MPs vote to establish independent regulator for men's football in England

MPs have voted to back the Football Governance Bill and establish an independent regulator to oversee the men's game in England's top five divisions.

They voted by 415 to 98 to pass the bill at its third reading in the House of Commons, and it is now poised to become law.

The legislation will grant powers to a body that is independent from government and football authorities.

The government has previously said an independent regulator will "protect football clubs" by "ensuring their financial sustainability".

"I am proud to be part of the winning team that has put our fans back on the pitch at the heart of the game, where they belong," Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said.

The bill was initially introduced in March 2024 by the then-Conservative government but failed to pass through parliament before a general election was called in May. The new Labour government reintroduced the bill in July 2024.

In a message to fans before the vote, Nandy had told the Commons: "We are doing this for you because for too long, you have been treated as an afterthought at best or a nuisance at worst in a game that is only great because of you.

"This is for Macclesfield, for Wigan, for Bury, for Bolton, for Derby, for Reading, for Sheffield Wednesday, for Morecambe and for many, many more who have had to endure the misery of being put last when they should have been put first."

Shadow Minister for Sport, Louie French MP, criticised the Bill, saying "a future Conservative government will trigger a review of Labour's regulator as soon as possible".

Football campaign group Fair Game described the bill clearing the Commons as "a historic step forward for our national game."

"This is a victory for fairness, sustainability and the future of football... Now, at long last, we are firmly on the path to a fairer future for football," it said.

MPs, however, voted against a proposal from the Liberal Democrats to make at least 10 Premier League games available on free-to-air television each season.

The new clause would have also required the League Cup final, and the Championship, League One and League Two play-off finals to be free-to-air.

In the UK, the list of 'crown jewels' sports events, which cannot solely be shown by broadcasters who charge viewers, includes football's World Cup and European Championships as well as the FA Cup final.

Live Premier League matches have been broadcast behind a paywall since the league's inception 33 years ago, with only a handful of games shown on the BBC during Covid in 2020.

Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock said: "The government believes that the current list of events works well, and it strikes an appropriate balance between access to sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue.

"We all want to see more matches being televised, free-to-air, but that must be balanced against investment and not risk it."

The Lib Dems claimed analysis of subscription prices shows that to watch each available Premier League game live next season fans will have to pay £660 a year.

Lib Dem Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson Max Wilkinson MP said they were "deeply disappointed" by the vote result.

Last month, it was revealed Premier League television viewing figures on main live rights-holder Sky Sports were down 10% last season, while TNT Sports had a 17% reduction in its year-on-year figures.

From next season, 10 Championship matches will be shown live free to air on ITV after an agreement between the EFL and rights-holder Sky Sports.

MPs also rejected a Conservative amendment to force ministers to launch a formal consultation on scrapping the rule banning alcohol in football stands across the top five tiers of men's football in England.

"The alcohol ban, which has been in place since 1985, was introduced to help curb hooliganism on the terraces during the problematic era of British football," French said.

"As football fans know, we have this legacy ban which sees fans rushing to drink their beer before kick-off and at half-time, this often leads to the fans being delayed entering the stadiums and overcrowding on the concourses."

Responding to French, Sports Minister Peacock said: "This is outside the scope of the Bill, which is focused on sustainability of clubs and game overall. I've raised the issue with the Home Office, as I committed to do during the Bill committee, as it is their policy lead."

The minister also said an amendment to establish a compensation scheme to help with care costs for former players with dementia is also "not within the tight regulatory scope of the Bill".

"Although that does not mean the government is not aware and very sympathetic to the calls that are being made on this issue, both in this House and for many former players and their families," Peacock said.

MPs also voted against a requirement for prospective board chairs of the Regulator to publish their political interests and donations.

That amendment was tabled after the government's proposed chair of the new independent regulator, David Kogan, becoming the subject of an inquiry by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Kogan had contributed money to the Labour leadership campaigns of Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, leading to claims of "cronyism" from Conservative MPs.