The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Football Supporters aims “to represent the interests of match-going football fans and to support the aims and objectives of the Football Supporters’ Association”. The APPG is cross-party and chaired by Ian Lavery MP (full member list below).

LAST MEETING

Beyond Matchdays: Celebrating Supporters In The Community
Tuesday 8th September (5pm-6.30pm) – Committee Room 17, HOC

Speakers:

Hannah Kumari (The FSA’s Fans for Diversity campaign lead)
Nick Clarke (Manchester City Fans Foodbank and the Citizens Trust)
Tina Newall (Football Supporters’ Society of Bury)

Football isn’t just 90 minutes – it’s the heartbeat of many towns and cities across the country with supporter organisations making a huge difference to the communities in which they live.

This event celebrated the sometimes unheralded but always vital work that fan groups and supporters’ trusts carry out in their communities as we brought fans into Parliament to celebrate this activity with their local MPs at the start of a new season.

Community-owned clubs opening up their facilities for all. Fan foodbanks providing a service for those most in need. Fans for Diversity groups building cohesion and inclusion. Mental health support and more.

Football brings people together like nothing else – clubs and supporters across the country harness this energy to make a difference in the areas where they live.

APPG MEMBERS

Alex Norris (Labour)
Andy McDonald (Labour)
Anneliese Midgley (Labour)
Baroness Taylor of Bolton (Labour)
Bill Esterson (Labour)
Charlotte Cane (Liberal Democrat)
Chi Onwurah (Labour)
Chris Bloore (Labour)
Chris McDonald (Labour)
Chris Webb (Labour)
Clive Betts (Labour)
Clive Efford (Labour) – Vice chair
Connor Naismith (Labour)
Dan Carden (Labour)
Dawn Butler (Labour)
Dave Robertson (Labour)
David Smith (Labour)
Derek Twigg (Labour)
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour)
Emma Foody (Labour and Co-operative)
Gareth Thomas (Labour)
Grahame Morris (Labour)
Harpreet Uppal (Labour)
Ian Byrne (Labour)
Ian Lavery (Labour) – Chair
Ian Murray (Labour)
Jack Abbott (Labour)
Jamie Stone (Liberal Democrat)
Jeff Smith (Labour)
Jo Stevens (Labour)
Joe Morris (Labour)
Jon Pearce (Labour)
Justin Madders (Labour)
Kate Osborne (Labour)
Lee Barron (Labour)
Lizzi Collinge (Labour)
Lord Collins of Highbury (Labour)
Lord Evans of Rainow (Conservative) – Vice chair
Lord Evans of Sealand (Labour)
Lord Faulkner (Labour)
Lord Goddard of Stockport (Liberal Democrat)
Lord Goodman of Wycombe (Conservative)
Lord Steve Bassam of Brighton (Labour and Co-operative)
Lord Stoneham of Droxford (Liberal Democrat)
Lord Taylor of Warwick Non-affiliated
Luke Murphy (Labour)
Luke Myer (Labour)
Mark Ferguson (Labour)
Marsha De Cordova (Labour)
Mary Glindon (Labour)
Matt Western (Labour)
Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat)
Mike Wood (Conservative)
Nigel Huddleston (Conservative)
Patrick Hurley (Labour)
Paul Foster (Labour)
Paul Kohler (Liberal Democrat)
Paula Barker (Labour)
Peter Dowd (Labour)
Richard Burgon Independent
Richard Holden (Conservative)
Shockat Adam Independent
Sir Mark Hendrick (Labour)
Stephen Morgan (Labour)
Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat)
Stuart Andrew (Conservative)
Sureena Brackenridge (Labour)
Toby Perkins (Labour)
Tom Hayes (Labour)
Warinder Juss (Labour)

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

“Change is coming”: Meet the Independent Football Regulator (Tues 3rd February 2026) The APPG for Football Supporters and Football APPG welcomed the new Independent Football Regulator chair (David Kogan) and CEO (Richard Monks). MPs and Peers questioned the IFR and learned more about their core objectives, operational priorities for 2026, approach to supporter engagement, and more. You can read more about this APPG event here and more about the Independent Football Regulator here.

Fans fightback on ticket prices: #StopExploitingLoyalty (Tuesday 11th November 2025) – Guest speaker Miguel Delaney (The Independent) joined supporter groups as we explored ways in which supporters and MPs/Peers can join forces to make sure football is affordable and accessible for all. Nineteen out of 20 top-flight clubs increased their ticket prices during 2024/25, kickstarting a wave of supporter protests across the country.

3UP campaign (Wednesday 22nd October 2025) hosted by both the APPG for Football Supporters and the Football APPG and Football in order to present the case for its 3UP campaign. The campaign is calling for an increase to three promotional places from the National League into EFL League Two. At present the National League is the only ‘step’ of the professional football pyramid that doesn’t have at least three promotion places.

Football Governance Bill: What next? (Tuesday 3rd September 2024) – The long-awaited Football Governance Bill might have been delayed thanks to July’s general election but new culture minister Lisa Nandy has already said it is “personal” for her and a “top priority” – this was further confirmed by its inclusion in last month’s King’s Speech. This Parliamentary event looked at the previous Bill’s strengths and weaknesses while considering ways in which MPs, Peers, clubs and football supporters can help ensure the Bill delivers upon its promises by protecting the game and strengthening the fans’ voice. The meeting was hosted and chaired by Ian Lavery MP with guest speaker Rick Parry (EFL chair).

