Kieran Maguire: Man United ‘thrilled’ by Downing Street ruling as disaster dodged
Man United have dodged disaster as it appears that plans for an independent regulator for English football have been shelved.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the fate of one of the chief recommendations from last November’s Fan-Led Review of Football Governance.
An independent regulator with the powers to enforce financial controls and ensure greater supporter representation was backed by previous prime minister Boris Johnson.
But The Times reported last Wednesday (21 September) that Liz Truss’s new cabinet is far less keen on what they see as a departure from their small-government principles.
It is understood that they are considering blocking independent regulation and giving football a deadline to come up with a viable alternative.
Maguire argues that the likes of United will be “thrilled” to have faced down this potential threat to their autonomy.
“The Glazers don’t want any scrutiny or fan involvement beyond the bare minimum,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“The last thing they want is an independent regulator. The fear is that it could block attempts to create a second Super League. It would also mean they have to listen to the views of fans.
“Only one thing matters to these people and that is return on investment. They aren’t interested in football as a sport.
“They will be thrilled by the noises that are coming out of the Government.
“The Premier League has employed lobbyists to fight their corner in respect of the proposals of the Fan-Led Review. I think this shows that the strategy has paid off.“
In other news, pundit “feels sorry” for Harry Maguire after journalist’s Man United reveal.