Latest news with #FootballGovernanceBill
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Lisa Nandy explains how new regulator will 'end the misery of so many football fans'
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport says the new Football Governance Bill will 'put supporters back at the heart of the game' and safeguard the future of clubs up and down the pyramid As a Manchester-born Wigan Athletic fan, it is hardly surprising that Lisa Nandy is as plain-speaking a Member of Parliament as you are likely to find. But the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is also adept at couching strong messages in political, even diplomatic, words. As the Football Governance Bill became law, Nandy spoke to Mirror Sport about the wide-ranging implications which will be felt throughout the game, including at the very top. The new independent regulator's remit is extensive but dealing with the impasse between the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL) will feature prominently. Over a year ago, a proposal that would have seen the Premier League give the EFL £900million over six years was shelved. And the two parties have not even suggested an agreement has been close since then. 'The Premier League and the EFL have not been able to reach an agreement for years now - the regulator will work with them to try to get an agreement,' says Nandy. 'The regulator is a backstop. "The bill incentivises football to come to its own agreement by creating this backstop … which we hope will never need to be used. But if an agreement cannot be reached, the regulator will be able to take a view about what the right financial distribution is and will be able to enforce that.' So, reading between the lines of the political parlance, the message to the Premier League is to get it sorted soon or the regulator - almost certain to be former sports media rights specialist David Kogan - will sort it for you. Perhaps that is why the Premier League was, at best, sceptical of the introduction of a regulator and, at worst, downright horrified by the move. But Nandy insists that while the regulator will, if needed, be able to impose a financial settlement of the Premier League-EFL stand-off, she says the Act will not mean top flight clubs being told what they can and cannot charge fans for tickets. The clubs will, though, be compelled to speak to supporters before making any decisions that significantly affect the fanbase. Nandy says: 'Some clubs are very good at consulting with fans, some are not. There is now protection in law for key club heritage aspects like shirt colours, club badges, stadium moves - a new standard for fan engagement.' While the passing of the Football Governance Bill might not have gone down well with the Premier League, it has been heartily welcomed by the EFL. And Nandy is keen to stress that the main purpose of the bill is to protect and help ALL clubs in the football pyramid. She says: 'The Premier League is the model of how you lead the world when it comes to football but, beneath that, the foundations of football are incredibly fragile. From grassroots to the National League to the Championship, we've got to make sure we protect the foundations of football. 'I was very rude to the EFL when my club's (Wigan Athletic's) ownership was transferred to somebody who then put us straight unto administration. But the truth is that the power to intervene at that stage and block it simply did not exist. "Well, it does now. Finally, the misery of so many football fans is going to end. Up and down the length and breadth of the country, fans have had to deal with the misery of poor ownership, lack of oversight, financial irregularities and football not being able to come together to get its own house in order. "The time is long overdue for this. We made a promise that we would put fans back at the heart of the game where they belong and I'm delighted we have kept that promise.'
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe woes show the problem with modern football
In what is now a 'normal' day for Sheffield Wednesday, one employee was asked how they were doing by a fan, only to burst into tears. They don't know if they're going to be paid, or what the future is, leading Clive Betts MP to lambast controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri in Parliament on Tuesday. Many Morecambe fans similarly felt like crying when the news came through on Monday that the sale of the club from Jason Whittingham's Bond Group Investments to Panjab Warriors wouldn't yet be completed. This was despite sources insisting that everything was in place for the sale to proceed, and finding its delay 'inexplicable'. Local MP Lizzi Collinge publicly said to Whittingham, also in Parliament, "Come on, sign the damn paperwork!" That's after three years where Morecambe have gone from League One to the National League and, potentially, oblivion. The stories of Wednesday and Morecambe warrant their own telling but there are striking parallels, that are now more pointed, since they come from different ends of a football pyramid that is finally about to see an independent regulator. The Football Governance Bill was voted through the House of Commons on Tuesday, meaning we now know what it will look like for the future. Fans of Wednesday and Morecambe can't say the same about their clubs, and the worry is it's too late. A feeling of 'helplessness' stands out. 'We really support the Football Governance Bill,' says Tarnia Elsworth, of the Shrimps Trust fans group, 'but my fear is Morecambe and Wednesday are going to be the last victims. 