Football Governance Mr Speaker Before I call the Minister to make a
statement on the Government’s response to the fan-led review of
football governance, I must put on record my disappointment that
the Government have apparently already trailed their response
extensively to the media. It seems to me that we have a courteous
Minister, but somehow Downing Street seems to ignore him and
decides to put everything that the House should hear first out to
the media. It is...Request free trial
Football
Governance
Mr Speaker
Before I call the Minister to make a statement on the
Government’s response to the fan-led review of football
governance, I must put on record my disappointment that the
Government have apparently already trailed their response
extensively to the media. It seems to me that we have a courteous
Minister, but somehow Downing Street seems to ignore him and
decides to put everything that the House should hear first out to
the media. It is not satisfactory. It is discourteous, not only
to the House but to the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford
(), who has put in so much work
in this area. It is very disappointing that anybody could believe
that she should be cut out. When she catches my eye, she will be
given more time to put her case about all the hard work that she
has done.
This might just be a lesson for the Government to stop being
discourteous. Think about the people who get elected—those on
both sides of the House. I do not blame the Minister, as I know
that Downing Street loves getting these messages out on a Sunday
night, but why has it not recognised that even the Prime Minister
is a Member of this House? It might be good for us all to hear
things first. As I say, the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford
would not normally be given extra time, but I reassure her and
the House that more time will be given to her.
4.38pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture,
Media and Sport ()
First, I accept your comments, Mr Speaker—I certainly mean no
discourtesy to this House—and I will have discussions about them
with colleagues. With permission, I would like to make a
statement setting out the Government’s response to the
independent fan-led review of football governance. This is
further to my written statement issued earlier today. The
Government’s response has been provided in hard copy to the Vote
Office, and I will place a copy in the Libraries of both
Houses.
First, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and
Aylesford () for all her hard work, and
indeed I thank the entire panel for their diligence on the
review. I also thank colleagues from across the House and all
stakeholders who have debated these matters at length—in many
cases for a number of years. Most importantly, I want to thank
the dozens of clubs and thousands of football fans from across
the country who contributed to the review. They sit at the heart
of the review and our response to it.
Football is a defining part of our national identity and has been
a central part of British life for over a century. English
football has had some extraordinary success. Our premier league
has grown to become the most watched sports league in the world.
However, good governance of our clubs has not kept pace with that
expansion and development. The football pyramid has come under
threat in recent times, with clubs risking collapse. Many fans
have felt alienated from their clubs. It is obvious that reform
is needed to keep our national game alive and thriving.
The Government have already taken strong action to support the
reform of football. This includes financial support to help clubs
through the pandemic, and amendments to competition law to
provide financial stability to English football. We also
committed to undertaking a review of football governance in our
manifesto—a review led by fans, for fans, to protect the future
of professional football in this country. In late November, the
independent fan-led review of football governance published its
report. I am today pleased to announce the publication of the
Government’s response to that report. Our response acknowledges
the clear case for reform and sets out our approach to moving
forward. It marks a significant step in protecting our national
game. Today, I am confirming that the Government will introduce
an independent regulator for football, in law, as part of a wider
plan for reform. An independent regulator is just one of 10
strategic recommendations set out in the report. I am pleased to
say that the Government will endorse all of the review’s
strategic recommendations. Some are for the Government to
implement, and some are for the football authorities to take
forward. We expect them to take action, too.
As well as surveying thousands of fans directly, the review
benefited from over 100 hours of engagement, involving
representatives of over 130 clubs. This all built a clear picture
of the challenges in the game. The review, and our response, are
for the fans who make our national game what it is, and without
whom football would be nothing. To coincide with the response, we
are also publishing the findings of a Government-commissioned
study by academics and football finance experts Kieran Maguire
and Christina Philippou. Their analysis confirms that there is a
widespread issue of fragile finances across English football
clubs, and that action is needed to secure the sustainability of
the game.
The sum total of our plans amounts to significant reform. In our
response, we are committing to publishing a White Paper in the
summer, which will set out further details of the implementation
of this reform. Through a new financial regulation regime, the
regulator will usher in a new era of financial competency and
sustainability for our clubs. We also recognise that who runs our
football clubs goes hand in hand with how they are run, so the
regulator will establish a new owners and directors test,
replacing the three existing tests, in order to ensure that only
good custodians and qualified directors can run these vital
community assets. The strengthened test will include a new
integrity test. Recent events have shown the importance of our
having confidence in the custodians of our football clubs.
Fans have a crucial role to play in the future of football in
this country, and for that reason we believe that fans should be
properly consulted by their clubs on key decisions. The regulator
will therefore set a licence condition that sets out a minimum
level of fan engagement to ensure that clubs are meaningfully
engaging fans. We also acknowledge the crucial role that football
clubs play in the identity of this country, particularly in the
communities that are so intrinsically linked with their local
team. The stadium, colours and badge are an integral part of
that. We therefore believe that they should have additional
protections. That includes a mechanism requiring fans to consent
before any changes are made to those key items.
Our manifesto commitment was instigated by the financial jeopardy
that so many clubs were being pushed into. The long-term health
of professional football in this country is dependent on fairer
distributions throughout the football pyramid. That is why we
agree that the Premier League should strengthen its support
across the football pyramid. We expect further action from the
football authorities on this important recommendation. If they do
not come to an agreement on financial flows through the pyramid,
we reserve the right for the regulator to have powers in this
area.
Football also needs to ensure that there is a clear and
supportive pathway for players. That is why we agree with the
recommendation that the welfare of players exiting the game needs
to be better protected. I have asked the football authorities to
act with urgency on that matter.
