Football may finally set out plans to prevent dodgy owners
It’s taken an age to be published, met with determined opposition from rich Premier League clubs but it looks like the long-awaited white paper on football governance is close to being announced.
The Valiants, like many other clubs have had their share of turmoil over the years with two administrations and protests against the likes of Valiant 2001, MOLD and Norman Smurthwaite in recent years.
The new rules will enforce tougher regulations on who can own football clubs, and will ensure only ‘fit and proper custodians’ can take over.
It’s an attempt to prevent owners who can’t prove the source of their wealth and that they built their fortune legitimately from owning English sides. The White Paper will also stop club owners from changing kits and logos and will also give fans more of a say in how clubs are run.
The government will have the power to intervene if the English Football League are not happy with the amount of TV revenue that will be filtered down to the lower leagues from the Premier League. The Football League and its clubs remain frustrated with lack of progress on talks with the Premier League about a ‘new deal for football’, and hope the shake up will see them get a bigger share of TV revenue to help the growth of the English football pyramid.
It is claimed the White Paper will be signed off by the Cabinet soon, with the view to have the new regulations in place for the 2024/25 season.