Culture minister Michelle Donelan answers MP's questions (Image - Parliament TV)
Posted on 7th December 2022
Culture minister Michelle Donelan yesterday told Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee that the long-awaited Fan-led Review of Football Governance White Paper was “imminent”.
Responding to questions from Julie Elliott MP – a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Football Supporters – Donelan said the White Paper would be ready “in a matter of weeks”. White Papers set out Government proposals for future legislation.
Donelan said: “What we do will certainly have teeth to tackle the problem that we’re trying to address here. It was very clear from the fan-led review that we do need to take action as a Government and leaving it to the sector itself has not worked for decades.
“Fans have been let down by certain owners coming in and not acting in a responsible way and prioritising the needs of their clubs and the fans. That is something the fan-led review sought to tackle and we will address with the White Paper.
“I get the pressing urgency, I get the frustration by fan organisations and by those who worked on the fan-led review. It is one of the top priorities as a department and we will come forward with it.”
“I get the urgency… the frustration. It is one of our top priorities. Leaving it to the sector itself has not worked for decades. Fans have been let down by certain owners not acting in a responsible way.”
The #FanLedReview is “imminent” says @DCMS minister @michelledonelan pic.twitter.com/RT2oBgq39R
— The FSA (@WeAreTheFSA) December 6, 2022
Last month a new report by Tracey Crouch MP, chair of the Fan-led Review of Football Governance, was launched in Parliament. It showed how football would benefit from its recommendations which have still not been implemented 12 months on. You can download the Fan-led Review: One Year On here.
Nadine Dorries, the new secretary of state for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, held an online meeting with a delegation from the Football Supporters’ Association on Wednesday (22nd September) to discuss the on-going Fan-Led Review (FLR) of Football Governance. She was joined by sports minister Nigel Huddleston.
The Government’s fan-led review of football is underway and, yesterday, its chair Tracey Crouch MP and panelists met with supporter representatives from the FSA’s Championship Network.
Yesterday supporters from fan groups in the FSA’s Premier League network gave evidence to the government’s fan-led review. The chair, Tracey Crouch MP, and the rest of the panel heard from a number of supporters trusts and fan groups about the big issues in the top flight.
The Government today announced the launch of its promised fan-led review. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport secretary of state Oliver Dowden told the Commons that the recent European Super League proposals left the Government with no other option than to act.
