FOOTBALL fans will be protected from dodgy owners who risk wrecking their club’s finances and heritage, Sir Keir Starmer has promised.
A new regulator will be established to oversee the beautiful game – and if needed swipe cash from the Premier League and distribute it to struggling lower teams.
And it would ban clubs from joining breakaway tournaments like the ill-fated European Super League.
Today’s King’s Speech revives the Football Governance Bill that was first proposed by Rishi Sunak but failed to clear Parliament before the election.
The blueprint to stop more clubs going bust received cross-party support and so has been brought back under a Labour government virtually unchanged.
King Charles confirmed today: “A Bill will be introduced to establish an independent football regulator to ensure greater sustainability in the game and strengthen protections for fans.”
It includes the creation of a watchdog that all teams would have to receive a licence from in order to compete.
This legal regulator would impose a new owners and directors’ test to ensure all prospective buyers to root out murky individuals who could play fast and loose with club finances.
It would also compel bosses to consult with fans before changing the club’s kit and logo following recent outrage at their history being wrecked.
Similarly clubs would have to get the regulator’s approval before moving their stadium to a different location.
The tightened rules on clubs have been controversial, with some fearing an impact on the Premier League’s £6.1billion annual revenue.
Backstop powers on the regulator to redistribute funds from the top-flight to struggling lower leagues have proved especially thorny.
But the plight of fans at teams such as Bury and Macclesfield that saw their clubs run into the ground by reckless owners have spurred action.
The Bill will apply to England and Wales, not Scotland which has its own league.
