Today, Tracey spoke in the House of Commons for the Second Reading of the Football Governance Bill. This has been an eagerly anticipated Bill for many football fans across the country and it is now finally on its way to attaining its royal asset and becoming law.
This Bill is very close to Tracey’s heart as its publication dates back to Tracey’s equally anticipated Fan-Led Review of Football Governance which was published on 24th November 2021. The review was promised in the 2019 Conservative Manifesto following the collapse of Bury FC and was triggered early by the widespread backlash to the European Super League.
Tracey was truly humbled by the passionate response from the fans who contributed towards the review, which led to 10 strategic recommendations, including a new independent regulator for English football, as well as 47 detailed recommendations. For the first time in years football fans were given a say in how they wanted the beautiful game to be managed and the Government has listened.
Today, this Bill is set to establish the Independent Football Regulator; to make provision for the licensing of football clubs; to make provision about the distribution of revenue received by organisers of football competitions; and for connected purposes.
In other words, rather than interfering with matters on the pitch. The regulator will be focused tightly on governance, finances, ownership and fans. It will help clubs to build their resilience, while preventing much loved teams like Bury from falling into financial ruin. This Bill has been brought forward with the aim to restore faith in fans who have lost their clubs to ignorant ownership and to help prevent incidents like the collapse of Bury from ever happening again.
Tracey says:
“I love football, and this Bill protects the pyramid from the vulnerabilities and fragilities that have challenged football over the years. It protects football clubs from owners who forget that they are merely custodians of something greater than a trinket. It serves to protect fans, clubs and entire communities from losing their heart and soul. For those reasons, I hope that the whole of Parliament will come together to support the Bill and get it into statute as quickly as possible.”
