Today the Football Supporters Association is launching the SUSTAIN THE GAME campaign. STAR is signed up and backing it. The Covid-19 situation has made the crisis in football governance and finance even worse. But this could mean it’s a great time for change.
The campaign is backed by supporters’ groups from almost all 92 clubs, some clubs themselves, politicians from the three major parties and leading football media figures like Jamie Carragher who said “this is a difficult time for the game but it’s also a chance to make real changes.” The campaign looks for urgent action from the authorities to protect the very existence of clubs in this dangerous time.
The five principles of the campaign are:
- Protect our clubs – football clubs are community assets and an important expression of individual and local identity, they deserve legal protection and urgent support to secure their future;
- Transparency – everyone has a right to know who owns their club, and how clubs and the authorities operate. Owners are custodians of clubs on behalf of all of us;
- Financial controls – fans want rules with real teeth which are independently enforced, clubs and leagues can’t be left to regulate themselves;
- Strengthen the pyramid – football as a whole is wealthy, but we need a smarter and fairer use of the money in the game to encourage sustainability;
- Supporter engagement – fans are the lifeblood of the game, they need a voice in their clubs and on all issues that affect them and their communities.
To find out more about Sustain The Game! and see all signatories visit: www.thefsa.org.uk
You can follow @WeAreTheFSA on Twitter / Facebook tomorrow and RT the account throughout the day and/or put your own analysis onto it while sharing the #SustainTheGame message.