Fan-led review is best move forward in a generation

By DAVID RICHARDSON

The 162-page report, chaired by former sports minister Tracey Crouch MP, explores ways of improving the governance, ownership and financial sustainability of clubs in English football.

The Review was commissioned by Government which has since publicly supported the formation of an Independent Regulator of Football (IREF) – one of the key recommendations.

The IREF would oversee the game’s financial regulation and establish a new owners’ and director’s test that may have prevented the downfall of Bury FC.

“If this independent regulator was set up in the right way and is given teeth to act fast and firmly with clubs then the situation that unfolded at Bury wouldn’t have gone as far down the track as it did,” Young, of the new fan-owned Shakers, told The NLP.

“It would also put off bad owners trying to take over football clubs. We need to try and encourage everyone to drive this through and make sure it comes into effect – particularly around the independent regulator which needs Parliament to legislate for. We don’t want anybody else to go through what we did.”

Young and other Bury supporters were part of more than 100 hours of evidence given by football’s stakeholders and heard by Crouch’s panel.

Their feedback helped formed the review’s recommendations on fans being consulted on key off-field decisions through a ‘shadow board’ and club heritage being protected by a ‘golden share’ for fans.

The Premier League have been called upon to support the pyramid by making additional financial contributions.

“Clubs in lower leagues are of immense cultural and historical importance to local communities and the Premier League’s support helps to preserve these assets,” the Review says.

It also believes a transfer levy paid by Premier League clubs would raise funds to be redistributed “across the pyramid and into grassroots”.

Young said: “You’ve got this desperate push to get into the EFL from the National League. This redistribution needs to try and influence behaviours away from almost suicidal spending.”

Caroline McRoyall, director of strategy at Fair Game, former CEO of Surrey FA and ex-Tooting & Mitcham United chairman added: “They’re gambling in the hope they’re going to be promoted. The Independent Regulator can hopefully stop that before it becomes extreme.”

A new corporate governance code has been recom mended along with women’s football being treated equally and given its own review.

Equality, diversity and inclusion plans are said to be made mandatory for all clubs with also an increase on the protection of welfare of players leaving the game.

The National League were praised by the Review for attempting to improve how they operate by undertaking “significant constitutional reform by addressing the difficulties in its voting structure” between Steps 1 and 2.

The cases of Whyteleafe and Abingdon Town, who were forced to withdraw from their leagues due to being unable to reach agreements with a Singapore-based property developer which had acquired their grounds, were raised.

The Review recommended “that the Government should explore the viability of introducing new security of tenure rights for clubs when land on which their stadium is based is acquired”.

Young trusts the Review will spark a bright new future for the game.

“I’m more hopeful than ever before that this will see the light of day rather than a report that gathers dust on the shelf,” he added. “We will see the likes of the Premier League owners who want to resist this or pick bits of detail out.

“The important thing for us all is to accept, broadly speaking, everybody in the lower echelons should be supportive of it and accept the fact it’s the biggest leap forward we’ve seen in our generation in terms of football governance.”