Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Conclusion 4
Ninth Report - Football Governance
Published 30 Jun 2023
Paragraph 22
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee Sport governance All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
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 of a strong, independent regulatory framework.
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Ninth Report - Football Governance (HC 1288), paragraph 22, 30 June 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 26 September 2023 (deadline 8 September 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the Committee's report and remains "committed to legislating" to put the Independent Football Regulator on a statutory footing "as soon as parliamentary time allows".
- On a shadow regulator by the end of 2023, it says a formal transition team operating in shadow form "would require Second Reading of a Bill to have taken place", though preparatory work is happening "regardless".
- It agrees that the Regulator should set fan engagement standards independently of the Premier League Fan Engagement Standard and the football industry more broadly.
- On equality, diversity and inclusion, it "notes and supports" the calls for further action but says the Regulator will focus on financial sustainability, so wider issues are "best placed to be led by industry".
- On revenue sharing, it has a "strong preference" for a football-led solution, but says the Regulator will need statutory powers to intervene "as a last resort" if football fails to reach an agreement.