'We get fans coming to us, 'this is my club I've loved for 30 years, and you're saying there's nothing I can do about it?'' Ian Bennett, of the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, says they're 'left in limbo'. His colleague James Silverwood warns the 'story has implications way beyond Wednesday for the whole of English football'. Geoff Walters, a Morecambe fan who is also a Professor in Sports Business at the University of Liverpool, argues 'this underpins the need for a strong regulator'. Morecambe fans are desperate for Jason Whittingham to sell (Getty) So many details are familiar, after all, going back through Reading and Derby County to the landmark moment of Bury's demise. It is about who owns clubs, governance, and a ruinous wage race. One of the great tragedies is that crowd sizes show the game is thriving on one level, and yet whole seasons can still be distorted by clubs entering financial ruin. Even at Morecambe, there have been record season ticket sales for a first season back in the National League, on the promise that Whittingham will be gone. Fans might instead lose hundreds of pounds as well as their club, if the worst happens. The game should be self-sustainable but isn't. Wednesday and Morecambe could easily be sold but aren't. Both clubs have numerous interested buyers. Chansiri is said to be looking for 'completely unrealistic prices'. The Wednesday story is currently more striking because of their historic stature, and the fact these issues have crept as high as the Championship. The EFL have warned for four years that the wage race from parachute payments would lead to this. Others, backed by research from the supporters' trust, feel this is specifically down to 'an owner who has run out of money'. There is the feeling that Sheffield Wednesday's woes are down to 'an owner who has run out of money' (Getty) This is despite Chansiri's profile as a member of the Thai family that controls the world's largest producer of canned tuna, Thai Union Group, leading Betts to question why money is no longer available. Players and staff were not paid on time in May and June, with that and money owed to other clubs and the HMRC leading to two EFL transfer embargoes. Meanwhile, at least £6m is understood to be needed for essential improvements to Hillsborough, which may yet pass to unknown new ownership if Chansiri can't pay loans taken against the stadium. Improvements may be impossible if players have to be paid, but many are expected to walk as free agents if not paid for July. 'We might start the season with no players and a three-sided ground,' Bennett says. Some sources even fear that basic utilities could be cut off. Bennett complains that communication has been minimal or just 'disdainful'. With barely any pre-season plans, it might reach the point where Wednesday have to show they can fulfil the season. Like at Hillsborough, Morecambe's most immediate issue is funding. A club that had previously been a 'good little business' has started to make losses. Prospective buyers Panjab Warriors have even lent Morecambe just over £6m. Morecambe captain Yann Songo'o apologising to his fans as their relegation from League Two was confirmed (Getty) An irony is that some supporters credit Whittingham with initially appointing a capable board, only for that to descend into farce when he began proceedings to sack them all from their intention to put the club into administration. The board has since resigned twice in a week over delays to the sale. 'We're powerless,' Elsworth says, amid another common complaint in English football: owner disengagement. Meetings have led nowhere. Fans don't even know the price wanted. More remarkably, Whittingham could have got a much better price when Morecambe were in League One in 2022-23, only for the value to now be decreasing every day. A primary question, raised by Betts, is why the current system can't take retrospective action to remove ownership once issues become apparent. The National League are conscious their potential sanctions would just punish Morecambe rather than the owner. The EFL have similarly been trying to avoid punishing Wednesday as much as they can. Supporters have pointed to how Dai Yongge was eventually disqualified by the EFL as Reading owner, but that is understood to have been enabled by business matters in China. 'Sell before we Dai' - Reading fans feared their club would go under (Getty) Non-payment doesn't meet what is a high threshold. It's also not without risk, since the next step is expulsion of the club. 'You would think consistently not having the resources for the club to be a going concern should be grounds enough,' one prominent source argues. All of this leaves the clubs with three scenarios in the current system if there is no sale. One is more lenders, and both somehow persevering. Two is going into administration, which would bring a points deduction, but where buyers sense opportunity. Three is liquidation, and potential phoenix clubs. Bennett admits Wednesday fans have considered that last option, but hope for a potential sale through administration. Elsworth fears Morecambe wouldn't come back, as a fan-owned club would struggle to survive. 'This isn't Wimbledon. The west end of Morecambe is one of the most deprived areas of the country. A community is being destroyed.' The footballing resurgence of Wimbledon will not be easy to emulate in Morecambe (Getty) That sense of powerlessness is palpable. 'There's players not getting paid and you're listening to the Man United situation, Alejandro Garnacho… that doesn't need more airtime.' Such stark statements raise questions about English football's priorities, and issues the regulator has to square. As Elsworth surmises, 'a sale isn't going to solve everything.' A mechanism for intervening with owners where issues arise is still essential. 'There's a lot to think about,' Walters says. 'Even a perfect system isn't going to ensure every football club is sustainable, but it's about where you can step in.' Bennett puts it plainly. 'The football regulator is going to have a hell of a job.'