Taking forward those recommendations and securing the future of
football is a key priority of this Government, but that priority
stretches beyond Government. The review contains actions
specifically for the Football Association, the Premier League,
the English Football League and the Professional Footballers’
Association, on which we expect to see action, without waiting
for Government legislation.
The majority of the review looked at issues related to the men’s
game. Women’s football has gone from strength to strength over
the past few years, with a record number of tickets sold for this
year’s European women’s championship to be hosted here in
England. The Government have shown that we are right behind
women’s sport in every aspect, so we will launch a dedicated
review of women’s football in this country.
As well as the women’s football review, I am pleased to confirm
that the FIFA women’s World cup and UEFA European women’s
championship finals will be added to the listed events regime. As
a result, the tournaments will continue to be available to
free-to-air television broadcasters, hopefully inspiring the next
generation of Lucy Bronzes and Ellen Whites.
The changes that we have set out represent a real turning point
for football and will have a considerable impact on clubs. It is
crucial that we get this right to give confidence to fans and
future investors. That is why we will set out further details on
how reforms will be implemented in a White Paper in the summer,
and we are committed to legislating to make football reform a
reality. We will implement the reforms as soon as possible.
We are paving the way for a more sustainable, accountable and
responsible future for football—one that ensures that fans are
front and centre of our national game. I commend this statement
to the House.
4.47pm
(Manchester, Withington)
(Lab)
I thank the Minister for his statement and for advance sight of
it. I also thank the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford
() and all those who
contributed to her excellent and timely review of our national
game.
I welcome the confirmation that the Government are supporting the
strategic recommendations of the fan-led review. Labour has been
calling for the plans to be fully implemented ever since the
review was published and, in particular, for the independent
regulator for English football, which is key to reform. But
however the Government try to spin it, today’s announcement of a
White Paper and further delay will come as a disappointment to
fans.
The fan-led review was a rigorous and wide-ranging piece of work,
based on engagement with every possible interest group alongside
more than 20,000 individual fan responses to a survey, and
supported by an expert advisory panel from the world of football.
As the Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and
Sport, the hon. Member for Croydon South (), rightly said when doing the
media rounds this morning,
“there has been huge input from fans up and down the
country”.
Eleven years after the Culture, Media and Sport Committee report,
three years after the collapse of Bury, a year after the
disastrous European super league proposal and five months after
the publication of the fan-led review, we do not need further
consultation or a road map. We need a clear timetable and new
legislation to be included in the Queen’s Speech in 15 days’
time.
The need for urgent action is clear. Oldham Athletic were
relegated from the English football league on Saturday after
years of mismanagement ending in fan protests. Derby County are
in ongoing crisis and were relegated from the championship this
week—not because the players are not good enough, but because of
bad owner management and governance. Those two historic clubs,
founding members of the premier and football leagues
respectively, have been hit hard because of reckless owners.
In the wake of the Ukraine war and sanctions, Chelsea are in
limbo. Many supporters want the review recommendations to be
incorporated in the club’s sale. The Government are missing an
opportunity to embed fan representation, as recommended in the
review, and give supporters a say on changes to the heritage
assets of their club.
The Minister’s statement, although welcome, left some questions
unanswered. The Minister could not rule out to the Select
Committee recently that a regulator might be located within the
FA. Can he do so now? We believe that it is vital for the
regulator to be truly independent.
The statement confirmed that the Government are accepting all 10
of the strategic recommendations. That is good, but can the
Minister confirm that the Government support the 47 detailed
recommendations in the report? Perhaps more importantly, are
there any that they do not support?
The announcement today will do nothing to break the impasse on
the redistribution of funding. The fan-led review gave the
Premier League and the EFL until the end of 2021 to work it out
between them, but that has not happened: the bodies have not been
able to come to an agreement for months. If they fail, the review
proposes action from the regulator, but on the current
timescale—unless the Minister can tell me otherwise—a regulator
will not be in place until at least 2024. At what point will he
intervene urgently to get the Premier League and the EFL to an
agreement?
The dedicated review of women’s football, which was an important
recommendation in the review, is really welcome. Can the Minister
give any more detail on who will chair it, what timescale it
might follow and how its recommendations will be taken forward in
due course?
The Government have said all along, quite rightly, that they
accept in principle the proposals in the review, so let us get on
with it. We are already too late for Bury, Derby and Oldham. If
further clubs go under or suffer because of delays to the
implementation of the review, responsibility will rest partly on
the Government’s shoulders. The Labour party is happy to work
with the Government to find space for legislation sooner rather
than later. The right result is already clear; we do not need
extra time. For the future of our national game, let us see
legislation in the Queen’s Speech and action as quickly as
possible.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments. May I put on record
my thanks and gratitude for the genuinely positive and
constructive tone that we have had from him, from the Opposition
DCMS team and from Members across the House?
There is a clear cross-party intent to move forward. I can say
definitely to the hon. Gentleman that there is no intent to
delay: we want to move forward as soon as possible. A White Paper
is not an unusual step to take in bringing legislation to the
House. It will also give others the opportunity to make
additional comments as we move to the final stages of what is one
of the most fundamental transformations in English football.
It is important that we get this right. It is incredibly complex:
we will be bringing in incredible rigour and discipline,
particularly financial discipline, for clubs, which has not
happened before. If we were expected to bring in regulation
tomorrow, it could cause considerable difficulty for clubs that
may not currently be in a position to prove the level of
discipline and rigour in their finances that we would seek in a
new world with more financial regulation. We have to do it at the
right time and give adequate notice. That being said, we want to
move at speed, and the team at DDCMS are all working on many of
the aspects that the hon. Gentleman raises.
