Plans for greater regulation of football have been branded a “terrible idea” by the owner of Nottingham Forest's next opponents.
The Reds play relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off), and Hammers owner David Sullivan quickly poured cold water on the proposals.
A Government White Paper will be published on Thursday setting out the full detail of its proposals on football governance, based on the recommendations of the fan-led review commissioned in the immediate aftermath of the Super League scandal.
Under the proposals, an independent regulator will licence clubs in a bid to ensure they are run more sustainably, introduce robust owners’ and directors’ tests while also giving fans veto powers to prevent owners making changes to a club’s heritage, such as the badge or kit.
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And it will also have powers to block clubs joining breakaway leagues, appearing to prevent a repeat of any attempt by clubs to form a Super League like the one which proved so unpopular with supporters in 2021.
The news was “warmly” welcomed by the Football Supporters’ Association, but Hammers owner Sullivan criticised the plans.
He told Sky Sports News: “It’s a terrible idea. The regulator will have a huge staff that football will have to pay for. It will be a total waste of money.”
But Kevin Miles, the chief executive of the FSA who was part of the fan-led review panel, said: “The FSA warmly welcomes the historic commitment from the Government to introduce an independent regulator of English football.
“The football governance white paper clearly addresses our key concerns around ownership, rogue competitions and sustainability and of course we support any proposals that offer fans a greater voice in the running of their clubs.”
The football authorities will study the detail of the White Paper before issuing comment.
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