Westminster Debate on Football Ownership (started by Steve Rotheram MP Walton)

Westminster Debate on Football Ownership (started by Steve Rotheram MP Walton)

If you have the time, then click on the link and read the full debate as heard in Westminster on 8th September.
Of course, the focus of the debate is Liverpool, but United are equally held up as a model of a 'problem club'.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2010-09-08a.73.0

It may all be hot air, but it's certainly a good sign that the debate even reached the hall.
Might be worth making a note of the names of all MP's involved in the debate and email them to ask them to back any of our campaigns.

Interesting comment by Mark Field MP for cities of London and Westminster...
"The new coalition Government have sought to introduce more co-operative types of club ownership, for example, by the fans. However, in reality, that will be virtually impossible to impose without ripping up company law and effectively nationalising privately owned businesses."

Happy reading.

Steve Rotheram (Liverpool, Walton, Labour)

I declare an interest at this juncture. Not only am I a self-confessed football fanatic, but my constituency happens to play host to two renowned football clubs-Everton, which I have to mention first, and Liverpool FC. I also declare an interest as a season ticket holder for the red half of that duo. I hasten to add that that is not the sole reason for my being keen to secure this debate-not entirely, at least. Indeed, Northampton Town Supporters Trust, the country's longest established supporters collective, says that this subject has an inescapably political dimension. I shall elaborate on what I mean by "politics" a little later.

Alicus Stuey, I apologise for taking up most your day.

A lively and well attended debate, the point made by the majority of speakers was that the governing body i.e. the FA is woefully inefficient and is in need of a complete overhaul.
The insider deals and secretive agendas were highlighted as being to the detriment of the game and one illustration was the situation with Ferguson and his refusal to honour a contractual obligation which states he must respond to the media, which of course he steadfastly refuses to do, the FA of course also refuse to compel him or take steps to exert any pressure on him for some reason best known to themselves.
If the FA had shown the proper diligence it is unlikely that H&G or the Glazers would have been able to do what they did, the all had a history of leveraged transactions apparently, which for some reason was ignored.
All this interest from the conservatives about football leads me to wonder if it's anything connected with the government majority shareholding in RBS and the possibility that they could be left to sort out the remnants of LFC.

Alicus Stuey, I apologise for taking up most your day.

Interesting post Daz, it's good to read some transparent debate on an informed level as opposed to the closed shop that is the LFC boardroom and their partners in secrecy the FA.