Supporters Direct have advised that Jesse Norman, MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, has secured a debate on the floor of the House of Commons on the 4th September focusing entirely on the Future of Non-League Football – see here for the schedule.
Jesse 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.
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 Co-ops 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 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, head to They Work for You and fire off an email. You can find a suggested text for that email here.
Perhaps you could even pop in and speak to your local MP at one of their regular surgeries, usually held on Fridays in the constituency.
** UPDATE** – you can find a transcript of the debate here.
