Workshop

Briefing Paper No. 1: Developing Public Policy to Encourage Supporter Community Ownership in Football

Briefing Paper No. 1: Developing Football’s Regulation to Encourage Supporter Community Ownership

“…encourage the reform of football governance rules to support the

co- operative ownership of football clubs by supporters.”

“Communities of fans should be viewed by policymakers as important,

dynamic and vital to their local areas.” Supporters Direct

Coalition Programme Promise

Existing Regulation

Company Law

Community Asset Transfer

Need for a UK Sports Law?

“Supporters Direct believes that, ultimately, a Sports Law provides the most holistic and long-term solution to both the problems faced in the

governance of professional football and as a route to encouraging supporter ownership.”

Localism BillAbility for Local Authorities to: • Recognise “Community Interest Groups”• Identify “Assets of Community Value”• Specify conditions when ACVs disposed• Create window of opportunity for CIGs

“The potential in the Localism Bill is that it seems to create a framework in which supporters’ trusts are regarded as legitimate community interest groups (CIGs) and football

grounds and clubs could be listed as assets of community value (ACVs).”

Finance• Big Society Bank• Finance from Football – 1%• Tax Regime Reliefs for supporter ownership• Encourage Community Shares• Fanshare Regulation

“Supporters Direct believes that the present companies tax regime encourages business losses to

be run up at football clubs (as part of wider group company ownership), and therefore discourages

supporter ownership.”

Existing Regulation

“Regulatory reform to date has been marginal, dealing with the symptoms of

deep seated problems in English football, rather than tackling their cause.”

52 clubs that have been in the top 92 have suffered insolvency since 1992

A Club Licensing System• Need for ‘Bottom Up’ and ‘Top Down’ regulation.• Examples from Germany to N Ireland show how licensing can work

“SD believes a club licensing system… should be implemented to provide a ‘financial health

check’ which challenges poor financial control and unsustainable business planning.”

Achieving Change• Supporter Shareholders• Football Reform• Government Legislation

“In order to ‘encourage supporter community ownership’, government can promote reform by

proposing a Football Regulatory Bill with a ‘sunset clause’ that allows football time to adopt a

robust and appropriate licensing system and… provide power for ministers should the game be unable or unwilling to take the necessary steps.”