Rowen Questions Minister on Football Finances
Added 04/03/2010Paul Rowen MP yesterday questioned Ben Bradshaw MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on football finances.
With one premiership football club in administration and several others in hundreds of millions of pounds of debt, Mr Rowen asked the Minister what steps the Government are going to take to ensure there is financial probity in football.
The Minister said that the footballing authorities needed to get their house in order, and added that what has happened at Portsmouth should act as a wake up call for the footballing world. Mr Bradshaw urged the Football Association to adopt the changes to the way football is run recommended by Lord Burns’ in 2005.
Paul Rowen MP said: “We must ensure that football clubs are encouraged to be more financially responsible. The current level of debt is totally unsustainable. The Government must do all it can to encourage sensible business practices by the footballing authorities.”
Full text of Question:
Paul Rowen (Rochdale) (LD): With one premiership football club in administration and several others in hundreds of millions of pounds of debt, what steps will the Secretary of State take to ensure that there is financial probity in football?
Mr. Bradshaw: Without repeating too much of what I said in answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Ellesmere Port and Neston (Andrew Miller), I simply point out to the footballing authorities, which often look to Government to help them resist some of the more draconian proposed regulation from the European Union, that if they want our help on such proposals, they must get their own house in order. We still await the full implementation of the Burns recommendations. Some have been implemented, and we welcome that, but the football authorities need to get a move on. What has happened at Portsmouth should act as a real wake-up call for them to do so.