Dagenham and Rainham MP Backs Football Governance Bill

On Monday 28 April Dagenham and Rainham MP, Margaret Mullane, voted in support of the government’s landmark Football Governance Bill at second reading. The Bill delivers on Labour’s manifesto commitment to establish the independent football regulator and a new set of rules to protect clubs, empower fans and keep clubs at the heart of their communities.

Margaret commented: “Ensuring that The Football Governance Bill delivers a fairer future for football at every level of the English football pyramid is vitally important, especially for constituencies like mine which is home to Dagenham & Redbridge FC, or ‘The Daggers’, as we know them. Grassroots football and lower-league clubs form the bedrock of working-class communities like ours, yet at present these clubs see very little support in terms of financial flow. It is my hope that this Bill will pave the way for greater distribution.”

In a briefing for MPs Fair Game UK (https://www.fairgameuk.org/) outlined that whilst many clubs thrive across the pyramid, there is still financial fragility across much of the lower tiers with the Premier League dominating broadcasting revenue at 88%, leaving 7% for parachute payments, and the remaining 5% split between the next 138 clubs.

Since 1992 60 clubs have gone into administration and the knock-on effect to their communities has been devastating. Not only this but lower league clubs are also more susceptible to rogue owners and mismanagement.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: “English football is one of our greatest exports and a source of national pride which this Government wants to see thrive for generations to come. But for too long, financial instability has meant loyal fans and whole communities have risked losing their cherished clubs as a result of mismanagement and reckless spending. This Bill seeks to properly redress the balance, putting fans back at the heart of the game, taking on rogue owners and crucially helping to put clubs up and down the country on a sound financial footing.”

Margaret Mullane MP concluded: “This Bill is the result of a fan-led review and as such must serve to strengthen the voice of fans in places like Dagenham and Rainham. I know how pivotal the role of the regulator will be to achieving the fairer future we want to see in English football, and I will be following this Bill through Parliament to ensure it reflects the needs of clubs like Dagenham and Redbridge FC.”