FSF welcomes Parliamentary report

Earlier this week the All-Party Parliamentary Football Group (APPFG) brought out its long-awaited report into football governance. The report was issued this Monday, April 20th, 2009 after evidence from a wide range of football administrators, supporters (both the Football Supporters’ Federation and Supporters Direct submitted evidence) and other senior figures concerned with the governance of the game.

The FSF has been poring over the report itself and we are very pleased with its recommendations which include, among many other things:

• Beefing up of the game’s Fit & Proper Person test and its oversight and administration by the Football Regulatory Authority (FRA)
• Tighter controls over directors’ loans to clubs
• The introduction of a club licensing system supervised by the FRA for all clubs from the Football Conference upwards, including a requirement for clubs to balance their books and not spend more than their income
• Strong recommendations on nurturing homegrown talent and supporting the women’s game

“The report is yet another independent voice pushing for reform. The game can’t go on as it is. Both the FSF and our friends at Supporters Direct have been pushing for such changes for some time now. The latest problems at Southampton and Darlington show the urgent need to change and change now,” said FSF chair Malcolm Clarke.
 
“These recommendations need to become a reality. All-Party Group chairman Alan Keen MP and his colleagues from all political parties are to be congratulated on the outcome of their deliberations. Their report mustn’t be allowed to collect dust on the shelf like too many have in the past.”

Dave Boyle, chief executive of Supporters Direct also welcomed the report and was especially pleased with the APPFG’s support for strengthening the Fit and Proper Persons Test: “We’ve seen too many cases where owners of clubs were in no way suitable to own a community asset like a football club.”

To download English football and its governance click here.