Recently, the Fan-led Review of Football Governance proposed ideas which could radically transform our game for the better, and now the Football Supporters Association wants the help of fans across the country to do our bit and make sure that the government implements it's recommendations.

Chairmen and owners of our clubs are already starting to throw their weight around and lobby against the report, football needs it's fans to repeat the solidarity against the European Super League and help counteract any moves made by the people looking to make a quick buck off out game.

What can you do?

The easiest way to help is to write to your MP, you can find out how to contact them using the website theyworkforyou.org, or https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP, just enter your postcode and you'll find their contact details. If you want to CC BRFCS.com and the FSA too, just add our email addresses [email protected] and [email protected] before you send it.

MPs respond and engage much more with email's that are personal and individual, mass emailing, while attention grabbing often has no effect on an MPs decision, however individual emails from their constituents are shown to be much more effective. That's why the FSA nor BRFCS.com are providing a template, but here is some guidence.

Make sure you name check your team (or teams if you have a main team and a local team), especially if they have been effected by the kinds of issues the review addresses, such as insolvency or ownership issues.

Ask your MP to write to Nadine Dorries, the secretary of state for the DCMS, and call for the Government to back all the recommendations in the Fan-led Review of Football Governance.

Point out that Football has had many opportunities to self-regulate and has not taken them. The Government’s Fan-led Review manifesto commitment was welcome and now it should deliver up the recommendations of the report, summarised below

• Governance: an independent regulator for football (IREF) which has the necessary investigative and enforcement powers needed to prevent the recurrence of such developments as the European Super League.
• Finance: football’s model is unsustainable with too many clubs making losses. Pre-emptive action is needed and a regulator will impose stronger financial controls.
• Engagement: proposals to embed democratic supporter organisations and engagement within the heart of domestic football.
• Heritage: football stadiums, club badges, location, colours and competitions all deserve special protections. Fans to have a veto on these assets at every club via a “golden share” which is held by a democratic, legally-constituted fan group.
• Reform: half of the FA Board should be made up of independent non-executive directors, to reduce elite club influence. The review also recommends reform of the FA Council.
• Distribution: the removal of restrictions on FA spending meaning more money redirected towards grassroots, non-league and women’s football.
• Equality: Equality, diversity and inclusion plans should be mandatory for all clubs.
• Women’s game: a recommendation that a new review is set up to specifically explore the challenges facing the women’s game. Those challenges may or may not require a different approach to the men’s game but they must be examined thoroughly and independently.

Finally, thank your MP and encourage them to read Tracey Crouch’s Fan-led Review of Football Governance which can be downloaded from the DCMS website. If you’re from a supporters’ organisation why not ask if they’d like a meeting to discuss the Fan-led Review in more detail?