MPs Eye Giving Football Regulator More Power To Distribute Premier League Funds

MPs and football sector figures are looking to amend the Football Governance Bill to give the newly established regulator more power to force elite clubs to distribute money to smaller teams.

The Government introduced the Football Governance Bill to the House of Commons on Tuesday. The legislation will finally pave the way for an independent regulator which will aim to reform the Game.

A Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) source told PoliticsHome they were relieved the Government found Parliamentary time to table the legislation for its first reading this week after concern that any further delay would limit its chances of passing in the remaining parliamentary session. Both the Conservative Party and Labour are keen for the Bill, which commands bi-partisan support across the House, to be implemented before the next election.

But now the details of the proposed legislation have finally been confirmed, football fans’ groups are divided over whether the legislation has “teeth” to protect the financial sustainability of the game.

Kevin Miles, Chief Executive of Football Supporters’ Association, said he warmly welcomed the Bill and felt the regulator provided the first steps to prevent historic clubs from being run in to the ground.

Yet Niall Couper, CEO of Fair Game, was more critical of the Bill and said the Government needed to redraft the legislation and put the flow of finances across all levels of the game at the heart of it.

"The key objective of the regulator is to deliver financial sustainability. Which means it should be right at the heart of the action, it should be playing right in the middle of the game and at the heart of everything,” he said.

"At the moment this Bill, particularly the part on