Football governance bill's passage can create a fairer game at every level

The Guardian

17 hours ago

It seems like a lifetime ago that the fan-led review into football governance emerged from the wreckage of the failed European Super League. The ideas that underpin the independent regulator were born out of that crisis: an attempt to stop the drift of our national game toward private greed, corporate overreach and ownership disconnect from local communities. Years later, we are probably on the verge of finally seeing those ideas enshrined in law.
Tuesday's resounding 415 to 98 vote on the football governance bill. in the House of Commons means the process should come to a resolution with royal assent in the coming days. Although that may feel inevitable given the overwhelming cross-party support in the Commons, anyone who has worked in politics knows better than to celebrate before the final whistle. But we are, at last, in what looks like the final minutes of the game.
I have always been an advocate for reform, and Grimsby Town were one of the founding members of Fair Game – an alliance of clubs and campaigners determined to build a fairer, more sustainable future for football. Under the tireless leadership of Niall Couper, Fair Game has kept the spirit of the fan-led review alive: challenging, proposing, organising. The football community owes him a debt of gratitude. He should never have to buy a pie or a pint at any ground in England again, though he may find himself less welcome at venues where quiche and chablis are more the order of the day.
The Premier League's main objection to reform has been that any interference with its structure may jeopardise its market-leading status. The Premier League is a global phenomenon. Its broadcasting revenue is greater than the combined total of the top European leagues. That is a remarkable achievement and a real soft-power asset for the UK, and nobody in this debate wants to dismantle or devalue the Premier League as a product or as a representation of the English game at its finest.
That has never been the intention of the independent regulator. It has never been about meddling with the quality of football on the pitch. It is about redistribution, about recognising the historical and current contribution of all professional clubs in English football, from the Premier League to the National League. The ecosystem relies on a delicate balance, built since the Football League was created in 1888, and the game is only as strong as its foundations. Yes, the clubs who formed the breakaway in 1992 and turned it into the global success it is today deserve their rewards. But every club, big or small, has contributed to that history. Their continued survival is not a romantic ideal, it is a necessity.
One of the recurring concerns is that any extra money trickling down will be funnelled into inflated player wages. That is a risk, and it is right that we legislate for it. No one is arguing that players should not be well paid, but the reality is that when some owners are willing to absorb significant losses through equity injections, it distorts the market. In the past couple of years, we have seen wage inflation of more than 30% in some cases, driven by newly acquired clubs such as Wrexham, Carlisle and Birmingham. In the absence of safeguards, that sort of escalation becomes the new norm that most clubs have to adapt to in order to remain vaguely competitive. It is not only unsustainable, it is impossible to maintain over the long term without more clubs going bust.
We undoubtedly need better cost controls on salaries, ideally through a league-specific cap on each squad, but I would also like a requirement that at least 50% of any redistributed funds go towards the women's game, infrastructure, academies and community-led initiatives. These are the investments that build clubs for the long term: developing homegrown talent, improving local facilities and embedding football clubs deeper into their communities. It is about legacy, not just liquidity.
Of course, not everyone agrees. Some early drafts and media coverage painted the independent regulator as a Trojan horse for 'mission creep' – the start of a faceless body that could end up interfering in everything from shirt sponsors to starting XIs. That was never not the intention, nor will it become the reality. The bill as drafted focuses on three core areas: redistribution, ownership and directors' tests, and fan engagement. Get these right, and the game will be in a far better place.
Whatever your politics, this should be regarded as a proud moment. It is an example of what politics can do at its best – listening, responding and building something in the public interest. Credit must go to the previous Conservative government, and particularly Tracey Crouch, whose leadership and integrity helped get the ball rolling after the Super League fiasco. And it is to the credit of Lisa Nandy and the Labour government that they have kept the momentum and got the bill through in a substantive and meaningful way.
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Now the clock starts ticking. Within 18 months of royal assent, the independent regulator must produce a state of the game report, and the Premier League is required to put forward a serious offer to the EFL on revenue sharing. There is little incentive for the Premier League to act swiftly; the longer it delays, the later the money flows. It seems likely that the regulator, under the leadership of David Kogan, will have to invoke backstop powers to force a settlement. Even then, we are probably two years away from clubs such as ours seeing any financial benefit. But the vote in parliament is a significant milestone and an inflection point for all of us.
Football has always reflected the society around it, its values, its inequalities, its triumphs and its failings. But unlike other industries, football has an unusual emotional gravity. It binds generations. It builds identity. It belongs, at least in spirit, to the people. We are not asking for nostalgia, we are asking for a renewed commitment to stewardship. And while there is still plenty of work to do, the fact that the independent regulator has moved from concept to near reality is a powerful reminder that change is possible even in football. Even in politics.
Jason Stockwood is the co-owner of Grimsby Town