Fans protested throughout the Premier League against the European Super League
The government says it will set up an independent football regulator after approving recommendations made in a fan-led review of the men’s game.
The regulator will have the power to sanction English football clubs that break financial and other rules.
The Premier League said it “recognizes and accepts the reform argument”, but that a regulator “is not necessary”.
A new test for owners will be introduced and legislation will give fans more information on how to run the game.
This comes after the review made 10 recommendations to the government on how to improve football governance last year.
The review was chaired by former Sports Minister Tracy Crouch following a series of high-profile crises in the sport, such as the failed European Super League and the break-up of Bury FC.
Crouch called the government’s approval of the review a “huge step forward”, but also said the unclear timeline for the changes was “worrying”.
No direct timetable for implementing the changes has been announced, but the government said the White Paper – a policy paper setting out proposals for future laws in detail – would be published in the summer.
The new regulator will be backed by laws that allow it to impose penalties and have financial supervision of clubs, which means it can investigate and gather information.
It will also implement the new “improved” test for owners and directors, which will replace the current tests conducted by the Premier League, the Football League and the Football Association.
This followed the continued sale of Chelsea by Roman Abramovich amid government sanctions and the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United in October 2021, among others. Both properties have been criticized by Amnesty International UK.
The new test will be applied before the acquisition, but also on an ongoing basis.
It will include a new “integrity test” for owners and managers and tighter pre-purchase investigations, including sources of funding.
“I am just happy [the government] adopted or endorsed all the strategic recommendations of the review, including committing to legislation for a legally independent regulator that will regulate financial sustainability as well as club ownership, ”Crouch said in a statement to the PA news agency.
“This is a huge step forward in securing much-needed reform for football.
Crouch said he believed fans would welcome the reforms, but “remain nervous that this commitment will be delayed or diluted by possession and conflicting interests in the game that have resisted much-needed reform for so long.”
“Further delays could be catastrophic for clubs, communities and fans looking for a safer and more secure regulatory environment,” she added.
Last month, Helen McNamara, the league’s chief policy and corporate affairs director, told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee (DCMS) that the league “definitely” does not want a legally established independent regulator.
The government says its white paper will set out plans for a “greater role for fans in the day-to-day running of clubs” and will make sure that fans have “more say in changing their club stadiums, logos, names and teams through A “golden campaign” to protect clubs and their central role as vital assets of the community. “
The White Paper will also aim to improve equality and diversity in the club’s boardrooms.
BBC Sport understands that the main football authorities will be looking for more details on the proposals.
The Premier League is considered to be wary of anyone who has expressed a desire to reform football but has no working knowledge of the sport.
His opinion remains that using two prominent football lawyers together with a “football expert” who has experience in administering the game offers the best way to deal with controversial cases.
A statement from the league reads: “The Premier League recognizes and accepts the arguments for reform and a strengthened regulatory system in football. We welcome the government’s clarity on their position and are committed to working with them during this next phase of consultations, although we will continue to argue that there is no need for a legally supported regulator. “
England’s top class said it would present its own plans for the start of next season to make sure fans are listened to, while working to “design and implement policies” in response to the review’s objectives, including a review of its owner and directing exam.
The EFL welcomed the government’s announcement and said it had worked with ministers and officials since the November fan review was published.
“Our focus all the time has been on how we can make clubs financially sustainable at all levels of the football pyramid for future generations of football fans,” said EFL President Rick Parry.
The Crouch review recommends looking at the financial allocation, including “more support from the Premier League for the pyramid through a solidarity transfer fee paid by Premier League clubs when buying players from abroad or other top-class clubs”.
But the government said it believed “this should be decided by the football authorities at first instance”.
“It is noticeable and disappointing that there has been no progress in the discussions between the football authorities on the redistribution of finances, and I share the government’s view that this needs to be addressed urgently,” Crouch added.
What was the reaction of the move?
The Fair Game campaign group backed the government’s announcement, but said “what we need now is a firm timetable for change”.
“There can be no more delays or hesitations,” Fair Game added, adding that it was “disappointing that at first glance there is no mention of a new international transfer tax.”
Secretary of Culture Nadine Doris said: “Football is nothing without its fans and for too long the football authorities have not been able to deal with some of the biggest problems in the game.
“The government has taken decisive action to conduct a fan-led review, and today we endorsed each of its 10 strategic recommendations and the approach outlined by Tracy Crouch.
However, Shadow Culture Secretary Lucy Powell said postponing the introduction of any legislation until 2024 was a “real disappointment”.
“Football clubs are at the heart of communities. We urgently need to introduce new laws to stop more clubs from going bankrupt or being used as a toy for the rich,” Powell said.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson said that the government was acting as fast as possible, adding: “You will have to hold your breath and restrain your impatience. Decades have passed without one, but I am happy that we will be able to make rapid progress. “
MP Julian Knight, who chairs the Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee, said the government had “parked the bus” without setting a precise timetable for setting up a regulator.
“The commitment to introduce an independent regulator is a welcome step, but now the government must continue to create it in the name of the health of our national game,” Knight said.
“Developments such as the proposal for the absurd European Super League and the survival struggles facing clubs in our communities have exposed the football government in this country as a joke as it is.”
Former chairman of the Football Association David Bernstein, who along with former Manchester United defender Gary Neville lobbied for independent regulation of English football, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I believe that if this is treated properly by the right people, it can a real difference.
“This proposal brings more independence to the game and ensures that the very strong self-interests that have controlled the game for so long will be balanced.
Neville tweeted: “If we take this as a face value, that’s what the game desperately needs. But why the delay? It’s needed now.”
The Professional Footballers’ Association said it welcomed the recommendations made on the well-being of players, especially those whose careers were coming to an end.
“The support must be consistently and adequately funded, and we look forward to playing a key role in building a system that achieves this,” the statement said.
“It is also crucial for the PFA that those who play the game – at all levels – remain at the center of the conversation about its future.
The Football Supporters’ Association called on the government to “act quickly and pass laws now”.
“Every day of white paperwork is another day in which the club may cease to exist,” the statement added.
Analysis – “An important moment in the history of sport”
Dan Roan, BBC sports editor
Last month, the Premier League told lawmakers it was strongly opposed to a legally independent football regulator, so it would be seen as a major defeat for the country’s best clubs and an important moment in the sport’s history.
Despite the turmoil caused by the European Super League attempt, the controversy over the Saudi takeover of Newcastle United and the financial collapse in Derby County, the Premier League still hoped to persuade ministers to allow the FA to act as a regulator.
But the chaos in Chelsea after the sanctioning of Russian owner Roman Abramovich may have been considered too much of a football crisis, and the government may have considered no choice but to support Crouch’s key recommendation in her “fan-led review”. This – together with the commitment to greater involvement of supporters – will delight many who call for radical reform.
What is still unclear is whether the intensified test of owners and directors that the regulator will monitor would prevent any of the club’s takeovers or financial problems that have clouded the game in recent years, and when exactly it will be enacted. and fully established.
Not everything Crouch asked for was supported. She also recommended that the Premier League clubs pay “solidarity …
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