English football will have an independent regulator, with an enhanced “fitness test” for owners and managers, ahead of the next UK general election, according to plans outlined by Culture Minister Nadine Doris.
The plan, outlined in a letter from Doris to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and seen by the Financial Times, would put the government on a collision course with the Football Association (FA), the sport’s governing body, and the prime minister. League on how the most popular sport in the country should be organized.
The Football Association would prefer the supervisor to sit in its frame, according to a person close to the board of directors, while the Premier League has argued against full legal regulation.
However, the English Football League (EFL), which runs the divisions under the First Division, would prefer a body outside the FA, according to a person close to them.
Doris wants the regulator to be completely independent, according to his advisers, although that could change in the future if the FA proves it is fundamentally reformed. But the plan raises the possibility of a heated debate about the future of the sport.
The culture minister argued that the aborted European Premier League – a plan drawn up last year with the backing of the “big six” clubs in the English first division – and recent financial problems at clubs such as Bury and Derby County indicated the need for a new structure.
Sanctions against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich also highlighted the need for stricter controls on an individual’s suitability to own a club, although a new regulator is unlikely to prevent a Saudi-led consortium from buying Newcastle United last year.
Dorries accepted that she would be criticized by some for delaying legislation until after the next parliamentary session, which may give hope to opponents of using the delay to soften plans.
Conservative lawmaker Tracey Crouch, who oversaw a fan-led review of soccer governance last year, has argued there is a case for “urgent” legislation in the next parliamentary session.
But Doris said the sport’s new plan needs more thorough consultation; A study is scheduled for the summer, with the aim of moving the legislation forward next year in its last session, before the 2024 general election.
In her letter to Johnson, Doris said: “Some will express their concern that this is the government that has left the matter of regulating football in the tall grass.” “I think the opposite is true; it’s the government committed to unprecedented regulation that protects fans while preserving the economic value of our national sport.”
To prove the “opponents” wrong, Dorries said, the government should commit to creating the regulator in next month’s Queen’s Speech and outline a roadmap promising legislation in time for the regulator to be deployed before the 2024 elections.
The minister’s allies acknowledged his plans would put the government on a “collision course” with existing English football bodies, but Doris argued that a new regulator would help create a “consistent and sustainable framework” while reducing the risk of financial crises. in sport.
The Premier League, the Football Association and the Premier League declined to comment, but last month Helen McNamara, the Premier League’s director of policy and corporate affairs, told the House of Commons’ digital, cultural, media and sports committee that the league was against full legal regulation.
It defended the role of the Football Association, while acknowledging the need for “more independent oversight”. “We support the FA. We believe there is a natural reason why the FA is an effective organiser.”
Mark Bullingham, the FA’s chief executive, said at the same meeting that the body was making governance changes recommended in the Crouch review to allow it to take on additional responsibilities, including appointing independent non-executive directors.
“Anything we do will be a completely new body, independently based in the Football Association, and it will demand that independence,” he said.
The Department of Digital, Media, Culture and Sports said: “Football is nothing without its fans, who form the foundation of clubs across the country, which is why we ensure they play a key role in the review of sports governance, which is overseen by Representative Tracy Crouch.
“We are committed to the proposal to adopt an independent English football regulator and to strengthen the testing of existing owners and directors.”
“Protecting club wealth, improving corporate governance and increasing financial sustainability across the football pyramid will be at the heart of our response to fan-led review.”
Translated by Luis Roberto M. Gonsalves
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