Government warns over reforms in England

The Government has set a deadline of the end of February for wide-ranging reforms, including controlling club debt, to be brought in – and has threatened to introduce legislation if sufficient progress is not made.

That would require the FA, the Premier League and the Football League to all agree on making the necessary changes.

The Government’s proposals also call for widespread reform of the composition of the FA board. The suggested new structure would be made up of a chairman, general secretary, two further FA executives who would be tasked with “bringing wider football expertise”, two independent non-executive directors and two each from the professional and national arms of the game.

The recommendations also make it clear that the FA Council’s role should be changed so that committees report to the FA board instead, with a maximum time limit of eight years for council members.

The football authorities should look at ways to encourage more fans on clubs’ boards, says the Government, and clubs should be forced to release players for England duty at all age levels from under-17 upwards.

The report makes clear the Government’s threat to bring in legislation if reforms are not made.

It states: “We expect the football authorities to work together to agree proposals, including plans for implementation, by 29 February 2012. The new board can then agree the way forward for the remainder of the recommendations, ideally for implementation for the start of the 2012-13 football season.

“The Government is fully committed to ensuring that the changes put forward by the football authorities make a lasting and substantive difference.

“If that does not happen the Government will introduce a legal requirement on the Football Association to implement the appropriate governance clauses by the swiftest possible means”

A joint FA, Premier League and Football League statement said they would take some time to decide on action.

The statement said: “The football authorities are grateful to both the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for the time taken and interest shown in the governance arrangements for football. We shall now take time to consider the department’s response as we formulate what the most appropriate actions might be.

“The FA, the Premier League, the Football League and representatives of the national game are already engaged in this process and are committed to keeping the minister and his department informed of our progress.”