On many of the hon. Gentleman’s points, further details will be
coming in the White Paper. In the next few weeks, we will also
announce further details on the review of the women’s game; the
game has some similar issues but many different issues, so it is
right that there is a separate review. We will continue to put
pressure on the Premier League and others to move forward in the
many areas that the hon. Gentleman identified that do not require
regulation. For example, we expect many entities to move forward
in the areas of financial distribution, fan engagement and
heritage assets. Football entities can continue to move those
matters forward, and I am sure that the whole House will continue
to bring pressure on them to do so. I thank the hon. Gentleman
for his genuinely constructive comments and welcome the overall
support that we are hearing from the Opposition.
(Chatham and Aylesford)
(Con)
I am grateful to Mr Speaker for his comments at the start of the
statement. I appreciate that with Chorley in the play-offs, he
has a deep interest in the future of football.
With great community clubs such as Buckhurst Hill and Epping Town
in your constituency, Madam Deputy Speaker, I know that you share
the concerns and thoughts of many colleagues. I will not test
your patience; I will take just a minute or so, because I
recognise that hon. Members have a lot to say and I know that I
will be having a meeting with the Minister to go through some of
the detail of the report.
Regardless of any result on the pitch over the weekend, today is
a good day for football fans. There has long been concern about
the regulation and governance of football clubs throughout the
English football pyramid, much of which has come on the back of
various crises that in some cases have seen the disintegration of
clubs as a result of financial mismanagement. That led to the
fan-led review of football, which I was privileged to chair.
I am enormously pleased that the Government have accepted, or
support, all 10 strategic recommendations set out in the review,
including the fundamental proposal to establish an independent
regulator free from the vested and conflicted interests that
currently govern the game. It is perfectly possible to celebrate
the global success of English football while at the same time
having deep concerns about the fragility of the wider foundations
of the game. The implementation of better regulation, stronger
governance and more involvement for fans will not threaten the
success of our game, but will make it stronger than ever.
All that said, I am concerned about the timeframe for
implementation, and—with your indulgence, Madam Deputy
Speaker—seek clarity on a few points.
Will the Minister confirm that the White Paper will be published
this side of the summer recess? “Summer” can mean a lot of things
in Government parlance, including, quite often, what we, the
public, think of as autumn. Will the Minister rule out the
housing of the independent regulator in the FA? Can he clarify
whether the owners’ and directors’ test will be split into two,
as recommended in the review? Does he share my disappointment
that there has been no progress in respect of discussions between
the football authorities on redistribution and parachute
payments? Will he outline his position on the transfer solidarity
levy? Finally, the review was clear about the fact that fans
should have a right of consent as part of the golden share on
heritage items, but the Government’s response was less clear in
that regard. Will the Minister confirm that there will be a veto
for fans on heritage matters?
There is much in today’s announcement on which to congratulate
the Government, and I pay particular tribute to the officials who
have worked so hard on this response. Momentum is on the side of
reform, but, like most football fans, I am always fearful of two
things: one-nil score lines with time to play, and games that
head into extra time. Given that both football and politics can
be volatile and vulnerable to sudden change, I urge the
Government to nail the win for millions of fans across the
pyramid, and deliver the reforms as quickly as possible.
I thank my hon. Friend for all her work, not just her work on the
recent review but the passion for football that she has shown
ever since she came into Parliament—and, indeed, before. I also
thank her for acknowledging the hard work of the officials who,
in many cases, have been working on this for a number of
years.
My hon. Friend was right to draw attention to the complexities
involved. I completely understand the potential frustration over
the timing of implementation, but, as I said to the hon. Member
for Manchester, Withington (), this is a complex process.
However, we will be producing a White Paper, and we will be
outlining further details shortly. I note my hon. Friend’s
comments about the definition of “summer”, and I will put the
pressure on in order to bring back further information as soon as
possible.
I think that in her report my hon. Friend left open the
possibility of the FA’s being a home for the regulator at some
time in the future. We explicitly did not rule in or out any
individual entity, but there will clearly be requirements in
terms of the scope, responsibilities, duties and purpose of the
regulator, and it is therefore highly likely that some entities
will be eligible and others will not. I shall be able to comment
on that in due course, in particular to the Select Committee.
Many members of that Committee, and indeed many Members of the
House, have expressly said that they would not like the FA to
take on those responsibilities, although it will obviously
continue to have other responsibilities.
My hon. Friend referred to financial redistributions. The
Secretary of State and I had meetings with Rick Parry of the
English Football League and Richard Masters of the Premier League
just last week, when we reiterated the need for them to reach
some agreement as a matter of urgency. As per my hon. Friend’s
recommendation, if they do not do so we will act, and we expect
to see action before the White Paper is released in the summer.
We are hoping to see movement, but if there is no movement,
dealing with that will be another role for the regulator.
There will indeed be licensing conditions in these areas,
including conditions relating to fan engagement and to heritage
assets. The precise nature of those will be determined, and could
vary depending on the league and the level in the club. We do not
want to be too prescriptive at this point.
I look forward to engaging with my hon. Friend on many occasions
in the coming weeks.
(Eltham) (Lab)
I, too, pay tribute to the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford
(). I really do not understand
what the Minister expects to find out from a White Paper that the
fan-led review did not find out. What is it that he is seeking to
eke out from whoever did not respond to or support the fan-led
review? He says that finances are fragile. He has been in the
room with the Premier League and the EFL together, as he has just
said, so he knows that they are miles apart on the issue of
parachute payments. They are distorting the football league and
that needs to end. The Government need to make a decision about
parachute payments and not keep kicking the can down the road and
relying on an agreement between the Premier League and the
football league.
