Historic new legislation set to “reform the governance” of men’s elite football in England has been introduced in Parliament.
Coming at what is said to be at a “critical juncture” for English football, following the attempted breakaway European Super League proposed back in 2021, as well as series of high-profile cases of clubs being financially mismanaged or collapsing entirely, and in a bid to “put fans back at the heart of the game”, the UK Government has this week announced ‘The Football Governance Bill’.
At the heart of the Bill, and what is undoubtedly the biggest talking point of the new legislation, is the establishing of a new ‘Independent Football Regulator’ (IFR) as a standalone body – which will be, like the name suggests, independent of both Government and the football authorities.
The body will be “equipped with robust powers”, according to the Government.
It will revolve around three core objectives:
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To improve financial sustainability of clubs
Ensure financial resilience across the leagues
To safeguard the heritage of English football
The Government has announced a ‘historic’ new independent regulator for men’s football in England / Credit: Fanga Images | Connor Coyne (via Unsplash)
New owners and directors will face stronger tests to stop clubs falling into the wrong hands under the new Bill, and will also face the possibility of being removed and struck-off from owning football clubs in the future, if they’re found to be “unsuitable”.
New backstop powers around financial distributions between the Premier League, the English Football League (EFL), and National League also form part of the new Bill, and would be triggered to “ensure a settlement is reached” if the three leagues fail to agree on a new deal on financial distributions.
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And, for the first time in football history, clubs from the National League – which is Step One in the football pyramid – all the way to the Premier League will be licensed to compete in men’s elite football competitions in England.
The Government says this will, however, be “proportionate to any problems, size, and circumstances” of the clubs, and will involve a system of provisional and full licences to give everyone “time to transition”.
The Football Governance Bill will put fans first, with:
⚽ An independent regulator and licensing for English elite men’s football clubs 📃 More financial sustainability and governance 👨👩👧👦 More fan involvement 🏆 Blocks on breakaway competitions
Find out more:
— Department for Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) March 19, 2024
All clubs will be subject to new baseline requirements under the legislation, the Government says, irrespective of their licence status
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The provisional licence will require all clubs to meet some mandatory conditions as standard, including basic requirements on fan engagement, corporate governance, and financial reporting, and then the regulator will apply additional bespoke licence conditions on clubs, as necessary, to ensure they meet necessary standards for a full licence across three key areas – financial resources, non-financial resources, and fan engagement.
The latter is said to be “a central tenet” of the ‘Football Governance Bill’.
As part of the licence, clubs will be required to consult their fans on key off-field decisions – such as club heritage, and the club’s strategic direction.
Sports Minister Stuart Andrew said football clubs are “vital community assets” as the new Bill was introduced in Parliament yesterday (18 March), adding: “For far too long, some fans have been taken for granted, and clubs lost to unscrupulous owners.
“Today’s Bill will pave the way for the creation of an Independent Football Regulator, and usher in greater protections to help clubs and their fans thrive over the long term.”
Dispute over Manichester now ‘resolved’, say Mounfield family
Danny Jones
The family of the late, great Manchester musician, Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, have said that the drama surrounding the highly-anticipated tribute festival in his name, Manichester, has now thankfully been settled.
Now the focus can once again return to remembering him as best as possible.
Following plenty of talk about the project following his passing late last year, a live music festival honouring Mani was finally confirmed in March, and the reaction following the event’s announcement has been unsurprisingly phenomenal.
Well, at least for the most part, as there was also some confusion over whether or not Manichester was still a charitable effort as advertised, with son Gene Mounfield disputing claims online. Fortunately, it all seems to have been put to bed now.
On behalf of the boys, and as their legal guardian, I want to thank everyone for the kind messages and concern for their wellbeing. There was a misunderstanding regarding the upcoming Manichester tribute concert, but we’re pleased to share that everything has now been resolved. pic.twitter.com/j8jEMrFzsD
Being organised by Madchester.com and locally-founded fashion label, GIOGOI, the debut edition was said to have the total blessing of Mani’s family, including his brother, Greg Mounfield.
