Bristol Rovers FC welcomes the introduction of the Football Governance Bill in Parliament.
The landmark legislation, following a fan-led review in 2021, is an essential milestone in securing the long-term financial security and sustainability of England’s football pyramid, and will bring independent input that will put supporters back at the heart of the game.
The powers given to the Independent Football Regulator will ensure all clubs can not only survive, but thrive, in a fair and competitive system.
The Club also looks forward to supporting the EFL in its contributions towards the IFR’s periodic State of the Game Report, which will provide evidence-based analysis of issues surrounding financial sustainability in English football.
Bristol Rovers would like to express our thanks to all its local MPs, in particular Thangam Debbonaire, for their hard work and in getting the Football Governance Bill in Parliament, and look forward to further collaborative work in the months ahead on the Bill’s journey to becoming legislation.
Thangam Debbonaire, MP for Bristol West and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: “I welcome the introduction of the Football Governance Bill. Labour has long been calling for an Independent Regulator for Football to give fans a greater say in the way their clubs are run, tackle poor governance, and prevent bad-faith ownership.
“For too long, fans up and down the country have been forced to watch their clubs pushed to the brink. The new regulator must robustly defend the interest of fans and ensure the financial sustainability of the football pyramid.
"We will scrutinise the proposals of the Bill carefully and work to ensure the new regulator has the powers it needs to protect clubs like Bristol Rovers, which are the beating heart of our community.”