The All Party Parliamentary Football Group is to launch a new Inquiry into the governance of English Football. Four years ago, the All Party Parliamentary Football Group published a comprehensive report into football and its finances which received widespread coverage. The Report, the conclusion of a detailed nine month investigation by the APFG, recommended a radical re-distribution of football's largesse coupled with tougher corporate governance standards throughout the game.
Since then there have undoubtedly been improvements within the game and some of the report's recommendations have been taken forward to a greater-or-lesser extent. However, it has not all been rosy in the football garden. There has been no, or slow, progress on the majority of the Group's recommendations. Much of the game's corporate governance structure is opaque, to say the least, and does not reflect the best examples of British
business.
With this mixed track record, the All Party Parliamentary Football Group believes it is timely to look again at some of the key issues affecting our national game starting with a new look at corporate governance structures. Alan Keen MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Football Group said: "English club football is enjoying great success in Europe at the moment. Yet many questions remain about the standard of corporate governance and whether it is best equipped to deal, at every level, with the long term challenges of the game's future. This is the focus of the Group's new Inquiry.
The Group will examine case studies on governance, including Liverpool FC where the role of the owners has raised significant public concerns and overshadowed achievements on the field. It is important to understand that the All Party Parliamentary Football Group's intention in
initiating this inquiry is not that politicians should be involved directly in the governance of football but to provide a platform for all those who care about our great game to contribute their views in open debate. We plan to produce a report in the Autumn based on the input from all parties at the Inquiry sessions which we hope will be a constructive way forward in dealing with some of these thorny issues."
The Inquiry will cover all aspects of football governance. Anyone wanting to prepare a written submission is invited to do so which can be based around the following areas:
The inter-relationship between the Premier League, the Football League and the Football Association
Disparities in the standards of governance between the Leagues
The representativeness of the Leagues and the FA
The application of the 'fit and proper person' test
Dispute resolution between clubs
The ability of existing governance structures to regulate the increasing demands of the game
The probity of decision-making processes
The ownership of English football clubs
The Group will invite a limited number of speakers to make presentations to the Inquiry. The first two oral evidence sessions will take place in May and a later press notice will give details of this and subsequent sessions before the publishing of the report into its findings in the autumn. The following MPs and Peers from the Group will form a panel that will consider the submissions and hear presentations from interested parties:
Alan Keen MP (Lab) (Chair)
Joan Walley MP (Lab)
Christine Russell MP (Lab)
Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Lab)
Mark Field MP (Con)
Ian Lucas MP (Lab)
Bob Russell MP (Lib Dem)
Mark Hendrick MP (Lab)
Ian Duncan Smith MP (Con)
Clive Betts MP (Lab)
Lord Taylor of Warwick (Con)
Russell Brown MP (Lab)
Andy Reed MP (Lab)
It would be helpful if submissions could be received no later than noon on Friday 30 May 2008 by e-mail (Word format) followed up by a signed hard copy in the post. The e-mail address is alankeenmp@parliament.uk The postaladdress is Alan Keen MP, Chair, All Party Football Group Inquiry, House of
Commons, London SW1A OAA
