Govt Aims To Increase Football Fan Power

The Government is to consult on ways to increase supporter involvement in the running of professional football clubs.

Sports minister Helen Grant is convening a panel of experts to examine ways supporters can have "stronger links with executives and owners" and make it easier for clubs to become "community-owned assets".

The announcement comes three days after the Labour Party revealed more ambitious plans that would require clubs to give supporters direct representation on boards.

Under the Labour plans, which are set to feature in its 2015 election manifesto, supporters would have two seats on club boards, and supporters' trusts would have the right to buy up to 25% of shares when a club is sold.

The Government proposal is confined to a consultation with what appear to be more constrained parameters.

A supporter ownership and engagement panel will include representatives from government, the Premier League, The FA, the Football League and Supporters Direct, the organisation that promotes fan ownership via trusts.

Lawyers, insolvency and tax experts and representatives from clubs that are run by supporters, including Portsmouth, AFC Wimbledon and Wrexham, will also be part of the group.

It will be chaired by Joanna Manning-Cooper, the director of marketing and communications for England Rugby 2015 and a member of the Portsmouth Supporters' Trust.

The Government and Labour initiatives come amid disquiet about the apparently increasing gap between football clubs and the communities from which they spring.

With ticket prices rising faster than the cost of living, and owners increasingly drawn from a pool of the international super-rich and investors, many supporters complain of being disconnected from their club.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats pledged at the last election to remove barriers to fan ownership, but in coalition the Lib Dems have failed to deliver.

Areas the group will look at include seeing what can be done to help supporter groups have stronger links with the executives running clubs and looking at removing barriers to clubs becoming community-owned assets when that is a sustainable option.

Ms Grant launched the group on a visit to Portsmouth Football Club, which is owned by its supporters following a takeover in 2013 after the club fell into administration for a second time.

The minister said: "We want to see what more we can do to give fans a stronger voice in how their club is run, as well as looking at ways in which we can help remove some of the barriers to supporter ownership."

Supporters Direct chief executive Robin Osterley added: "It is very gratifying to see the Government addressing the problems that prevent an increase in supporter ownership.

"This is something that can directly and tangibly benefit supporters' trusts, and we look forward to making swift progress on the issues."