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Should football fans be allowed to drink in the stands? Yahoo readers have their say
Yahoo UK's poll of the week lets you vote and indicate your strength of feeling on one of the week's hot topics. After the poll closes, we'll publish and analyse the results each Friday, giving readers the chance to see how polarising a topic has become and if their view chimes with other Yahoo UK readers. Beer and football fans are a common sight in stadiums in countries such as Germany, but a prohibition has been in place in English football for the past 40 years. And that is unlikely to change any time soon, after calls from the Conservatives to consult on the alcohol ban in football stands were rejected by the government. Shadow sport minister Louie French said the modern game now enjoys a "more family-friendly atmosphere" and criticised the current system that "sees fans rushing to drink their beer before kick-off and at half-time, this often leads to the fans being delayed entering the stadiums and overcrowding on the concourses." Sports minister Stephanie Peacock said moves to reverse the prohibition, which has been in place since 1985, do not fall within the scope of the Football Governance Bill, which is poised to become law. MPs voted by 346 to 167, majority 179, against a consultation on ending the stadium alcohol ban across the top five tiers of men's football in England. In our poll earlier this week, Yahoo News UK asked our readers: "Should football fans be allowed to drink in the stands?" It received 1,052 votes and showed a clear majority - 70% - are against it. The poll's Have Your Say feature attracted some passionate comments, with many readers focusing on the potential for trouble in the stands. Nicola H, from Devon, said: "Alcohol and football are a toxic mix." Similarly, Gareth M, from Neath, said: "Alcohol should be kept away from the field area. I am an ex-safety steward with Swansea City and I have seen what happens... when [fans are] drunk, the trouble can start." On the other hand, David B, from Portsmouth, wondered if a ban on drinking in the stands is futile, saying: "I do not think they should be allowed to drink inside the ground/stadium. But there is a very good chance of them getting tanked up before they enter, so which is the less of the two evils?" And David E, who lives in France, asked: "Will it also be prohibited at high-end horse race meetings and motor racing circuits?" There is a very good chance of fans getting tanked up before they enter, so which is the less of the two evils? Yahoo's poll is broadly similar to the findings of a 2022 YouGov survey, which asked 3,297 Britons the same question about drinking in the stands. In YouGov's poll, 63% opposed this, with 25% in favour of allowing it. Meanwhile, Yahoo News UK readers were also asked: "How much does the bad behaviour of football fans concern you?" This poll received 270 votes, with the most common vote being 10 and an average strength-of-feeling score of 6.68, showing a majority of readers consider football disorder an issue. Read more of Yahoo UK's Poll of the Week articles
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe woes shows the problem with modern football
In what is now a 'normal' day for Sheffield Wednesday, one employee was asked how they were doing by a fan, only to burst into tears. They don't know if they're going to be paid, or what the future is, leading Clive Betts MP to lambast controversial owner Dejphon Chansiri in Parliament on Tuesday. Many Morecambe fans similarly felt like crying when the news came through on Monday that the sale of the club from Jason Whittingham's Bond Group Investments to Panjab Warriors wouldn't yet be completed. This was despite sources insisting that everything was in place for the sale to proceed, and finding its delay 'inexplicable'. Local MP Lizzi Collinge publicly said to Whittingham, also in Parliament, "Come on, sign the damn paperwork!" That's after three years where Morecambe have gone from League One to the National League and, potentially, oblivion. The stories of Wednesday and Morecambe warrant their own telling but there are striking parallels, that are now more pointed, since they come from different ends of a football pyramid that is finally about to see an independent regulator. The Football Governance Bill was voted through the House of Commons on Tuesday, meaning we now know what it will look like for the future. Fans of Wednesday and Morecambe can't say the same about their clubs, and the worry is it's too late. A feeling of 'helplessness' stands out. 'We really support the Football Governance Bill,' says Tarnia Elsworth, of the Shrimps Trust fans group, 'but my fear is Morecambe and Wednesday are going to be the last victims. 'We get fans coming to us, 'this is my club I've loved for 30 years, and you're saying there's nothing I can do about it?'' Ian Bennett, of the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Trust, says they're 'left in limbo'. His colleague James Silverwood warns the 'story has implications way beyond Wednesday for the whole of English football'. Geoff Walters, a Morecambe fan who is also a Professor in Sports Business at the University of Liverpool, argues 'this underpins the need for a strong regulator'. So many details are familiar, after all, going back through Reading and Derby County to the landmark moment of Bury's demise. It is about who owns clubs, governance, and a ruinous wage race. One of the great tragedies is that crowd sizes show the game is thriving on one level, and yet whole seasons can still be distorted by clubs entering financial ruin. Even at Morecambe, there