Football governance

Football is the most popular sport in England and a huge part of our culture and heritage, but for years, fans and clubs have been saying that something needs to change. English football, as it is right now, is not sustainable. We have the chance to make a difference through better football governance.

The way things stand, football clubs across the country face struggles every year with finances. Whether this is due to the poor distribution of money from the top down, dodgy owners mismanaging finances, or the ludicrous inflation of wages in recent years, the problems persist. Our smaller clubs who can’t fall back on wealthy owners willing to spend millions of pounds will not survive if changes aren’t made.

In my constituency of Morecambe and Lunesdale, football is an integral part of the community that can’t be overstated. It’s not just a day out on a Saturday afternoon or a Tuesday night, it’s a core part of our town and our identity. It unites people in a unique way, bringing people from all backgrounds together with a shared pride in our local team. Morecambe FC is a community hub that we can’t afford to lose.

The Shrimps have been under a lot of pressure in recent years due to a combination of ownership issues, financial instability, and the threat of relegation.

What we see at the minute is a system where the clubs at the top of the football pyramid get a hugely unfair distribution of the money within English football. In 2023 88% of TV revenue, which totalled £3.2 billion, went to clubs within the Premier League. The current system also relies on clubs having wealthy owners who are willing to spend their own money and likely not get this back. It’s irresponsible and it means that almost every football club in the country runs at a loss. For some Premier League clubs that are state-run or owned by billionaires this doesn’t matter, but for everyone else it means they can’t make the same kind of investments.

Every year the gaps between leagues, particularly the Premier League and the Championship, get bigger and bigger. They’re becoming unbridgeable. It’s unfair, it’s unsustainable, and it’s got to stop. We need an independent regulator and financial redistribution now.

Without financial regulation and redistribution, we run the risk of losing our smaller clubs. This would be devastating for football as a whole. Grassroots, local football is crucial for getting people involved in the sport and keeping it accessible.

The Premier League is the biggest league in world football, and we don’t want to change this. Strengthening the foundations of the football pyramid, allowing smaller clubs to make more investments and actually compete, will strengthen the pyramid as a whole by making it more sustainable and long-lasting. This will make the competition better, not reduce it, including in the Premier League.

The Bill would also strengthen tests for owners and officers of clubs, a crucial step in stamping out fiscal irresponsibility and corruption in English football. Too many clubs have been put at risk of administration or liquidation due to mismanagement. It would also require clubs to have licenses, ensuring that they are operating responsibly and being run fairly.

It’s important to remember that this Bill originated under the previous Government and has cross-party support, albeit the leader of the Opposition has seemingly changed her mind about this. She says talking about introducing a football regulator is “not very serious” politics and would be a waste of money. You only have to look at the wider economic benefits of grassroots football to know this isn’t true. It provides employment opportunities, brings footfall to local businesses on match days, and many local teams provide facilities for schools and youth groups. To lose this would be very serious indeed, especially in communities like Morecambe that rely on football as a part of their economy.

We are on the cusp of something significant to help clubs like Morecambe thrive. In my maiden speech, I reiterated my promise to the Shrimps to deliver an independent football regulator. I am glad that we are closer than ever to delivering this along with the other vital measures contained in the Bill.