Football regulator: Fight over Brady-backed ‘sunset clause’ hots up
Conservative peers including West Ham United chair Karren Brady are this week expected to step up their push for a “sunset clause” that critics fear will render the incoming independent football regulator toothless.
The sunset clause would allow for the football regulator to be scrapped after a set period time, likely to be five years, if it was found to be ineffective or not operating as intended.
It is set to be debated on Wednesday afternoon, when the last committee session for the Football Governance Bill is scheduled to take place at the House of Lords.
Conservative peers Lord Hayward and Lord Goodman have proposed a sunset clause as part of an amendment to the bill. Brady has also raised concerns over the powers that the bill will give to the regulator, comparing it to “nuclear weapons”.
The CEO of Fair Game, a group that campaigns for governance reform in football, Niall Couper, told City PM he expected Tories to continue to “try their best” to scupper the bill, despite it being initially introduced under Rishi Sunak’s government.
“They’re going to go for this idea of a sunset clause,” Couper added. “It’s been led by Karren Brady, so there’s a tiny bit of self-interest going on there.
“The problem with a sunset clause is that it undermines the regulator before it has even begun. It needs to have teeth and authority. I think they will push for a vote on a sunset clause at a later stage. We know that Brady is bringing in loads of people to talk through it.”
The football regulator is already in existence in shadow form ahead of its full rollout once the bill has passed through parliament. It is building out its team in Manchester and is thought close to appointing its first chair.
Wednesday’s committee session will also address another key sticking point in how the Premier League’s millions are redistributed throughout the English football pyramid and, crucially, whether the regulator can impose a deal.
Talks between top-flight clubs and the English Football League have been at an impasse for more than a year and have been complicated not only by the prospect of a regulator but also looming changes to the Premier League’s financial rules.
Fair Game is planning to have a presence at the House of Lords on Wednesday with a view to lobbying peers to back the bill without further amendments or delays.
The group will be backed by 12 other pro-regulation organisations, including EFL and non-league clubs such as AFC Wimbledon and Leyton Orient, and offer drop-in sessions for members ahead of the debate.