It was also said that the funds raised by the show would be going to the legendary Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassists’ twins, George and Gene, but the latter recently argued that “nothing” was going to either him or his brother and that the news was “dropped” the plans just a fortnight prior.
Gene also said that “if it was a charity gig it would be at Co-op [Live] or Heaton Park, and it would be done by SJM [Concerts]”: a Manchester-based promoters and events company.
All of this was also wrapped up in ever more paper talk and sensationalism, as some were reporting that Noel and Liam Gallagher, as well as other members of Oasis, would be surprising fans as the still yet to be revealed ‘major headliner’.
These rumours have since been quashed, as has whatever miscommunication caused the misunderstanding between the parties concerned, and we are now back to simply looking forward to seeing an already stacked lineup here in the city centre this May.
Damon Minchella of Ocean Colour Scene (a fellow bassist who also tours with Richard Ashcroft) is helping organise and will also be performing on the night itself. As for the surviving Mounfields, they went on to add in an accompanying Instagram post: “We would also like to express our gratitude to PH.
“It means a great deal to all of us that so many people loved Mani enough to give their time and energy to honour his memory in this way. We are genuinely touched by the support.
“It has been an incredibly difficult few years for the boys and for our whole family. We hope this event will bring some much‑needed joy and create new, positive memories for everyone who cared about him.
“With love and thanks – The Family”
It goes without saying that we can’t wait for this city and Greater Manchester as a whole to honour a Manc icon and are looking forward to another year celebrating the thing that never fails to bring us all together: music.
Featured Images — livepict.com (via Wikimedia Commons)/Publicity pictures (supplied)
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Rochdale is bidding to become the UK’s first-ever Town of Culture in 2028
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has announced its intention to bid to become UK Town of Culture 2028.
Entering into the national competition launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), following on from the success of the already-existing City of Culture award, the Greater Manchester town is hoping to be the first-ever town to claim the title.
The Town of Culture competition invites towns across the UK to showcase their cultural story and develop ambitious programmes that celebrate local heritage, creativity, and communities.
The winning town receives a £3 million grant from the Government to deliver a major year-long cultural programme in 2028 designed to boost civic pride, attract visitors, and provide everyone with the opportunity to participate in cultural activities.
Rochdale’s bid is being led by Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency, alongside cultural groups, education providers, and community organisations.
The bid will build on the town’s history as the birthplace of the Co-operative movement, and a centre of political reform, collective action and working-class cultural innovation.
A town of national and international significance, whose people and ideas have shaped the social, democratic and cultural life of the UK and beyond, Rochdale Council says the town’s story is ‘distinctive’ and as highly relevant today as it ever has been, and this is a driving force behind its Town of Culture 2028 bid.
Not just historically, but over recent years too, the town has made a significant contribution to the UK’s popular culture, producing internationally recognised musicians, artists, writers, and performers.
Local leaders say the bid to become the UK’s first ever Town of Culture underlines Rochdale’s ambition after just completing a ‘hugely successful’ year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2025.
Rochdale is bidding to become the UK’s first-ever Town of Culture / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
“We have a strong foundation for a bold and future focused UK Town of Culture programme and an incredible story to tell,” commented Cllr Neil Emmott, who is the Leader of Rochdale Borough Council.
“We’ll be developing a fabulous programme of new events and activities as well as amplifying our existing offer and recently transformed town hall square and centre.
“As we have already seen during our year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture, we have an established infrastructure of creative partners ready to go, who have already expressed their support for our bid, providing significant capacity and scale to deliver a UK town of culture programme in 2028 that would leave a permanent cultural legacy.
“We have exciting and varied attractions and iconic venues that have seen significant investment, an array of creative talent and we’re very well connected.
“This bid will allow us to share this in new ways and invite others to experience it.”
Emily Sergeant -
19th March 2024 
