THE Fair Game organisation has published a list of 11 tenets of good governance for football clubs. Produced by experts and leaders from across the sports industry, the list is aimed at providing a template for the new independent regulator for English football. The 11 tenets are: effective board; integrity; long-term sustainability; respect for heritage and culture; engagement; transparency and communication; accountability; people; equality, diversity and inclusion; continuous improvement; and spirit of the rules. The tenets come from a document setting out guiding principles and provisions for the governance of clubs. It is based on having three bands, according to the sizes of clubs, with the largest expected to meet more stringent requirements, while there would be a lighter-tough for smaller clubs. Greg Campbell, co-author of the code, said: “Good governance is at the heart of sustainability for any organisation or business. There is little doubt that football needs the added structure to ensure its longevity, so that it can ensure clubs are well run and engage effectively with their fans and their communities. We’ve looked at numerous codes across the sport, business and charity sectors and have worked with football clubs and industry experts to produce a code that we believe can put football on a solid foundation for generations to come.”
The Dutch Eredivisie has struck an agreement with ESPN for an extension to its broadcasting rights deal. ESPN has held the rights since 2013 but the current arrangements expire at the end of 2024-25 season. They will extend their run for a further five seasons at € 150 million per year. The rival bidders, which include VodafoneZiggo, Delta, KPN and T-Mobile, claim their bids would be more lucrative for the league and would give greater flexibility to the clubs. However, the advisory committee, which includes the big three clubs – Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord – recommended the league stay with ESPN.
Liverpool’s Anfield stadium has been excluded from the hosting venues for Euro 2028, while the still-to-be-built new home of Mersey rivals Everton is part of the organisation. Apparently, the dimensions of the Liverpool pitch does not meet UEFA requirements. UEFA state all pitches must measure 105 metres by 68 metres at a minimum. However, this is not the first time Anfield has been omitted from tournaments, but in 1996, it was used for group matches and a quarter-final. Due to its pitch size, it cannot be considered for major European finals.
UEFA has, quite rightly, dropped its plans to end a blanket ban on Russian football teams taking part in its competitions. There has been a mood of disapproval about the governing body’s plans to readmit Russia’s youth sides into the 2024 European under-17 Championship qualifiers and three of UEFA’a five vice presidents voted against change in a private executive committee meeting. UEFA originally said that they wanted to integrate Russia’s youth teams because “children should not be punished for actions whose responsibility lies exclusivity with adults”. UEFA commented after their ExCo meeting: “The agenda point was withdrawn as no technical solution to allow Russian teams to play could be found.”
GAME OF THE PEOPLE 