Finance guru: Man City may now override FA as new plot emerges – ‘it’s clear who has the power’
Man City and their Premier League peers could override any alternative proposal put forward by the FA for an independent regulator for football.
That is the view of finance expert Doctor Dan Plumley, speaking exclusively to Football Insider as the fate of the independent regulator hangs in the balance.
The third-party arbitrator was one of the main recommendations of Tracey Crouch MP’s Fan-Led Review in November last year and was backed by ex-prime minister Boris Johnson’s government.
But Liz Truss’s cabinet is less keen on the idea and, per The Times last Wednesday (21 September), is close to withdrawing their support.
The same outlet reported last Saturday (24 September) that the FA has responded by drawing up its own plans for a regulator that would not be backed up by legislation.
But Plumley forecasts that City, who like most of the Premier League are not keen on more red tape within football, could block the FA’s latest solution.
“I think it’s more about what the take on this within football is,” the Sheffield Hallam University expert told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“The Government will probably just push this to one side and say it’s the FA’s problem like we’ve seen in the past with football and politics.
“But the challenge is that the Premier League and its clubs are more powerful than the FA. How do you set up a regulator that really has the ability to bear teeth when it needs to?
“That will always be a sticking point because it’s quite clear where the power lies in English football. That is the trickiest thing.
“And, of course, some people would argue that it is still a conflict of interest because it’s all internal.
“So, I can’t see it happening. If it does, I think there would be some real challenges around the governance and power dynamics between the FA and the Premier League.”
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