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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
2 Recommendation Ninth Report - Football Governance Deferred

Establish a Shadow Independent Regulator for English Football by end of 2023 and pass required legislation.

We recommend that the Government should establish the Independent Regulator for English Football in a shadow form by the end of 2023 to ensure that it can begin initial engagement and preparatory work before waiting for legislation to be passed. The Government should ensure the legislation needed to give statutory … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government agrees on the importance of transitional arrangements but then entirely pivots its response to discussing fan engagement standards, the Regulator's role in oversight, and existing club engagement, without addressing the specific recommendation to establish a shadow regulator by end of 2023 or the …
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
4 Conclusion Ninth Report - Football Governance Deferred

IREF presents a significant opportunity to accelerate and strengthen fan engagement in football.

The introduction of IREF remains a great opportunity to increase the pace of the important work that is already underway at football clubs consulting and engaging with their fans. Whilst clubs should be encouraged to exceed fan engagement standards and pursue best practice, this should be underpinned by the backstop … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government states the Regulator's primary focus will be on financial sustainability, systemic stability, and protecting club heritage, not the wider fan engagement standards or independent regulatory framework, which it believes are best led by the industry.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
6 Conclusion Ninth Report - Football Governance Deferred

Limited progress on EDI outcomes in football highlights need for universal standards

The inclusion of concrete, universal EDI measures in the new Football Governance Code is a necessary step to address the significant concerns about a lack of EDI oversight in football. The work on EDI done by the leagues to date has not been undertaken collaboratively and opportunities to pool resources … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government outlines its commitment to establishing the Independent Football Regulator with backstop powers to intervene on financial distributions and bringing forward legislation. However, it does not specifically address the recommendation for concrete, universal EDI measures in the new Football Governance Code.
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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