"We need to be able to ensure the things which have made English football so successful over the last 150 years, and during the Premier League period, are not damaged," he added. "This needs to be a very precise regulatory tool and not a sledgehammer, otherwise it might take football sidewards, or even backwards, rather than forwards," he told the BBC. The issue is again in the spotlight as a result of a Qatari bid for Manchester United.įootball Association CEO Mark Bullingham welcomed the plans, saying his organisation would push for increased funding of the grassroots game while the Football Supporters' Association also voiced support.īut Premier League CEO Masters urged caution. The white paper does not explicitly mention human rights criteria within the test, but Andrew said the government would look at other regulatory bodies "to see what mechanisms they are using".Īmnesty International called on the Premier League to introduce a human rights element to its own owners' and directors' test during the protracted Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle. "We recognise we have had significant international investment from all over the world in English football but what we're trying to do is get down to who is the original owner and they have to pass the fit and proper person's test," he said. The body would also oversee a new test of owners and directors.Īndrew said this would not preclude states and sovereign wealth funds from becoming involved. The regulator's main purpose would be to oversee a licensing system to ensure clubs are run sustainably, following the collapse of Bury and Macclesfield in recent years.Īndrew said the regulator would step in if football authorities could not agree on a way to distribute money throughout the lower leagues. The proposals in the white paper, a policy document setting out proposals for future legislation, are based on the recommendations of a fan-led review. "Our white paper sets out how we will deliver reform by taking proportionate action that maintains the Premier League's position as the strongest league in the world, and safeguard clubs across the entire football pyramid," he said.īut Premier League chief executive Richard Masters warned the regulator should not be a "sledgehammer", echoing concerns expressed by some clubs. Sports Minister Stuart Andrew told lawmakers in the House of Commons that "fundamental reform" was needed to protect English football.
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