The “White Paper”, as the British Government’s proposal is known, will prohibit clubs from joining external leagues
23 feb 2023 . Updated at 4:55 p.m.
The English football reform bill, which the british government presents this Thursday, focuses on the ban on English clubs to join a possible Super League European.
The creation of the competition, promoted by some of the biggest European clubs, included six English teams (Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur y Liverpool), which provoked the anger of the fans and the promise of the British Government to review the structure of the sport, with emphasis on the relationship between fans and clubs.
He White Paperas this first proposal is known in United Kingdom, it began to form in 2021 and now it is a reality. The Government bases this reform on several points: the creation of an independent regulator to mediate in disputes, prohibit clubs from joining external leaguessuch as the European Super League, improve the test for owners and owners to avoid economic problems in the clubs, to improve the representation of the fan and that they have decision-making power and to improve the distribution of money in the pyramid of English football.
In this way, an attempt is also made to avoid the creation of state clubs, as is the case of the Newcastle United, in the hands of Saudi Arabia, and Manchester City, in the hands of the United Arab Emirates. A possible acquisition of Manchester United by Qatar, which has raised doubts in United’s LGBT community, would also be in question. The new owner test would take into account criteria hitherto unnoticed, such as respect for human rights on the part of the new owner, as well as their financial capacity and the origin of their income.
With greater economic control, the Government tries to alleviate the fall from grace of many clubs in recent years: since the creation of the Premier League in 1992, more than 60 clubs in English football have been involved in serious economic problems. One of the most notorious cases in recent years is that of Bury, a club created in 1885 and which was expelled from League One (English Third Division) in 2020.
However, this project does not convince the Premier League, which views many of the reforms with skepticism and believes that it jeopardizes the superiority of the English league compared to other European competitions.
“We appreciate the Government’s commitment to protect the success of the Premier League. It is vital that this regulation does not harm the sport that fans love or its ability to attract investment or increase interest in our sport,” the Premier League said in a statement recalling that it already contributes 1.6 billion pounds (1.7 billion euros) to favor more modest football.
The Premier considers that the new regulator would take away its power and that the new restrictions on owners would scare away potential investors.
“We will now work with all stakeholders to ensure that the new regulator does not lead to any unintended consequences that could affect the Premier League’s position as the most watched league in the world, reduce its competitiveness or put the unrivaled levels of funding it we are at risk,” he said.
In the case of individual clubs, the first to position themselves against it has been David Sullivan, co-owner of West Ham United, who has defined the new regulator as “a terrible idea.”
«The Government is a disaster when it comes to directing anything, you just have to see how they run the country. I’m sure this regulator will have a lot of employees that will have to be paid. It’s going to be a waste of money. I’m sure it increases every year as well,” Sullivan said.
