Parliamentary debate on non-league football this week

Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, has secured a debate in the House of Commons on 4 September focusing on the Future of Non-League Football. Details of the debate can be found here.

Norman has himself seen what happens when football clubs aren’t owned and run properly, and when leagues and governing bodies can’t or won’t intervene, having witnessed the slow and painful decline of his local club, Hereford United. He is hoping the debate will cover:

- The Football Association and the Owners and Directors Test – how inadequate it is particularly at non-league level, where the policing of clubs is so difficult.
- The role of coops and supporters’ trusts
- The role of HMRC
- The Football Creditors’ Rule
- Financial viability of football clubs, particularly those that have recently been relegated
- Transparency of club ownership
- The work of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee on football governance - and the Government’s response

The debate is important because it focuses on an area – non-league football – where the supporters trusts organisation Supporters Direct has made significant strides since it was formed in 2000, but which often suffers through lack of attention in the mainstream media.

If you want to contact your local MP, visit the They Work for You website and fire off an email. Here’s some suggested text below: -

Dear MP,

I am writing to you because I want you to support Jesse Norman MPs debate, ‘The Future of Non-League Football’ which will take place on the floor of the House of Commons.

Given how important small, local football clubs are to their local communities – at whatever level they play at – I think this is an issue that you will care about too.

Jesse is hoping the debate will cover:

- The Football Association and the Owners and Directors Test – how inadequate it is particularly at non-league level, where the policing of clubs is so difficult.
- The role of coops and supporters’ trusts
- The role of HMRC
- The Football Creditors’ Rule
- Financial viability of football clubs, particularly those that have recently been relegated
- Transparency of club ownership
- The work of the Culture, Media and Sport select committee on football governance - and the Government’s response

I hope you can be part of the debate on the day.

FC United encourages its supporters to raise awareness of this debate in Parliament to keep the issues of good governance and accountability in non-league football in the public eye.