Helen Grant MP

Minister for Sport & Equalities

Department for Culture, Media & Sport

100 Parliament Street

London SW1A 2BQ

Ref: ML.C0065.AW.02.12.13

Date: December 2nd 2013

Dear Helen,

I am writing to you to reiterate my support for making comprehensive improvements to the way that football is governed in the UK. I have been contacted by constituents and organisations representing football supporters, all of who are concerned that so little progress has been made on implementing the reforms recommended by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee report into the governance of football. Football fans are anxious to see a game that is well governed at all levels, rather than devoted only to making a small minority of the people involved with it extremely wealthy.

Issues of particular concern include the limited progress made on the internal governance reform of the FA, including the introduction of a balanced and representative FA Board; the failure to establish the Government Expert Group on increasing opportunities for supporters to have greater involvement in the ownership of their clubs; and the failure to introduce a comprehensive club licensing system, regulated by the game’s governing body and including full transparency of ownership.

I urge you to act to implement the full set of recommendations set out in the Select Committee’s report, rather than settling for the very limited reforms so far accepted by football’s governing body. Otherwise, the central concerns of not only the Select Committee but also the many people around the UK who support football will remain unaddressed, to the detriment of the game.

I understand that the Football Governance Bill is currently being prepared for publication ahead of its second reading debate on 17 January and hope that it will reflect the ongoing concerns of my constituents.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,