MPs back 'historic' new football watchdog ensuring 'clubs stay accountable to fans'
MPs have lent their support to plans to set up the Independent Football Regulator and roll out operating licences for football clubs.
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The Football Governance Bill looks set to become law after it cleared the Commons, with MPs voting in favour at third reading by 415 votes to 98, majority 317.
It will introduce a football watchdog for the top five tiers of the men’s game to make sure clubs are accountable to their fans and run sustainably.
The regulator will also have "backstop" powers to impose a financial settlement between the English Football League (EFL) and the Premier League if they cannot agree one themselves.
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"We promised in our manifesto that we would end years of inaction and make the changes that fans have fought for for so long and are so overdue," Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the Commons.
"I am proud to be part of the winning team that has put our fans back on the pitch at the heart of the game where they belong."
Football campaign group Fair Game said the vote marked "a historic step forward for our national game".
"This is a victory for fairness, sustainability, and the future of football," it said in a statement on X.