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his passion for all things
football, but I would not want to underestimate the complexity of
what we are trying to do here. The need for a White Paper is not
an unusual part of the parliamentary process. In fact, I suspect
that if we had not proposed a White Paper, I would now be accused
by the Opposition of not bringing one in. It is an important part
of the process. We can announce the regulator and the scope of
the regulator, but we then come to the complexities of its scale,
where is it located, what its roles and responsibilities are and
what the sanctioning regime and appeals process should be. All
those things still need to be thought out, and we have to ensure
that we do it carefully because we have one chance to get this
right.
(Staffordshire Moorlands)
(Con)
I, too, pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and
Aylesford () for a fantastic piece of
work. I know that football fans across the country will be
thrilled today. I am thinking about Leek Town, in the eighth tier
of the pyramid, which will be very pleased to see the pyramid
being strengthened by this work. I want to ask a question about
the regulator. In my experience, regulators do not always deliver
what Government Ministers want them to deliver. Given that this
is an issue of finance, may I urge the Minister to look at
successful financial regulation and perhaps base the regulator
model on that?
I thank my right hon. Friend for those comments; I know that she
has deep expertise and interest in this area. She is absolutely
right, and we will be looking at models as we develop the
regulator role. We have seen the Financial Conduct Authority, for
example, and its role with the integrity test. There are a lot of
things out there that we will genuinely try to learn from, so
that we do not have to start from scratch. We will leverage
expertise—there is considerable expertise at DCMS and throughout
Government on establishing regulators—but we will also learn the
lessons of the past.
(Glasgow East) (SNP)
I speak here perhaps less as a Scottish MP and more as probably
the sole Glasgow East member of Fleetwood Town supporters club. I
want to draw attention to pages five and six of the statement, in
which the Minister talks about financial distribution through the
pyramid. The fact that he has not given that power to the
regulator is something that would alarm a lot of people, and
would he agree that this is not so much a parachute payment as a
trampoline payment?
As I outlined, and as the review recommends, we should let
football try to find a solution wherever possible. If it cannot
find a solution, there will be a backstop. That is what we are
proposing.
(Ashford) (Con)
I congratulate the Minister, particularly on his wisdom in
recognising that when faced with a series of suggestions from my
hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (), it is easier and quicker
just to say yes straightaway. I am a fan of a team in the
championship, Reading, that is delighted—and quite relieved—to be
in the championship next season as well. What all fans of teams
at every level want is a greater voice for fans, better
management, better tests for people who take over clubs, and also
to maintain the standards of the premier league as the genuinely
world-class competition that it has become since it was created.
Can my hon. Friend reassure me that at all levels of the game,
including at the top, there will be benefits from the new system
of governance?
My right hon. Friend makes some pertinent and wise points,
including his first point. He is absolutely right that football
is a British success story, and the premier league in particular
is something we should all be proud of. It is incredibly
successful around the world and brings in a lot of money for the
UK economy. Establishing greater stability and sustainability
across the whole of the football pyramid is good for football
overall, including the premier league. The premier league does
distribute money, and we are grateful for that, but we would like
to see it do a little bit more.
(Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)
I have repeatedly raised with the Minister the impact on
Newcastle United fans of the Premier League’s arrogance and lack
of accountability, so I welcome his recognition of the need for
reform. Will he confirm whether this further delay is at the
behest of the Premier League? Does he agree that it is
unacceptable for the Premier League to stand in the way of
football fans, and that it is particularly distasteful given its
policy director’s recent fine for partying while football fans,
and indeed the rest of the country, were in lockdown?
I am afraid the hon. Lady is misinterpreting what I have outlined
today. We are pursuing a process, and we have not announced
delays; we have announced a route forward. A White Paper is a
perfectly reasonable step that we have to take because these are
complex issues. We will move forward on all these important
areas.
(Folkestone and Hythe)
(Con)
If football clubs were already trading within the rules of their
competitions, as my hon. Friend knows, many of them would not get
into difficulty. Will he confirm the key points of principle that
the regulator will have the power to access real-time financial
information from the clubs to see whether they are trading within
the rules and that the owners and directors test will not only
apply at the point of purchase? He has spoken of licensing
conditions several times. Can he confirm that, from the outset,
the regulator will be issuing licences that can be rescinded if
the clubs do not comply?
I can confirm each of those points, particularly the last one. A
licensing regime is exactly that: a person must abide by the
conditions in order to get a licence. My hon. Friend’s other
points are similarly accurate, including on the principle of an
owners and directors test. One problem is that there is an owners
and directors test only when a club is sold. We will be looking
at greater frequency, for the reasons he outlined.
(Warrington North)
(Lab)
I am sure the Minister will join me in congratulating Warrington
Rylands, who won promotion over the weekend as champions of
northern premier league west, and in sending best wishes to
Warrington Town, who are in the play-offs tomorrow for promotion
from the northern premier league.
Both teams aspire to become league clubs, which would be
absolutely huge for football in Warrington, but media reports
suggest that the Government plan to leave the redistribution of
wealth throughout the football pyramid to the football
authorities, rather than implementing the review’s recommendation
for a solidarity transfer levy. Given that, after months, the
Premier League and the EFL have not been able to agree on this
recommendation, will the Minister personally intervene to secure
a solution rather than waiting for action from a regulator that
does not yet exist?
I join the hon. Lady in congratulating the Warrington teams—there
is obviously something in the water up there.
I repeat that the Secretary of State and I have already had
conversations with the Premier League and the EFL, and we have
requested that they work together to try to find a solution on
redistribution. If they do not come to a conclusion, we reserve
the right for that to be part of the regulator’s
responsibilities. I make it clear that there will be changes to
financial distribution. It is a matter of when and exactly how,
but it will happen.
(Stroud) (Con)
I join the praise for my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and
Aylesford () for her incredible work for
football. As she says, this is a good day for football fans.
