authorities while we do this.
(Lab)
I declare my interest as a director of Carlisle United Football
Club. Prior to the pandemic, on a typical weekend, more
spectators attended Football League matches than Premier League
matches. How therefore can the hard-pressed lower-league clubs
make up for that loss of income?
(Con)
The Government absolutely recognise the financial pressure that
the decision to delay the reopening of football has placed on
lower-league clubs. The English Football League has reassured my
right honourable friend the Secretary of State that no club will
go bust, and we look forward to seeing the Premier League and the
English Football League come up with a solution.
(CB)
Would the Minister agree that, with the major financial
challenges facing many teams as a result of the Covid
restrictions and the need to fund grass-roots football, the game
clearly needs restructuring from top to bottom? But this should
not be driven by foreign owners who march to the drum of private
equity and profit. Leadership should come from the Premier League
itself, which has the national game at heart. Who is going to be
that leader?
(Con)
The noble Lord asks a very good question. As I am sure he knows,
the structure of the Premier League requires a two-thirds
majority for any decision. We have been clear about the
importance of the fan-led review of the governance and structural
issues that football faces, and we have provided reassurance
recently to the national league that support from the Government
will be forthcoming.
(Lab) [V]
My Lords, it has long been clear that there is a problem with the
financing and governance of English football, which Covid has
exacerbated and the absence of fans has really highlighted. When
will the Government bring forward their much-promised fan-led
review, so that we can meaningfully address the structural
challenges ahead? What plans do the Government have to ensure
that there is a fair distribution of funding throughout the
entire football pyramid—otherwise clubs such as Macclesfield will
go bust, and the guarantees that the league has given that other
clubs will not go bust will count for very little?
(Con)
I am not sure whether the noble Lord heard my right honourable
friend the Secretary of State before the Select Committee this
morning, but he was clear about the priority that he places on
the fan-led review. We are clear that there is a short-term
financial issue facing the football family, which the Premier
League and the English Football League need to get together to
sort out. Longer term, the fan-led review will be a crucial part
of addressing some of the other structural issues to which the
noble Lord referred.
(LD)
My Lords, would the Minister agree that one important factor in
the current structure of English football is the possibility of
promotion to the top table—or rather the “vague possibility”, in
certain cases? Will the Government preserve that at all costs,
because the ultimate capitalistic model of the sport is of a
closed league, where you have guaranteed fixtures and a
guaranteed income from television revenue, and I do not think
that we want that?
(Con)
I would guess that the prospects for promotion depend a little on
who you support—but I leave it to each noble Lord individually to
decide on that. We are clear that the principles of fair
competition must prevail as we move forward with the review.
(Lab) [V]
My Lords, the way in which the owners of the big six clubs are
behaving is, frankly, a disgrace. They are exploiting the
catastrophic impact of the pandemic on the Football League clubs
to make a massive power grab. At no point have they consulted
fans during this shocking episode, despite these proposals being
three years in the making. The Government’s proposed
supporter-led review of football governance is now urgently
needed, as others have said. The Minister did not answer my noble
friend Lord Bassam’s question as to when the Government will
commence the review. Will she consult supporters’ groups now on
the terms of reference and scope and structure that she mentioned
earlier?
(Con)
The noble Lord is right about the lack of inclusion of
supporters’ groups in the proposal that has been discussed widely
in the media. On timing, we do not have a firm date, but we are
committed to consulting all stakeholders as we prepare that
review and, clearly, fans are an important part of that.
(Non-Afl) [V]
My Lords, the Minister rightly described football clubs as being
akin to a large family. The Premier League is awash with cash,
and the wages of the top players are eye-watering, while those at
the bottom are often living hand to mouth and relying on the
turnstile each week to keep the club afloat. Any family worth its
salt lends a helping hand to those family members falling on hard
times. Does the Minister accept that, if no equitable agreement
is reached, the Government have a duty on behalf of the fans to
intervene to protect the seed corn of the beautiful game as we go
forward?
(Con)
Well, the noble Lord is right. So many football clubs do a huge
amount within their communities beyond the game itself, but the
Government’s role is to bring the two sides together. My right
honourable friend the Secretary of State and the Minister for
Sport have met both sides and are clear that this needs to
happen—and happen quickly. On the support we are providing, I
have already said that the Government have provided reassurance
for the national league clubs.
(Lab)
Does the Minister agree that one unfortunate characteristic of
football in our country for many years has been the inexorable
concentration of wealth and power among a small number of elite
clubs? Is it not inevitable that the current plan will make a
smaller Premier League harder to get into and, unless you are one
of the privileged six, much easier to fall out of? Will not that
further damage the game by increasing even more the gulf between
the elite and everyone else?
(Con)
The Government have been very clear about their scepticism and
concern about the proposed deal, and have described it, I think,
as a distraction at best.
(CB)
Does the Minister agree with the view of the combined fan groups
of the big six that, while reform may be needed, it must be done
in consultation with fans, power must not be concentrated in the
hands of six billionaire owners, and there should be no departure
from the one-club, one-vote and collective ethos of the Premier
League?
(Con)
We are very struck by the fact that those fan groups have come
out so strongly, and we welcome their remarks.
