The Football Governance Bill is progressing through Parliament and there is a lot to celebrate – if this legislation passes it will create an Independent Football Regulator (IFR) which can protect our historic football clubs and ensure long-term financial stability across the game. As part of this the Supporters’ Trust at Reading have been invited to speak to the committee to explain from a fans point of view the impact that we feel the regulator could have on football. We are really proud to have been asked and this shows the level of work that Sell Before We Dai and STAR have had over this season. We are so grateful for all the help, there are some brilliant minds out there that stepped forward to support us. Click here for more
The IFR will have powers to intervene when bad owners threaten a club’s very existence, we have seen firsthand how devastating ownership problems can be. That’s not all – the IFR will also improve club heritage protections, formalise and strengthen supporter engagement while preventing domestic clubs from joining a European Super League or similar breakaway competition in the future, all of which very much align to STAR’s values.
This whole process was kickstarted by the threat of six top-flight clubs breaking away to form their own closed shop league and the regulator is still needed to give supporters a voice in running the game. Where will things go without us having a real say? See the speculation about Premier League games in the US for a possible example.
We are very grateful to the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) who have supported us through the issues at Reading FC, as well as ensuring that our experience is reflected in shaping the Football Governance Bill. The FSA have worked with the Government and opposition parties to ensure this bill is a landmark moment for English football and they’re calling on fans to contact their MP and confirm that they will vote in favour of the Football Governance Bill.
How do I contact my MP and what do I say?
- Find your MP’s contact details here: parliament.uk/FindYourMP
- BCC the FSA so they can see which MPs have been contacted: appg@thefsa.org.uk
- CC/BCCinfo@star-reading.org as we would also love to see your contributions if you wish.
MPs are more likely to engage with personally written emails from their constituents but, if you don’t feel confident doing that, you can use this template letter. Remember to be polite, and include supporting Reading FC, as well as your address.
While it’s better to contact MPs via email we realise some people will prefer to use X – please tag @WeAreTheFSA and STAR @STARreading as we’d be interested in joining those discussions.