Government must introduce an independent regulator for English football (1 Viewer)

[ashbyjan]

Blackpool Trust have started a petition demanding the Government introduces an independent regulator for English football.

For details of the aims of petition go to: Latest News

Petition can be found at Petition: The Government must introduce an independent regulator for English football

I have signed it - up to you if you do but I believe FL and FA have been next to useless in trying to sort out problems at CCFC and plenty of other clubs so maybe this is a new way forward.

 

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[skybluetony176]

Signed

 

[clint van damme]

signed

 

[letsallsingtogether]

Signed 3666 so far.

 

[Colin Steins Smile]

Signed.

 

[ccfcway]

Signed

Awaits the first “what good will on do” conment

 

[skybluetony176]

Signed

Awaits the first “what good will on do” conment

Naaa. No one would say that. Surely every CCFC fan will think anything that sets out to try and stop another CCFC situation is worth pursuing.

 

[Ricketts]

I rarely sign petitions, but football is out of control.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Fifa don’t like government interference in football so for this alone it’s worth signing

 

[Captain Dart]

Signed, hope it goes better than the last similar one I advertised on this forum.

 

[skybluetony176]

Fifa don’t like government interference in football so for this alone it’s worth signing

Good job it’s asking for an independent regulatory body of English football then and not the government to run football.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Good job it’s asking for an independent regulatory body of English football then and not the government to run football.

They could still see it as interference

 

[skybluetony176]

They could still see it as interference

The point being you don’t know that. Signing the petition could actually lead to that being clarified rather than assumed. For that reason alone it’s worth signing.

 

[ccfcway]

The point being you don’t know that. Signing the petition could actually lead to that being clarified rather than assumed. For that reason alone it’s worth signing.

takes 1 min to sign or 1 min to complain about it

I wonder which is potentially more effective

 

[Londonccfcfan]

Signed.

 

[Steve.B50]

Signed,
Everyone should sign this.

 

[ccfcrob]

Signed, at 3857 Now!!!

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

3861 now if FIFA don’t like it they will punish the fa or the international team and I have no time for either

 

[skysblue]

Signed.

 

[skyblueinBaku]

Signed.

 

[I was eleven in 87]

Signed.

 

[Citysince47]

Signed

 

[stupot07]

Signed.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[mrangry]

Done..

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Signed and shared with friends who support other teams. Suggest others share it too

 

[colin101]

Signed and passed on to other footy fans

 

[singers_pore]

I am not sure this has been thought through. What is the problem?

Is it that the EFL is run by its own members; i.e., a lack of independence?

Or is it that the EFL lacks the statutory powers to enforce meaningful regulations; e.g., forcing clubs to play in their own city, forcing bad owners to sell their ownership interests?

Personally, I think it's the latter rather than the former. Unfortunately, this petition has misdiagnosed the problem. What additional powers would an independent regulator have? Why can't the government simply hand those powers to the EFL through statutory instrument?

 

[JulianDarbyFTW]

It depends what powers the regulatory body holds as to whether this is good or bad. The principle is sound; an organisation to uphold standards. But what if they have the power to stop a club from trading, or to dole out fines that are unmanageable for the smaller clubs? The fans are the ones who pay for mismanagement far too often, and the vagueness of the petition (i.e.bluster but little fine detail) doesn't fill me with confidence that this solution would buck the trend.

 

[oucho]

I am not sure this has been thought through. What is the problem?

Is it that the EFL is run by its own members; i.e., a lack of independence?

Or is it that the EFL lacks the statutory powers to enforce meaningful regulations; e.g., forcing clubs to play in their own city, forcing bad owners to sell their ownership interests?

Personally, I think it's the latter rather than the former. Unfortunately, this petition has misdiagnosed the problem. What additional powers would an independent regulator have? Why can't the government simply hand those powers to the EFL through statutory instrument?

The problem is the FL is run by football clubs for football clubs, you can't trust them to stand up for the fans. It's a club of football club owners, it's like allowing 1890s mine owners to run the mining industry without oversight that they'll not simply act in their own interest and that of their mates.

 

[dadgad]

Signed.
Everybody should sign this.

 

[Pricey1984]

Signed

 

[HuckerbyDublinWhelan]

Signed.

Problem is, how do you define bad ownership?

Withdrawing funding isn’t bad ownership. That’s why I think we wouldn’t get out of this SISU nightmare even with that

 

[Bumberclart]

Signed, the revolution has to start somewhere.

 

[Seamus1]

I know I have said this before, so please do accept my apologies for repeating, but I am still confused as to how individuals who were in charge of an organisation that went in to administration, are deemed as 'Fit and Proper' by the powers that be to run that same organisation under a different name.

 

[Esoterica]

I know I have said this before, so please do accept my apologies for repeating, but I am still confused as to how individuals who were in charge of an organisation that went in to administration, are deemed as 'Fit and Proper' by the powers that be to run that same organisation under a different name.

The PL's rules are a little stricter than the EFL. Simply - the EFL’s test for ownership does not consider what happens to a club after it has been purchased.

Fit-and-proper-person test:

Disqualifying events
The Premier League has tighter restrictions than the rest of the Football League and Football Conference. In general, a businessman will fail the test if:

• They have power or influence over another Football League club
• They hold a significant interest in another Football League club
• They become prohibited by law from being a director
• They are filing for bankruptcy
• They have been director of a club while it has suffered two or more unconnected events of insolvency
• They have been a director of two or more clubs of which, while they have been director, has suffered an event of insolvency

An extract from this guardian article in the summer: Football League to run rule over fit and proper persons’ test for club owners

The English Football League is reappraising its owners’ and directors’ test after a season of dysfunction across the divisions.


Outrage followed the news this year that Leyton Orient’s staff had gone unpaid under the then owner Francesco Becchetti as the club slipped out of the League for the first time in 112 years. There were also fan protests against the owners of Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Charlton Athletic, Blackpool and Blackburn Rovers.


The EFL chief executive, Shaun Harvey, says it has responded and the terms upon which individuals are considered fit and proper to take ownership of a club are being reviewed, with a report set to be handed to clubs in September.
“We raised the matter with our clubs at the summer conference and got an indication from them as to where they saw this matter in terms of importance,”

I'm sure they did get an indication!! Like asking Turkeys for vote for Christmas. I guess this is exactly the kind of topic that needs independent regulation.