Independent Football Regulator.

[Notcher]

The full plans in the government white paper are due out tomorrow. There has been a press release tonight which confirms there will be a new independent regulator which will be established in law.

Some of the key plans are laid out here.

Bold plan to protect long-term future of English football

Football fans and their clubs will be given greater protections under a radical transformation of the rules governing how football is run in England

www.gov.uk

 

[HBB]

Just saw that and was going to start a thread but you beat me to it. The proposals look pretty good, I mean they're just sensible really and its about bloody time. The proof of the puding though is as ever in the eating.

 

[Strummer]

I am liking seeing the point that the Regulator will be responsible for looking at a clubs‘ books, and ensuring that not only is their source of funding „clean“, but also that they are financially sustainable, and that this will happen before a club is allowed to kick a ball in competition.

That is very similar to the German model, which seems to work well enough.

Granted, it is not quite direct supporter-ownership (the famous „50+1“ model) but if it prevents abuses such as Portsmouth, Derby and Manchester City (the latter, allegedly, of course) then it cannot be a bad thing. It might also have prevented the Glazers‘ debt-laden takeover of Manchester United, too.

 

[alabamared]

Apparently able to block clubs joining any super league

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64536218

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

Be interesting to see how enforceable it is.

What's to stop Manchester City re-domiciling somewhere in Europe in order to avoid any UK regulator?

Sure, the regulator could ban Manchester City from playing games at the Etihad and in the UK if they did that but... Would they care?

The ESL (and likely World Super League at some point) wont care about so called legacy fans. They'll just make the games a never ending tour of China, India, South Korea and USA.

 

[Strummer]

Be interesting to see how enforceable it is.

What's to stop Manchester City re-domiciling somewhere in Europe in order to avoid any UK regulator?

Sure, the regulator could ban Manchester City from playing games at the Etihad and in the UK if they did that but... Would they care?

The ESL (and likely World Super League at some point) wont care about so called legacy fans. They'll just make the games a never ending tour of China, India, South Korea and USA.

Just like Formula One.

 

[Notcher]

Be interesting to see how enforceable it is.

What's to stop Manchester City re-domiciling somewhere in Europe in order to avoid any UK regulator?

Sure, the regulator could ban Manchester City from playing games at the Etihad and in the UK if they did that but... Would they care?

The ESL (and likely World Super League at some point) wont care about so called legacy fans. They'll just make the games a never ending tour of China, India, South Korea and USA.

The issue they'll have is that the regulator has to issue a licence for them to play in our competitions so they can piss off abroad to re-domicile but they'll never kick another ball in an English competition. In doing so they'll very quickly risk losing their entire fanbase here.

 

[Ashley]

The issue they'll have is that the regulator has to issue a licence for them to play in our competitions so they can piss off abroad to re-domicile but they'll never kick another ball in an English competition. In doing so they'll very quickly risk losing their entire fanbase here.

Sounds good to me. Let them join their "Super" league, and if they come crawling back the regulator can tell them to get f**ked.

 

[Timothy Pope]

The issue they'll have is that the regulator has to issue a licence for them to play in our competitions so they can piss off abroad to re-domicile but they'll never kick another ball in an English competition. In doing so they'll very quickly risk losing their entire fanbase here.

Would they lose their entire fan base?

I suspect a large proportion of’City’ fans are outside of the uk and rarely, if ever go to matches. They will potentially continue to follow the club in a new competition (European Super League).
Those City fans that are uk based and match goers would either have to switch allegiances or follow a phoenix type club.

 

[Notcher]

Would they lose their entire fan base?

I suspect a large proportion of’City’ fans are outside of the uk and rarely, if ever go to matches. They will potentially continue to follow the club in a new competition (European Super League).
Those City fans that are uk based and match goers would either have to switch allegiances or follow a phoenix type club.

Interesting debate. Would it survive as a club?

Yes it would have the money from a Super league but can it truly survive without its real fanbase and not playing within its own country?

Domestic competition and the supporters from it is the very foundation and spirit of a football club.

Would Man City take a risk and leap into the unknown if their entire British fanbase threatened to turn their back on them? I'm not sure they would.

 

[Redemption]

When I worked for LFC on their main stand development -see the WFCG thread for more info - all the interactions I had with the senior people in Boston were that they didn't really value the locality - they never explicitly said this, but it was my reading of it. Our team used to joke that there were two Anfields, the stadium and the place and that if Boston could detach them and move the stadium to Indonesia they would.

There are lots of things that would make it hard to that. I doubt City or any of them would.

 

[Otis Redding]

I don't buy the "independant" bit, therefore I'm not sure if I agree with government, particularly this one, regulating football.

