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[Wilmslow Alty]

The Government's just published the Football Governance Bill, which will bring in a new independent regulator and affect National League clubs if it becomes law. The two main points are that the regulator will be able to step in to settle the funding dispute between the Premier League, EFL and National League - and clubs from Step 1 (National League) upwards will need to be licensed and stick to licensing conditions:

For the first time, clubs from the National League (Step One in the football pyramid) all the way to the Premier League will be licensed to compete in men’s elite football competitions in England. The proposed licensing regime will be proportionate to any problems, size and circumstances and involve a system of provisional and full licences, to give clubs time to transition.

It follows a number of issues in recent years including financial mismanagement, breakaway plans for the European Super League, and changes to club names, badges and colours against the wishes of fans.

All clubs will be subject to new baseline requirements enshrined in legislation irrespective of licence status, such as protections against breakaway competitions and stadium relocations.

The provisional licence will require all clubs to meet some mandatory conditions as standard, including basic requirements on fan engagement, corporate governance and financial reporting.

The regulator will then apply additional bespoke licence conditions on clubs, as necessary, to ensure they meet the necessary standards for a full licence across three key areas: financial resources, non-financial resources (such as relevant systems, policies and personnel), and fan engagement.

Fan engagement is a central tenet of the Football Governance Bill and will ensure fans are put back at the heart of the game. As part of the licence, clubs will be required to consult their fans on key off-field decisions, such as club heritage and the club’s strategic direction.

Full details here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/historic-football-governance-bill-introduced-in-parliament#:~:text=Under%20the%20Football%20Governance%20Bill,are%20found%20to%20be%20unsuitable..