I also extend my congratulations to Forest Green Rovers, who were
promoted to League One this weekend. There are some very happy
local fans, and fan engagement has been crucial to getting to
this point and to influencing the review’s recommendations. Will
football fans be able to comment further and be heard ahead of
the legislation coming before the House?
I congratulate Forest Green Rovers, too. My hon. Friend makes the
important point that we are all here because fans were at the
heart of the review. I will continue to engage with both fans and
clubs, which is one of the advantages of a White Paper. As we get
closer to the final details just before legislation, there will
be an opportunity for fans to comment, which is good.
(Gateshead) (Lab)
I also thank and congratulate the hon. Member for Chatham and
Aylesford (). I declare an interest as
chair of the all-party parliamentary group for football
supporters, the secretariat of which is provided by the Football
Supporters Federation.
The review was published in November, and we welcome the
announcement of an independent regulator, but the list of
failures, points deductions and relegations grows. The English
Football League’s clubs are laden with debt and outspending
receipts on players’ wages, and the FA is in hock to the Premier
League and is paralysed by self-interest and sectional interests.
Why the delay? The fans of many clubs want to know. When we say
“act now”, we mean: bring forward a Bill that can be discussed in
Parliament in the next Session. The review included significant
consultation, so why delay any further? Such a delay has the
potential to allow more horses to bolt and again it might be too
late to close stable doors. Let me add that Gateshead play away
to Chorley next Monday, hoping to clinch the national league
north title.
I fear we may be playing club bingo in the Chamber today, Madam
Deputy Speaker. I assure the hon. Gentleman that the intention is
to move forward as soon and as fast as possible, but I would not
want to underplay the complexity of what we are doing or the
scale of the changes we are proposing today—that requires that we
get this right.
(Epsom and Ewell) (Con)
I join right hon. and hon. Members in congratulating my hon.
Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford on doing a fantastic
job and having a real influence in the future direction of the
game. I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’
Financial Interests, as a regular, but very frustrated this
season, Manchester United supporter. However, my focus today is
very much on the small non-league clubs and even the mini leagues
in the areas such as the one I represent, which drive the
football pyramid. Their role is crucial in encouraging young
people to get involved in playing football and involved in the
sport. As the Minister puts together his White Paper, may I ask
him to make sure that he has that in mind? We need to protect
small clubs and the role they play in their communities and in
encouraging a new generation into sport.
My right hon. Friend is making some important points. Of course
we do not forget the importance of the grassroots and the
non-league games, and the Government are investing in the
grassroots, with new facilities right across the country. He
makes a point about the viability of the overall pyramid and
therefore the trickle down, including through schemes such as the
Football Foundation. That is vital, which is why financial
sustainability and success at the top is expected to help the
entire pyramid.
(Caithness, Sutherland and
Easter Ross) (LD)
I am a Scot and a highlander, so those in the Chamber will not be
surprised to learn that I support Ross County. Ross County very
nearly won a Scottish cup final but we were pipped to the post by
Dundee United. It was 15 May 2010 and I remain deeply traumatised
by the result; I was there and I was greatly saddened. My point
is this: from little acorns mighty oaks can grow. It was not
always thus with Ross County, as I can remember them being
thrashed by Rangers in the 1960s—
(Glasgow East) (SNP)
And Airdrie!
That is quite enough from the hon. Gentleman seated behind me. I
accept what the Minister is saying about the Government’s good
intention on this front, but I seek reassurance that the clubs in
the lower divisions are being consulted to the maximum point they
can be, because they are vital to this equation being solved.
Yes, I assure the hon. Gentleman about that. More than 20,000
people responded to the review, and 120 clubs were also
consulted. I travel up and down the country to consult clubs on
an ongoing basis, as indeed pretty much everybody in the Chamber
does. That always feeds back; the fans’ views really matter to us
here. He is also alluding to the point that success at the top
absolutely needs to trickle down. It is vital that that works and
we want all levels of football to excel.
(Stoke-on-Trent South)
(Con)
I very much welcome these announcements. Our local clubs in
Stoke-on-Trent, both Stoke City and Port Vale, are generally very
well run and do huge amounts for our communities across the city.
Does my hon. Friend therefore agree that it is important that we
see this good practice and the investment that goes into our
communities rolled out across all clubs, that clubs lead by
example and that they take from those fantastic examples we see
in Stoke-on-Trent?
My hon. Friend is right that football clubs play a pivotal role
in our communities, and not only in terms of the sport—we saw
during the pandemic the role that they played. I recently had the
privilege of going to some EFL awards, where it was communicated
to me that more than 4 million hours of volunteering have been
provided by just those 72 football clubs in the past year. What
an incredible contribution that is, and long may it continue.
(Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)
Lancashire is home to many great football clubs, but we often
have great rivalries. Last week, I received a letter from Andy
Higgins, the chairperson of Blackpool Supporters Trust, and the
week before that I met Steve Curwood, the chief exec at Fleetwood
Town football club. The one thing they agree on is that the
financial pyramid is not working. With the Premier League and EFL
in an absolute logjam, is the Minister perhaps naively optimistic
in thinking that the football authorities will be able to resolve
this issue internally?
I am definitely usually a “glass half full” rather than “glass
half empty” person, which I think is a good way to go through
life. I do not think I can be accused of being naively
optimistic, but I do believe that the football authorities have a
responsibility and an obligation to put their house in order and
take action. If they do not, action will be taken against
them.
(Wimbledon) (Con)
AFC Wimbledon is a living example of a football club that has
been rebuilt by fans and the community after its heritage was
taken away. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and
Aylesford () for all her work. In her
contribution, she mentioned how the Government’s definition of
“summer” is sometimes moveable; the Government’s definition of
“engagement” is also sometimes moveable. Will the Minister be
clear that when the White Paper comes out, there will be a
condition to set out clearly what fans should expect from their
engagement?
