AN independent football regulator will tackle serious problems in the game and ensure clubs have sound finances, according to Sports Minister Stuart Andrew.
He was commenting on the publication of a white paper on the establishment of a football regulator following a fan-led review of the game.
Mr Andrew told GB News: “We’re obviously committed to doing a fan-led review as part of our manifesto that was ably done by Tracey Crouch, my colleague, and that came up with a number of recommendations after hearing a lot of evidence from fans.
“It’s clear that whilst there’s lots to celebrate about English football, it is a massive success, not just in this country, but right across the globe.
“There clearly are some serious problems and so what we’re doing today is publishing a white paper in which we will bring in an independent regulator that will seek to ensure that clubs are more sustainable.
“That will hopefully then bring forward more stability within the football pyramid because at the end of the day, we’re concerned about the fans. They’re the ones that invest so much in their clubs.
“They’re really important to their local communities and we want to make sure that that success is built on and it’s there for years to come.”
In an interview with Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster, he said: “My first meeting when I was appointed as Sports Minister was actually with fan groups because I wanted to hear from them directly about the experiences that they had.
“I was particularly struck by fans from Blackpool, for example, who were so unhappy with the way their club was being run.
“They ended up having to boycott their own club for five years and unless you’re a real avid football fan, you cannot imagine what a pain that is for you personally.
“That is why it is right that we’ve listened to the review and we are making these recommendations within the white paper today so that fans can have confidence that the clubs that they love, that their parents and their grandparents loved, are there for their children and their grandchildren in the future.
“The people that run football clubs are business people, but they’re there to make money. Fans are not there to make money.
“And the thing is that they don’t have to make those difficult, very difficult decisions sometimes and that can be an emotional dilemma.”
He added: “Our concern is to ensure that the investment that goes into the clubs is sound investments, so the regulator will have the power to understand exactly where the money has come from.
“That is really important so that we can have a better understanding of what’s going on within the finances of football throughout the league, that was one of the key recommendations of the review.
“What is appropriate is that we have a regulator with the teeth with the mechanism and the tools at their disposal to understand who is applying to buy these clubs what their intentions are and do they have the proper finances in place to make the investment that we want to see.”