have been record season ticket sales for a first season back in the National League, on the promise that Whittingham will be gone. Fans might instead lose hundreds of pounds as well as their club, if the worst happens. The game should be self-sustainable but isn't. Wednesday and Morecambe could easily be sold but aren't. Both clubs have numerous interested buyers. Chansiri is said to be looking for 'completely unrealistic prices'. The Wednesday story is currently more striking because of their historic stature, and the fact these issues have crept as high as the Championship. The EFL have warned for four years that the wage race from parachute payments would lead to this. Others, backed by research from the supporters' trust, feel this is specifically down to 'an owner who has run out of money'. This is despite Chansiri's profile as a member of the Thai family that controls the world's largest producer of canned tuna, Thai Union Group, leading Betts to question why money is no longer available. Players and staff were not paid on time in May and June, with that and money owed to other clubs and the HMRC leading to two EFL transfer embargoes. Meanwhile, at least £6m is understood to be needed for essential improvements to Hillsborough, which may yet pass to unknown new ownership if Chansiri can't pay loans taken against the stadium. Improvements may be impossible if players have to be paid, but many are expected to walk as free agents if not paid for July. 'We might start the season with no players and a three-sided ground,' Bennett says. Some sources even fear that basic utilities could be cut off. Bennett complains that communication has been minimal or just 'disdainful'. With barely any pre-season plans, it might reach the point where Wednesday have to show they can fulfil the season. Like at Hillsborough, Morecambe's most immediate issue is funding. A club that had previously been a 'good little business' has started to make losses. Prospective buyers Panjab Warriors have even lent Morecambe just over £6m. An irony is that some supporters credit Whittingham with initially appointing a capable board, only for that to descend into farce when he began proceedings to sack them all from their intention to put the club into administration. The board has since resigned twice in a week over delays to the sale. 'We're powerless,' Elsworth says, amid another common complaint in English football: owner disengagement. Meetings have led nowhere. Fans don't even know the price wanted. More remarkably, Whittingham could have got a much better price when Morecambe were in League One in 2022-23, only for the value to now be decreasing every day. A primary question, raised by Betts, is why the current system can't take retrospective action to remove ownership once issues become apparent. The National League are conscious their potential sanctions would just punish Morecambe rather than the owner. The EFL have similarly been trying to avoid punishing Wednesday as much as they can. Supporters have pointed to how Dai Yongge was eventually disqualified by the EFL as Reading owner, but that is understood to have been enabled by business matters in China. Non-payment doesn't meet what is a high threshold. It's also not without risk, since the next step is expulsion of the club. 'You would think consistently not having the resources for the club to be a going concern should be grounds enough,' one prominent source argues. All of this leaves the clubs with three scenarios in the current system if there is no sale. One is more lenders, and both somehow persevering. Two is going into administration, which would bring a points deduction, but where buyers sense opportunity. Three is liquidation, and potential phoenix clubs. Bennett admits Wednesday fans have considered that last option, but hope for a potential sale through administration. Elsworth fears Morecambe wouldn't come back, as a fan-owned club would struggle to survive. 'This isn't Wimbledon. The west end of Morecambe is one of the most deprived areas of the country. A community is being destroyed.' That sense of powerlessness is palpable. 'There's players not getting paid and you're listening to the Man United situation, Alejandro Garnacho… that doesn't need more airtime.' Such stark statements raise questions about English football's priorities, and issues the regulator has to square. As Elsworth surmises, 'a sale isn't going to solve everything.' A mechanism for intervening with owners where issues arise is still essential. 'There's a lot to think about,' Walters says. 'Even a perfect system isn't going to ensure every football club is sustainable, but it's about where you can step in.' Bennett puts it plainly. 'The football regulator is going to have a hell of a job.'
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
How a new law will shake up top tiers of men's football
The Football Governance Bill has passed the Commons and is set to become law, with MPs voting 415 to 98 in favour at its third reading. The Bill will establish an Independent Football Regulator for the top five tiers of men's football, tasked with ensuring clubs are run sustainably and are accountable to their fans. The new regulator will also have powers to impose a financial settlement between the English Football League and the Premier League if they cannot agree one themselves. MPs rejected proposals to consult on lifting the alcohol ban in football stands and to mandate free-to-air coverage for at least 10 Premier League matches annually. David Kogan is the Government's preferred candidate to chair the Independent Football Regulator, but is facing an inquiry over donations made to Labour figures.
