Football's warring parties have to work with the Regulator for the good of the game
When supporter groups met recently, a story was shared about the disabled fan who complained to his club about the hike in car-parking prices and was told that surely he wanted to be treated as equally as able-bodied fans who were also having to pay more this season. There’s so much to unpack with that sentiment, none of it good.
In fairness, this one undignified incident is probably unreflective of how staff at clubs generally treat disabled fans but it certainly reflects the relentless push to sweat more money out of match-going fans. It is one of many reasons why supporters welcome the Football Governance Bill being introduced in the House of Lords today, a seismic moment for football in England.
So often with new legislation, the devil is in the detail and then the execution. The Bill, and the incoming independent Regulator, aims to put fans back at the heart of the game, and at the centre of their clubs, and seek to keep a stronger eye on owners than the FA, Premier League and EFL have managed. The game belongs to the fans, not to owners. Owners come and go, fans remain. Some owners are very good. But some simply cannot be trusted, and some of the recent ticket price hikes are unconscionable, let alone the increases in disabled car-parking.
But now it is about the detail. Regulators do not enjoy the best of reputations so the starting point is ensuring the right individual is appointed to run the regulators’ office. It cannot be a political appointment. It has to be a KC, and probably one at the stage of their career where they will accept the significant drop in remuneration. The high calibre of some of the names put forward confidentially is encouraging.