Football Governance Bill – strengths and weaknesses / APPG AGM (Tues 19th March 2024) – Stuart Andrew MP (sports minister), Stephanie Peacock MP (shadow sports minister) and Tracey Crouch MP discussed the Football Governance Bill which was tabled for Parliamentary debate on the same day. The APPG AGM was also held at this event.

“Football and Gambling” (Monday 4th March 2024) – the Gambling Related Harm APPG and the APPG for Football Supporters held an evidence session into gambling’s relationship with football. The session explored how gambling and the sport have become intertwined, along with the subsequent effects on footballers, fans and the game itself. MPs from both APPGs looked in detail at gambling’s relationship with football and what more can be done to reduce associated gambling harms. The session heard evidence from former professional footballers, representatives of supporters’ groups, and other expert witnesses.

APPG AGM (Tuesday 23rd May 2023) AGM and discussion on the Government’s football governance White Paper. The APPG and its members continue to be fantastic supporters of the FSA’s goals and it is vital that continues as the Government’s White Paper on football governance progresses through Parliament. A great example of that support was the APPG’s role in launching a report in November 2022 which secured national media interest (Guardian, Sky Sports News etc) and kept the Fan-led Review in the spotlight. That White Paper, that seeks to establish a new indepedent regulator for football, is a generational opportunity to change football for the better and the support of MPs in that process is absolutely essential to ensure the proposals are not blocked or diluted by the football authorities.

The Fan-led Review – one year on (Tuesday 15th November 2022) How can we all ensure that the game’s vested interests do not derail proposals that can safeguard football’s future and protect against a future European Super League? Speakers will include the Fan-led Review’s chair Tracey Crouch MP and other members of the panel.

Will the Government act on the Fan-led Review of Football Governance? / APPG AGM (Wednesday 27th April 2022) The APPG for Football Supporters backs the Fan-led Review’s recommendations wholeheartedly and this meeting gave MPs an opportunity to evaluate the Government’s response and plan for progress through Parliament.

Fan-led Review of Football Governance (Wednesday 1st December 2021) Joint meeting of the APPG for Football Supporters, Football APPG and Women’s Football APPG with Tracey Crouch MP who discussed the Fan-led Review which was published in November 2021.

Promoting LGBT+ representation and combatting discrimination in football (Thursday 13th May 2021) To mark 2021’s International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, both the All-Party Parliamentary Groups for Football Supporters and for Global LGBT+ Rights joined forces for a panel featuring Damian Collins MP, Chris Paouros (co-chair of Proud Lilywhites and Kick It Out trustee), Luke Tuffs (manager of Ashford Town (Middlesex) Football Club) and ex-rugby star Gareth Thomas.

Fan activism & the women’s game – a new era (Tuesday 27th April 2021) What are the campaign priorities for fan groups in the women’s game? What role do fans have in growing the game? Do clubs put match-goers or the TV audience first? Can fans fend off the hyper-commercialisation which afflicts the men’s game? With Tracey Crouch MP, D-M Withers (Bristol City Women FC board member at Bristol City Supporters Club & Trust), Rodney Cyrus (On And Off Pitch Podcast) and Suzy Wrack (The Guardian)

Mass extinction event? (20th October 2020) We heard from football finance expert Kieran Maguire on where football has gone wrong in the past and what can be done to save it. Kieran presents the Price of Football podcast, teaches the Football Industries MBA (University of Liverpool Management School), and is a regular guest in the national media on this subject.

APPG AGM (5th February 2020) FSA chief executive Kevin Miles gave a run down on the latest news relating to football governance, standing at the match, and more. The APPG looked at events for the upcoming year and identified football and policing costs, facial recognition technology and its use at football, Qatar 2022, agent fees, and Fans for Diversity as subjects they’d like to hear more about.

Club emergencies – How do we prevent more Burys? (4th September 2019) FSA chief executive Kevin Miles and vice chair Tom Greatrex launched our comprehensive Improving the Regulation of Professional Football Clubs paper.

What is the future of lower league football? (9th January 2019) Accrington Stanley majority shareholder and chairman Andy Holt told MPs that not enough revenue trickles down the leagues, with the Premier League’s solidarity payments to the EFL being received predominantly by Championship clubs with League One and League Two clubs receiving far smaller amounts.

Safe standing: Coming to a ground near you? (1st May 2018) Celtic FC’s Ronnie Hawthorn (Head of Safety, Security and Operations) explained how well the rail seat area worked at Celtic Park to interested MPs.

Fans for Diversity – because football is for everyone (24th January 2018) Launched in 2014 Fans for Diversity has led the way, supporting the creation of new groups around the country, helping unlock the passion and desire many had to engage with their local clubs and traditional supporter base. The event launched our Annual Review.

Football and TV: Won’t someone think of the fans? (12th December 2017) THST co-chair, FSA National Council member and (then) FA Council rep Kat Law has led supporter efforts in lobbying broadcasters to be more considerate towards the needs of matchgoing fans. She outlined what role supportive MPs could play.

Can the FA reform itself? (15th March 2017) A Commons debate on football governance saw a motion of no confidence in the FA’s ability to reform and backed proposals to increase supporter representation on football’s governing body. The FA’s Robert Sullivan appeared in front of the APPG to discuss the merits of FA reform.