On Tuesday the government published the football governance bill that has taken two years of consultation to achieve and provoked dispute between football’s stakeholder groups.
Much of the detail is still to be decided and potentially amended by MPs.
According to the bill, the key responsibilities of the English independent football regulator (IFR) are to “operate a licensing regime, and to monitor and enforce compliance with requirements on financial regulation, club ownership and directors, fan engagement and club heritage protection”.
Dale Vince, chairman of Forest Green Rovers said: “Having an independent football regulator is a big deal. It’s the chance to get some balance and fairness into our national game. It’s also the chance to make football sustainable in all senses of the word.
“But the Tories have refused to include sustainability in that broader sense, in the remit of the new regulator. In that respect this is just half a job done. Football in our country is already being impacted by the climate crisis, at the same time it’s a fantastic way to reach people and to encourage the lifestyle changes we all need to make. So bringing the environment and sustainability into football is a six pointer, and we just lost it.”