 

[Haych]

When I worked for LFC on their main stand development -see the WFCG thread for more info - all the interactions I had with the senior people in Boston were that they didn't really value the locality - they never explicitly said this, but it was my reading of it. Our team used to joke that there were two Anfields, the stadium and the place and that if Boston could detach them and move the stadium to Indonesia they would.

There are lots of things that would make it hard to that. I doubt City or any of them would.

I’m kind of surprised some American owners haven’t tried to turn clubs into franchises like in America where they can up and move the club every now and again.

 

[Otis Redding]

I’m kind of surprised some American owners haven’t tried to turn clubs into franchises like in America where they can up and move the club every now and again.

That practice has long been part of American sports culture though H. Even they will be aware that it would never ever be accepted here, such is the historical importance of a club to its community.

 

[Redemption]

I’m kind of surprised some American owners haven’t tried to turn clubs into franchises like in America where they can up and move the club every now and again.

The MSL is a single entity that owns the clubs and the player's registration. They then franchise out the clubs to be run by different businesses.

They can't franchise that way in Europe because the league structures are different. In the UK, the EPL is a private entity that is owned by the members - the golden share. The terms of the subscription to the equity is that you relinquish it if you finish in the bottom 3 but you will get a golden share to subscribe to the EFL.

They're completely opposite.

 

[Otis Redding]

Given that the government is claiming that these measures have been drawn-up primarily for the benefit of football club supporters, I'm a little confused as to how a regulator potentially withdrawing the licence of a financially mismanaged club will be of advantage to its fans?

 

[Redemption]

Given that the government is claiming that these measures have been drawn-up primarily for the benefit of football club supporters, I'm a little confused as to how a regulator potentially withdrawing the licence of a financially mismanaged club will be of advantage to its fans?

I guess it's supposed to be preventative.

Like having prisons stops crimes.

Or Offgen stops consumers getting fleeced

 

[Otis Redding]

I guess it's supposed to be preventative.

Like having prisons stops crimes.

Or Offgen stops consumers getting fleeced

Indeed. A politically-motivated Tory stunt designed to curry favour with football fans.

 

[Redemption]

Indeed. A politically-motivated Tory stunt designed to curry favour with football fans.

It's part of the Tories rebuilding their coalitions after brexit to include the football lads alliance or what ever they were called who became part of the Boris Red Wall mania defending statues from BLM Marxists etc

 

[Otis Redding]

It's part of the Tories rebuilding their coalitions after brexit to include the football lads alliance or what ever they were called who became part of the Boris Red Wall mania defending statues from BLM Marxists etc

Alleged far-right empathiser, Tory hardman and self-claimed "Forest fan", Lee 'Trigger' Anderson, agrees with this post.

 

[Jimmy]

Indeed. A politically-motivated Tory stunt designed to curry favour with football fans.

You lefty twats don't half come out with a load bollocks.

 

[Otis Redding]

You lefty twats don't half come out with a load bollocks.

I appreciate the acknowledgement Lee, but I disagree with the "bollocks" bit.

 

[Strummer]

Given that the government is claiming that these measures have been drawn-up primarily for the benefit of football club supporters, I'm a little confused as to how a regulator potentially withdrawing the licence of a financially mismanaged club will be of advantage to its fans?

The only thing I can offer is the way it works in German football; before the season starts, every club must present audited accounts and a valid business plan to the German FA, if the figures don‘t add up, the club does not get a license to play - which prevents it from going further into potential debt and possible liquidation.

The system isn‘t perfect, but what comes with it - enforced relegation and budget-caps, which forces clubs to then sell assets (players) to balance the books - has actually saved some prominent clubs from going completely bankrupt.

Two prominent examples: 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Bundesliga champions 25 years ago, had spent beyond their means to return to the top flight. The DFB stepped in, forcibly relegating them to the third-tier, which forced the club to cut its cloth and - painfully - rebuild. FCK consolidated, rebuilt, and got promotion to the 2. Bundesliga last season, and this season, they are flying high in the second tier, having gained 35 points already, and are looking really strong.

TSV 1860 München, a storied old club, whose financial mismanagement again saw them caught out and relegated to the fourth-tier of German football, have had to also rebuild, and are looking to consolidate themselves in the 3. Liga and push for promotion.

 

[Erik]

You can have all the regulators you like but until the inequality of football finances is sorted out nothing will change and the clubs with the money (and power) will be dictating what happens and any regulator will simply be a puppet.

 

[valspoodle]

I want to know if this regulator will have the power to order or will it just be advisory. If his actions are not enforceable, then it's a pointless exercise.