October 25 – The English Premier League faces unprecedented scrutiny if strengthened powers for a proposed independent regulator to tackle “rogue owners and directors” goes ahead.
An updated version of the government’s so-called Football Governance Bill was presented to Britain’s House of Lords on Thursday with changes that will “explicitly require clubs to provide effective engagement” with supporters over ticket prices or stadium relocation.
The bill would also give an independent regulator powers to safeguard the future of clubs, including over who can run or own them and determine how top-flight clubs distribute money to smaller ones.
The regulation of football in the UK has been largely left to the Premier League and the English Football League, self-governing bodies that manage the four professional tiers of the English game.
However, collapses of ‘smaller’ historical clubs, alongside the global profile of the Premier League and the threat of a rival Super League, have led politicians to step in.
While the bill still needs final approval, it is set to give the new regulator powers to influence the redistribution of Premier League money to clubs in lower divisions. The Premier League has long opposed any involvement from government.
“We believe rigid banking-style regulation, and the regulator’s unprecedented and untested powers to intervene in the distribution of the Premier League’s revenues, could have a negative impact on the League’s continued competitiveness,” the Premier League said in a statement.
But the bill will aim at “putting fans back at the heart of the game”, said Britain’s Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, “taking on rogue owners and crucially helping to put clubs up and down the country on a sound financial footing.”
“English football is one of our greatest exports and a source of national pride which this government wants to see thrive for generations to come. But for too long, financial…
Source link : https://www.insideworldfootball.com/2024/10/25/epl-warns-new-untested-regulator-danger-english-game-government-says-will-save/
Author : Paul Nicholson
Publish date : 2024-10-25 13:39:42
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