A message to ALL football fans, regardless of which club you follow; Blackpool Supporters Trust has recently created a government petition with the following aim; The Government must introduce an independent regulator for English football. We urge the Government to introduce an independent regulator for English football, charged with ensuring the highest possible standards of governance for all clubs. The troubles we have endured at Blackpool FC during the Oyston ownership are well documented and make unbelievable reading, which has culminated in the Oystons being made to pay Valeri Belokon over £30m. Blackpool FC has become a by-word in the football community for mismanagement and crisis, and yet after a period several years, nothing has been done. The EFL shows no sign that it understands what its leadership role in this area should be, and as it clearly can’t - or won’t - rise to the challenge, then we feel that the Government must step in to lead the process of fundamental reform that is clearly needed. Blackpool is not the only club in such circumstances. Other 'crisis' clubs include AFC Wimbledon, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, Fulham, Leyton Orient, Leeds United. Football clubs are too precious and too much a part of the fabric of our national life, to be left to the mercy of unregulated and often unscrupulous ownership. They need the protection of a robust regulatory framework that offers a range of sanctions against wrongdoers, mechanisms that allow problems to be confronted before they become deep-rooted and a governing body that has the desire to use it. As football fans, I would ask that you join us in trying to bring about change within the game and hopefully prevent future owners from loading clubs with debt, asset stripping and running clubs into the ground. We are all fans and we should stick together to ensure the clubs we love are owned and managed properly. The petition can be found here – https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/213108 Thank you all for your support and if you have Twitter, please feel free to tweet this or add on Facebook - get this message out there!! If you are a member of any other of your club's fans forums, please post this on there to spread the word – we, as fans, are all in this together. Please let us know if you sign it, or even disagree with the petition by adding a comment/thumbs up. You can also sign the petition if you are browsing as a guest on this forum. MODS: please could you make this a sticky for us, we need all the support we can get
There is a FIFA regulation about Government intervention in football, and I don't know whether the Government appointment of an independent regulator would be classed as intervention.
Done, Tangerino. It’s long been a bug-bear of mine that something as simple as a tree can be ‘listed’ and yet the lawmakers in our society (who are meant to serve our interests) care little for the English heritage of the country’s football clubs, which provide the greatest level of English culture. It’s a class thing, I’m sure. Good luck with the petition.
Have you checked whether the requested governmental intervention is within FIFA rules. I seem to remember that when governments have attempted to intervene in the running of football in other countries FIFA has suspended those countries. This comment does not mean that I disagree with you intentions. Something has to be done about maverick owners.
