Andy Burnham is being called upon to take action against a flawed sports ownership model by establishing a new organization that empowers supporters. The Co-operative Party, affiliated with Labour, is advocating for the creation of a new entity, dubbed Supporters Direct 2.0, to champion supporter and community ownership in sports.
According to a recent report, this initiative would provide legal, governance, and developmental assistance to clubs in various sports, diminishing the influence of private financing. The proposal comes in response to FIFA’s controversial plans to commercialize the World Cup, which triggered a significant backlash and subsequent reversal.
The report emphasizes the success of English football as a global commercial entity but highlights the imbalance where supporters contribute to the essence and identity of clubs, yet ownership and decision-making are concentrated in the hands of a limited group of private entities. It notes that most Premier League clubs are owned by international entities like hedge funds and private equity firms, advocating for a shift towards community ownership.
The Co-operative Party warns that recent events, such as the push to sell World Cup shares, underscore the urgent need for reform in sports ownership. Issues in Rugby Union and Rugby League, including club administrations and financial woes, further underscore the challenges in the current ownership landscape.
General Secretary of the Co-operative Party, Joe Fortune, expressed concerns about the dominance of private ownership in sports and emphasized the necessity of empowering fans and communities. He called for a redistribution of power to ensure supporters can have a greater say in the governance of the clubs they cherish.
Andy Burnham, the first Labour and Co-operative Prime Minister in history, previously led Supporters Direct, advocating for increased supporter involvement in football. His belief in the fans’ ownership of football clubs over shareholders reflects the core principle driving the call for reform in sports ownership.