I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. He is right that
engagement could mean different things to different people. That
is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as we set a minimum
level, and that will be the condition. We will look at licensing
conditions, and fan engagement for, say, a top-end premier league
club might be different from that for a club further down the
pyramid. Indeed, expectations of engagement might also change. We
will set some minimal conditions and, although one model may not
fit all, there will definitely be changes.
(Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)
May I say well done to the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford
()? My hon. Friend the Member
for Liverpool, West Derby () would have liked to be here—he
has done a lot with fans and supporters—but he is at a Select
Committee hearing.
For all of us who want to see fan engagement embedded in the
game, there will be real concern about the Government’s delay.
Will the Minister reassure fans that in the time we are waiting
for legislation, vested interests will not have Ministers’ ears,
and that we will see the implementation of all the
recommendations in the fan-led review?
The very fact that we are making the announcements we are making
today, which are fundamental to and transformative for English
football, shows that vested interests have not had a huge say.
The review was led by fans and what was in their best interests,
and that will continue.
(Colne Valley) (Con)
I am a very happy Huddersfield Town season ticket holder as we
get ready for the championship play-offs. I am also delighted as
a Golcar United non-league season ticket holder, because the
village was promoted from the north-west counties league division
one this season. However, I am aware of the misery suffered by
the fans of other clubs, such as Derby, Bury and, as we saw at
the weekend, Oldham Athletic. I welcome the clear commitment to
fairer funding among the leagues and to the introduction of an
independent regulator, but will the Minister say how the review
and the proposals will ensure that the fans of local clubs do not
have to suffer again the poor governance that has put their clubs
under threat and even seen them go out of existence?
My hon. Friend makes valid points. That is at the heart of what
we are doing. The role of the regulator is to be there not in and
of itself but for a purpose, which is to make sure that football
is sustainable in the long run. Many elements, including
financial regulation, governance, engagement with fans and the
treatment of heritage assets, will be fundamental to the
licensing condition, and there will, of course, be a new owners
and directors test. All that together should ensure there is much
less chance of clubs getting into difficulty, whether financial
or related to their treatment of the fanbase. Our package should
achieve the very things my hon. Friend is looking for.
(Oldham East and
Saddleworth) (Lab)
I too pay tribute to my friend the hon. Member for Chatham and
Aylesford () for all the work that she
has done. Unfortunately, as we have already heard, Oldham
Athletic is the first founding member of the Premier League to
drop out of the football league. It has hit many of the town’s
fans hard.
I share the concerns about the delay, but I also have a question
to ask on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Member for
Ashton-under-Lyne () and my hon. Friend the
Member for Oldham West and Royton (). Can the Minister be more
specific about how long it will take to reverse the position of
wealth sitting at the top of football and failing to be
redistributed down to the lower leagues, and of allowing rogue
owners to use clubs as their personal playthings?
I have a great deal of sympathy for Oldham fans. The hon. Lady
makes some important points. Many of the proposals we have
outlined should help to ensure that that kind of situation does
not happen in future. As I have said repeatedly today, what I am
announcing is progress and how we are moving forward. I have to
push back against the narrative of delay; this is about how we
are moving forward.
(North Swindon) (Con)
I too pay tribute to my fellow Panini football sticker collector,
my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (), for the fantastic work that
she has done and for the fact that there is general consensus on
the majority of the recommendations. We must not lose sight of
the fact that the premier league is the most successful football
league in the world, while the championship is the fourth-biggest
league. If MPs are the answer, that fills me with trepidation.
There is a reason why we are not all football managers and
pundits. Does the Minister agree that the Premier League, the EFL
and the FA need to read the room and crack on pretty quickly?
I agree with my hon. Friend, and we have sent that message. I am
not sure I agree that there are no football pundits in this
House, however; I think there are quite a few sitting just a few
feet from me.
(Batley and Spen) (Lab)
I am very happy Huddersfield Town fan today, following our latest
victory, but I hope the Minister will join me in also
congratulating Liversedge football club in my constituency, who
were crowned league champions at the weekend. It is a fine
example of a community club doing lots of good things in the
constituency.
Having recently joined the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford
() on the pitch against the
Afghan women’s football team, may I say what a great team player
she is, and praise her for her excellent report? I support the
report’s call for a new code for football club governance. Will
the Minister ensure that such a code will apply to all clubs and
include additional minimum requirements relating to directors,
equality and diversity, fan engagement, welfare, and
stewardship?
The hon. Lady raises many points. I also had the pleasure of
meeting the Afghan team the other day, and I am glad to hear her
highlight the importance of clubs in our communities. Further
details on the White Paper are coming. I am glad that she
mentioned equality, diversity and inclusion, because they were
part of the report, and we will look at ensuring that EDI plans
are in place. More information is coming; look out for it in the
White Paper.
(Cleethorpes) (Con)
It would be remiss of me not to mention the fact that Grimsby
Town, the club I have supported for 60 years, play in
Cleethorpes. We have talked a lot about different tiers, and the
one thing I fear is that we might have too many tiers of
regulation. Clearly, the FA and other bodies will play a part in
regulating the sport, and the report talks about somebody
ensuring that the regulator uses its powers proportionately, so
who will regulate the regulator?
The points raised by my hon. Friend are exactly why we are doing
the right thing by providing further details in the White Paper,
so that we can see exactly what the regulator’s remit and
responsibilities will be. He also raises the important point that
there other entities and bodies in football and we need to be
clear where the roles and responsibilities lie. We have a pretty
good picture of that now, and over the next few weeks and months
I am sure it will become even clearer, hence the White Paper.
