CAST members have been writing to their MPs in support of the recommendations of Tracey Crouch's fan-led review of football governance.
Greenwich & Woolwich MP (and CAST member) Matt Pennycook said:
"I’m personally very clear that the Government needs not just to 'accept the principle' of the Crouch Review and the specific case for an Independent Regulator, but accept the whole thing. I’ll be pressing for legislation plus the implementation of a shadow regulator as soon as possible."
We are aware of at least ten other MPs (nine Conservatives) who have been contacted and we have no doubt that there are many more. Please let us know if you have written to your MP and how he or she responded.
Huw Merriman (Conservative, Bexhill & Battle) said:
"I can assure you that I will support moves which ends the practice of clubs being purchased by owners who have no assets and then monetise the future incomes and leave the club in a terrible place. Other measures in the report will also protect the future of our clubs."
"Nothing in Tracy’s report should hold the PL back so I don’t see any conflict but I raise this in case there are unintended consequences which I have yet to grasp. All being as it seems, I will be happy to support these ideas onto the stature book."
"Your interim manager looks the part! I hope you continue to climb up the table."
Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington): agrees (albeit from a central office template)
"that football governance must keep evolving if it is to keep pace with the challenges of the modern game. The global commercial attractiveness of English football is something to be celebrated, but not at the expense of supporters and their communities." and:
"warmly welcomes the Culture Secretary’s announcement that the Government has endorsed in principle the primary recommendation of the review: that football requires a strong, independent regulator to secure the future of our national game." and is:
"encouraged that the Government was so quick to indicate that it will consider the detailed recommendations of the report ahead of providing a full response in Spring 2022 – which will include a plan of action across Government."
Helen Grant (Conservative, Maidstone & The Weald) is enthusiastic:
"I fully support the work of my colleague Tracey Crouch, her report serves as a thorough and detailed examination of the challenges faced by English football. It is a demonstration of the financial problems being caused by incentives within the game and reckless decision making by some clubs and owners, both of which are unsustainable and threaten the future of the game. It is clear that current oversight of the game is not up to the challenge of solving the structural challenges and action must be taken."
We know that the following have also been contacted:
- Chris Loder (Conservative, West Dorset)
- Gagan Mohindra (Conservative, SW Herts)
- Jeremy Hunt (Conservative, South West Surrey)
- Nusrat Ghani (Conservative, Wealden)
- Greg Clark (Conservative, Tunbridge Wells)
- Sarah Dines (Conservative, Derbyshire Dales)
- Clive Efford (Labour, Eltham)
- Daniel Zeichner (Labour, Cambridge)
- Gordon Henderson (Conservative, Sittingbourne & Sheppey)
- Roger Gale (Conservative, ThanetNorth)
Please keep the pressure on by writing to your MP if you haven't done so yet. The more letters they receive the more they will realise that this is an important issue for many people. In particular please write if you have a Conservative MP as The Conservative Party has not yet given its support for full implementation of Tracey Crouch's recommendations.
Here is a link to a page which will offer you a template to work from:
https://www.castrust.org/2021/11/would-you-entrust-your-football-club-to-this-man/
Please let us know you have written and what sort of response you receive
Meanwhile our friends at The Charlton Dossier are continuing to examine closely the Premier League voices who are criticising Tracey Crouch's recommendations. Having last week assessed Leeds United's Angus Kinnear ("towering tastelessness") they turn their attention this week to West Ham's Baroness Brady:
https://thecharltondossier.com/orc-no-2-baroness-brady-of-knightsbridge-cbe/
If you would like to join nearly 3000 Charlton fans as a member of CAST you can do so here:
https://www.castrust.org/join/