Football governance White Paper set to be published on Thursday | Football News

The long-awaited White Paper on football governance is set to be published on Thursday.

An initial fan-led review was completed by former sports minister Tracey Crouch MP in November 2021 and endorsed by the government in April of last year.

However, a succession of crises and change of leadership within government has delayed the process. It had been hoped for the White Paper to be published ahead of the July recess last year, but publication was again pushed back two weeks after a cabinet reshuffle.

The football governance White Paper is set to adopt many of the key recommendations of Crouch’s review with the government confirming as much when they brought the review to the attention of parliament in April 2022.

The Paper is expected to begin the legislative process to bring in a new regulator for football, a ban on clubs joining breakaway leagues enforced, tougher club ownership rules and a greater say for fans in the running of their clubs.

Other recommendations include greater powers for supporters, a “shadow board” that would include representation from fans, an improved owners and director’s test as well as improving mechanisms to bring in equality and diversity at board level.

Crouch’s review presented 10 key recommendations with an independent regulator for football at the heart of her proposals which has generated the largest debate within the game.

The belief from the Premier League and Football Association is that self-governance with a reformed landscape will be the best way to regulate football. However, many MPs from all parties have the view that football cannot self-govern effectively and an independent regulator is needed.

The previous Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Michelle Donelan MP, responding to questions in the Commons last month, said that it was her expectation that a White Paper would be published within a few weeks and echoed by sports minister Stuart Andrew. Donelan told the chamber the Paper would bring in “significant reform within football”.

A White Paper sets out government proposals for future legislation so the prospect of an independent regulator for football and shadow boards at clubs remains some time away should the Paper be voted through. While there is no exact timeframe, the process to legislation could take anywhere between 12 to 18 months.