(Bristol South) (Lab)
Bristol City are key to both the culture and the economy of south
Bristol. I recently met the chief executive, who is keen on the
work done by the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford () and wants to see it
progress. Rivalry in the city is intense, but will the Minister
join me in supporting the work of Caz May and Lucy Ford, who are
fans of Bristol Rovers and the founders of Her Game Too? May I
press the Minister for details of the review of women’s football?
I hope that the work of Her Game Too, and all the women and girls
involved in grassroots football, are included in that review.
I thank the hon. Lady. She is right that ensuring a proper review
of women’s football is of pivotal importance, and I know that has
the support of the whole House. We will announce more information
within the next few weeks. The scope will be different from the
review of the men’s game, because the issues are slightly
different. Football finance is always there, but there are other
things, particularly sponsorship visibility and so on, that are
pivotally important. I ask her to be patient a little bit longer
and we will provide more information in due course.
(Mid Derbyshire) (Con)
The proud and historic Derby County football club has had a
torrid time over the past seven months. It has a named buyer now,
but it is not out of the woods. I ask the Minister: is this the
black and the white, and can he therefore guarantee that these
proposals will ensure that no club will close in the future?
I have had many conversations with my hon. Friend about the
situation at Derby County and I know how passionate she and
several other colleagues are about the situation there. We are
very confident that, with the new regime and the independent
regulator looking particularly at financial regulation, the
chances of clubs going into administration again and getting into
that difficulty would be considerably reduced because there would
be much closer scrutiny of the finances. As my hon. Friend the
Member for Folkestone and Hythe () mentioned earlier, ongoing,
real-time scrutiny of the finances will be pivotal. However,
circumstances can change and emergencies can happen both
domestically and internationally. Can we guarantee that these
measures will ensure that no club will ever go under? No, we
cannot, but they will be massively impactful in significantly
reducing the chances of that happening.
(Ellesmere Port and Neston)
(Lab)
Since the Glazer family became the owners of Manchester United,
they have taken more than £1 billion out of the club, much of it
to service debts they incurred buying the club in the first
place, which they subsequently loaded on to the club. I do not
think that kind of toxic business model has any place in football
or any other business, so I hope the Minister will be able to
confirm that that kind of arrangement will be banned altogether
under the new regulator.
As I have said, financial regulation, looking in detail at the
finances and sustainability of clubs and at how they are spending
their money, will be at the heart of the independent regulator’s
role.
(Blackpool South) (Con)
The Minister recently visited Blackpool FC, a club that he will
know has suffered more than most at the hands of an irresponsible
owner. I am pleased to see the Government endorsing the key
recommendations of the fan-led review, including the owners and
directors test. However, he will know that financial
circumstances, views and attitudes can change over time,
including for the owners of clubs. Does he agree that the test
should be applied periodically, rather than merely when a club is
bought and sold?
I very much enjoyed visiting both my hon. Friend’s constituency
and the club. He is absolutely right. As was highlighted in the
report, we need to ensure that the owners and directors test is
not just static, happening when a club is sold, but is regularly
reviewed, because as he outlined, circumstances change. We will
look at that. I think the report suggested every three years, and
that sounds sensible to me, but we will provide more information
in the White Paper.
(Wirral South) (Lab)
The only thing better than working on this fan-led review of
football with the hon. Member for Chatham and Aylesford () is being on the football
pitch with her. She has been brilliant, as I am sure we all
agree.
I know you will be concerned, Madam Deputy Speaker, given
historical injustices in the world of football, that women should
not be made to wait a moment longer than necessary. Further to
the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol South
(), will the Minister please
explain why the chair and terms of reference for the women’s
football review have not been announced? Can he correct that
situation now at the Dispatch Box and tell us who the chair will
be and when we will have in our hands the terms of reference?
Women who care about football in this country do not want to wait
any longer.
I can assure the hon. Lady that women in sport is one of my top
priorities. When I became Sports Minister, one of the first
things I did was to set up a women in sport working group, which
is making considerable progress, and I am very proud and very
appreciative of all the people involved in it. She will have to
be a little bit patient, as I cannot announce now, at the
Dispatch Box, the chair and the scope, although she will
understand that that information will be released very soon.
However, that does not mean that this is not a priority; it
absolutely is.
(Bexhill and Battle) (Con)
I refer to my entry in the register.
A few years ago I was lucky enough to secure an Adjournment
debate, when my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford
() was in the Minister’s
position answering, and we talked about the success of the
premier league—the 100,000 jobs that are directly held through
it, the £7.6 billion it delivers to the UK economy, and the £3.6
billion it delivers to the Exchequer. There is nothing of that
nature in the Government’s response. Can the Minister confirm
that nothing in this response will harm and undermine the great
export that is the premier league?
I thank my hon. Friend for that. In fact, I think I was PPS-ing
that very debate, so I remember it well. He is absolutely right.
As I have said many times at the Dispatch Box today, the premier
league is an incredible British success story that we need to
celebrate and applaud, and make sure that it continues to be
successful. Nothing that we are proposing today should jeopardise
that. We are asking for some changes. We have been asking for
reform in football for a very long time. Unfortunately the reason
we have had to intervene, and are doing so, is that the Premier
League has signally failed to act at the speed that we needed.
The Premier League has an obligation and a responsibility to
continue to make changes, including with financial flows.
However, I do not believe that anything we are announcing today
would jeopardise what is an incredible success story, and the
premier league will continue to thrive—I am very confident of
that.
