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Select Committee · Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Sport governance

Status: Closed Opened: 8 Nov 2021 Closed: 5 Feb 2024 6 recommendations 5 conclusions 2 reports
Clear

Reports

2 reports
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Ninth Report - Football Governance HC 1288 30 Jun 2023 11 Responded
Seventh Report - Racism in cricket HC 1001 14 Jan 2022 0 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
1 Conclusion Ninth Report - Football Governance Acknowledged

Establishing a Shadow Regulator for English Football quickly is crucial for effective implementation.

We welcome the Government’s commitment to establish an Independent Regulator. Introducing a Shadow Regulator as soon as possible to recruit staff and begin engagement and preparatory work is invaluable for clubs, leagues and other football stakeholders might help avoid unintended consequences in the new regime that could lead to dissatisfaction … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees reform should happen sooner and is working at pace to deliver an independent regulator when parliamentary time allows. It states a formal shadow regulator would require a Bill's second reading but assures that preparatory work is happening regardless.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
10 Recommendation Ninth Report - Football Governance Acknowledged

Reach urgent agreement on sharing higher proportion of revenue across football pyramid

We urge football authorities, including the Premier League, EFL and the FA, to urgently reach an agreement on sharing a higher proportion of revenue with clubs down the football pyramid before the establishment of IREF. This should include no increase in the current level of parachute payments from the Premier … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government echoes the Committee's call for football authorities to urgently reach a revenue sharing agreement and states that the future Regulator will have targeted powers to intervene as a last resort if they fail to agree.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
11 Recommendation Ninth Report - Football Governance Acknowledged

Expedite plans to establish Independent Regulator with power to mandate revenue sharing solution

If there are no immediate signs of progress on revenue sharing, the Government should expedite its plans to establish the Independent Regulator with the power to mandate a solution. (Paragraph 44) 20 Football Governance

Government response AI summary
The government reiterates its commitment to establishing a Regulator with powers to intervene in financial distributions as a last resort, noting ongoing work to design this mechanism, but does not commit to expediting its establishment.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Oral evidence sessions

7 sessions
Date Witnesses
28 Mar 2023 Debbie Hewitt MBE · The Football Association, Kevin Miles · Football Supporters' Association, Richard Masters · The Premier League, Rick Parry · English Football League, Tracey Crouch CBE MP View ↗
13 Dec 2022 Azeem Rafiq, George Dobell, Jahid Ahmed, The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE · Yorkshire County Cricket Club View ↗
24 Nov 2022 Bill Sweeney · Rugby Football Union, Carol Hart · Worcester Warriors community foundation, Judith Batchelar OBE · The Rugby Players Association, Robin Walker MP · Northern Ireland Office, Simon Massie-Taylor · Premiership Rugby View ↗
8 Feb 2022 Anuj Dal · Professional Cricketers' Association, Geoff Thompson MBE · Professional Footballers' Association, James Harris · Professional Cricketers' Association, Julian Metherell · Professional Cricketers' Association, Maheta Molango · Professional Footballers' Association, Rob Lynch · Professional Cricketers' Association View ↗
25 Jan 2022 Barry O’Brien · England and Wales Cricket Board, Gareth Williams · Glamorgan County Cricket Club, Martin Darlow · England and Wales Cricket Board, Mike O'Farrell · Middlesex County Cricket Club, Rod Bransgrove · Hampshire County Cricket Club, The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE · Yorkshire County Cricket Club, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Amos LG CH · England and Wales Cricket Board, Tom Harrison · England and Wales Cricket Board View ↗
7 Dec 2021 Adil Mehmood · Quaid e Azam Premier Cricket League, Basharat Hussain · Quaid e Azam Premier Cricket League, Tracey Crouch MP View ↗
16 Nov 2021 Alan Dickinson · England and Wales Cricket Board, Azeem Rafiq, Kate Miller · England and Wales Cricket Board, Meena Botros · England and Wales Cricket Board, Roger Hutton · Yorkshire County Cricket Club, The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE · Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Tom Harrison · England and Wales Cricket Board View ↗

Who gave evidence

34 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
The Lord Patel of Bradford OBE · Chair Yorkshire County Cricket Club 3
Azeem Rafiq — 2
Tom Harrison · Chief Executive England and Wales Cricket Board 2
Adil Mehmood · Executive Finance Officer Quaid e Azam Premier Cricket League 1
Alan Dickinson · Non-Executive Director England and Wales Cricket Board 1
Anuj Dal · Vice-Chair Professional Cricketers' Association 1
Barry O’Brien · Chair England and Wales Cricket Board 1
Basharat Hussain · Executive Chairperson Quaid e Azam Premier Cricket League 1
Bill Sweeney · Chief Executive Rugby Football Union 1
Carol Hart · Head Worcester Warriors community foundation 1
Debbie Hewitt MBE · Chair The Football Association 1
Gareth Williams · Chair Glamorgan County Cricket Club 1
Geoff Thompson MBE · Chair, PFA Operational Board Professional Footballers' Association 1
George Dobell — 1
Jahid Ahmed — 1
James Harris · Chair Professional Cricketers' Association 1
Judith Batchelar OBE · Chair The Rugby Players Association 1
Julian Metherell · Non-Executive Chair Professional Cricketers' Association 1
Kate Miller · Chief Diversity and Communications Officer England and Wales Cricket Board 1
Kevin Miles · Chief Executive Football Supporters' Association 1
Maheta Molango · Chief Executive Professional Footballers' Association 1
Martin Darlow · Deputy Chair England and Wales Cricket Board 1
Meena Botros · Director of Legal and Integrity England and Wales Cricket Board 1
Mike O'Farrell · Chair Middlesex County Cricket Club 1
Richard Masters · Chief Executive The Premier League 1
Rick Parry · Chair English Football League 1
Rob Lynch · Chief Executive Professional Cricketers' Association 1
Robin Walker MP Northern Ireland Office 1
Rod Bransgrove · Chair Hampshire County Cricket Club 1
Roger Hutton · former Chair Yorkshire County Cricket Club 1
Simon Massie-Taylor · Chief Executive Premiership Rugby 1
The Rt Hon. the Baroness Amos LG CH · Board member England and Wales Cricket Board 1
Tracey Crouch CBE MP — 1
Tracey Crouch MP — 1

Correspondence

9 letters
DateDirectionTitle
16 May 2023 To cttee Letter from Richard Masters, Chief Executive, Premier League, relating to the o…
18 Apr 2023 To cttee Letter from Rick Parry, Chair, English Football League, relating to the oral ev…
18 Apr 2023 To cttee Letter from Debbie Hewitt MBE, Chair, The Football Association, relating to the…
7 Mar 2023 To cttee Letter from Bill Sweeney, Chief Executive, RFU, relating to the oral evidence s…
14 Dec 2022 — Written evidence submitted by Azeem Rafiq
18 Oct 2022 To cttee Letter from Ben Wright, Director of External Affairs, Professional Footballers'…
16 Mar 2022 To cttee Letter from the Chair to Robin Smith, Former Chair, Yorkshire County Cricket Cl…
23 Nov 2021 To cttee Letter from Roger Hutton, former Chair, Yorkshire County Cricket Club, re follo…
16 Nov 2021 — Azeem Rafiq Witness Statement to the Leeds employment tribunal