Independent Fan Led Review of Football Governance

In November 2021, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, chaired by MP Tracy Crouch, former Minister for Sport at the DCMS, published the findings of the Independent Fan Led Review of Football Governance (link to .pdf version here). 

The government recently announced that it will be implementing all the main findings of the report including the proposal to have an Independent Regulator for football. This is probably the biggest change in the way in which football has been governed since the formation of the Football Association in 1863.  

How will the changes affect you as a fan? Make sure you keep up to speed with the reform proposals. Some say that the proposals will endanger the success of the game worldwide and that football should not be controlled by politicians. Others that the reforms will make football more inclusive and provide proper regulation to ensure the healthy future of the game and give a voice and influence to fans and communities, recognising football clubs as community assets.  

Keep informed, tune in the debate and find out where you stand. We suggest the panel discussion “Is a football regulator necessary?” by the Institute for Economic Affairs between those against regulation (like Simon Jordan), and those in favour (like MP Damian Collins). In general terms, supporters argue that football cannot regulate itself effectively and needs independent oversight to protect clubs as community assets; sceptics argue that state regulation is disproportionate and could lead to “regulatory creep” and stifled investment. 

In the realm of football as a tool for peace and development, these are excellent foods for thought on how structural governance and institutions affects the stability and social value of the game. As we have argued in other blogs, football clubs are cultural and community assets, and a stable club provides a sense of belonging and a hub for interaction. The debate also touches heavily on the need for transparency: proponents argue that without fair rules, the “sporting meritocracy” disappears, leading to polarisation between the “haves” and “have-nots”. 

This leads us to also think about peace in football: beyond the absence of violence in the stands, it is also about the sustainability of the institutions that allow the game to serve its community in the first place.