(Chesterfield) (Lab)
Anyone who has spoken to directors and owners of either
Chesterfield football club or Staveley Miners Welfare football
club will be very much aware that while there may be monstrous
profits in the premier league, at every level below that there is
huge indebtedness, and football as a sport requires benefactors
to be constantly writing another cheque. That model is broken. I
fear that what we have heard today is that this is being kicked
into the next Parliament. I suspect that the premier league clubs
listening to this will be reassured that they still have quite a
bit of time before they are going to have their feet held to the
fire. Can the Minister assure us that before this Parliament is
over, in 2024 or whenever that may be, we will actually see
reform on the statute book, and this will not just rely on the
manifestos of parties at the next election, because it should be
dealt with during this Parliament?
Both the Secretary of State and I have said previously that the
intention is to bring this in before the end of this Parliament.
As I say, we are working at speed on it. The hon. Gentleman’s
point about indebtedness is an important one. Many clubs are
currently in a pretty precarious financial state. The financial
regulation that we will bring in will require much more stability
and sustainability, and proof of that sustainability. That is
precisely why saying, “Let’s bring this in tomorrow”, could end
up having the absolute opposite impact of what we intend.
(Hyndburn) (Con)
I welcome the Government’s response to the fan-led review
undertaken by my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford
(). I thank her for recently
visiting Accrington Stanley and its supporters, and, in
particular, its fantastic chairman, Andy Holt, who people know is
quite a vocal supporter of the fan-led review. There are concerns
about the timing of this, as the Minister has set out, but while
we are waiting for the White Paper, will he make sure that we can
continue to have discussions on the redistribution of
finances?
It would not be a debate in Parliament about football without
mentioning Accrington Stanley, so I am glad that that bingo item
has been ticked off. My hon. Friend is right. As I said, we are
continuing to put pressure on the Premier League to continue this
dialogue and these conversations because we would like to see
movement before the White Paper is released.
(Luton South) (Lab)
I am proud that Luton Town in my constituency has been at the
forefront of calls for fan-led reform, particularly through
campaigns such as Fair Game. As a Lutonian, and like many other
fans, I have everything crossed that we will not just be in the
play-offs but in the premier league this season. The Minister
mentioned exiting the game. Many have the experience of devoting
their lives to football—often at the expense of a proper
education or other opportunities—only for that footballing career
to end abruptly or to never really get started. That can lead
often to severe mental health issues and shocking life outcomes.
Can the Minister give further clarity over the expected White
Paper’s plans to better protect the welfare of players exiting
the game, in particular those leaving football academies at a
young age?
The hon. Lady will be aware that I fought Luton South in the 2010
election, and Luton South fought back, as they say. I still have
a great passion for Luton, which has gone up and down the leagues
over many years. She is making an important point that my hon.
Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford () highlighted in her report
and that I referenced in my statement. This is one of the areas
that is primarily the responsibility of football to sort out, but
we are keeping a very close eye on it. The welfare of players is
paramount, and we have seen too many failures in the past.
(Stoke-on-Trent North)
(Con)
In the heart of the mother town sits Port Vale FC, which is
situated within Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke. This
review is so important, because we had a former owner, Norman
Smurthwaite, who was a complete disaster and almost brought down
this fantastic asset. It is thanks to Kevin and Carol Shanahan,
who came in and bought the club, that we are now sitting in
fourth place, one point off the automatic promotion spots in
league two. As Carol says, we are simply a championship club that
happens to be in league two at this moment. What is important,
and what Carol wanted me to reiterate, is that we surely should
be looking at the TV rights. Rather than having the EFL and the
Premier League competing against each other, we should get them
to join up and have a 70:30 split.
It was a pleasure to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency and the
club. He is making an important point, and as I have said
repeatedly, financial distribution is something we are looking
at. We want and require the Premier League to work with others on
this, and if it does not act, we will look at alternative
measures.
(Leeds North West)
(Lab/Co-op)
I would also like to thank our friend, the hon. Member for
Chatham and Aylesford (), for such excellent work on
the review. Players give their lives for football. My
constituent, the former captain of Leeds United, Brian Deane, was
woefully let down by the footballing authorities. Will player
welfare be central to the new regulator? We have areas, such as
the PFA, where there have been recent failings. Will the
regulator take on board such issues as whether agents are fit and
proper and whether the people who financially advise players are
proper to do their work? Those issues are of importance to
players playing the game.
The hon. Member is raising a variety of points. Some of those are
likely to be the responsibility of the regulator, but many, such
as player welfare, will continue to be the responsibility of
other institutions within football.
(Loughborough) (Con)
Football is integral to Loughborough, whether that is throughout
the town clubs, among students and in our exemplary Leicester
City, which has its training ground in my constituency. The hon.
Member for Strangford () will be very happy about that, I am sure. Today is
indeed a good day for football fans. Will football fans at all
levels be able to comment further on the proposals before the
legislation is introduced, and if so, how?
The view of fans is pivotal. It has been so far, and it will
continue to be as we develop the proposals. We will find ways to
make sure that fans continue to be engaged in the conversations
and discussions, and we will be announcing more information with
the White Paper.
(Birkenhead) (Lab)
I have spoken before about the importance of ensuring a genuinely
fair and equitable distribution of wealth throughout English
football. The fan-led review rightly suggests that the Premier
League should be doing more to support lower league and
grassroots football, so that clubs, such as Tranmere Rovers in my
constituency, can continue to nurture the next generation of
home-grown talent. While the report’s recommendation of a
solidarity transfer levy is welcome, more needs to be done. Can
the Minister inform the House what additional steps the
Government will be taking to guarantee that clubs like Tranmere,
which are so often the beating heart of their communities, see
more of the wealth flowing down from the top of the football
pyramid?
This is a common appeal we have heard today. Financial
distribution in football is not as it should be at the moment. We
are appealing to the Premier League to do more. If it does not—if
it cannot come to some agreement— we will look at what the
responsibilities of the regulator may be to take further
action.
Madam Deputy Speaker ( )
I thank the Minister for his statement.
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