On Saturday 23rd March, Conservative Party Chairman, Richard Holden went to see Radcliffe FC play against Ashton United. He was accompanied by Bury North MP James Daly.
Radcliffe recently completed the building of a new 3G pitch, funded with £1.8 million from the government’s Football Foundation, plus a further £600,000 from the local authority.
Richard Holden MP said:
The Community Ownership Fund has been a really big issue for this area, especially with James’ historic work with Bury Football Club and getting that over the line.
Bury was the first big outlier of these larger Community Ownership Fund things because they need more money than had been given to smaller funds previously.
Coming up today was just to see what the guys, Paul and the team behind Radcliffe Borough, what they are looking to do now with Radcliffe Cricket Club, and what they can do for the future of that.
The Community Ownership fund is funding from the government to support community groups in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of being lost. £1 million from this fund was given for the community purchase of the historic Gigg Lane.
Speaking on the new Independent Football Regulator, Holden said:
Protecting clubs from unscrupulous ownership, that’s one side of it. On the other side is that bigger long-term thing on that deal between the EFL (English Football League), which represents smaller clubs, versus the Premier League.
We want it to generously support the rest of the entire football period, including clubs like Radcliffe and Bury, so that we don’t see in the future as many financial pressures on them. We want to see that movement up and down, which is exactly what fans want to see, clubs being able to move up and down.
The fanbases want to see that too, that there is potential some day for clubs like Radcliffe or Bury to move up the football table, theoretically all the way to the top, and its important that that is maintained.
James Daly MP said:
It was wonderful to have Richard Holden with me at the Radcliffe game, this past weekend. Football is a big part of our community here in Bury and it was great to see the passion and support the fans have for the team.
The Community Ownership Fund and the government’s Football Foundation are allowing our teams in Bury to be able to get the facilities and dedicated owners that clubs need to succeed.
The Independent Football Regulator is long overdue and the work that it will do to ensure that clubs like Bury FC don’t fall into the wrong hands and lead to collapse from poor management will be crucial to the sports success from the ground up.
The new government legislation establishes the Independent Football Regulator as a standalone body, independent of both government and the football authorities. The body will be equipped with robust powers revolving around three core objectives: to improve financial sustainability of clubs, ensure financial resilience across the leagues, and to safeguard the heritage of English football.
Under the Football Governance Bill, new owners and directors will face stronger tests to stop clubs falling into the wrong hands and face the possibility of being removed and struck off from owning football clubs if they are found unsuitable.
For the first time, clubs from the National League all the way to the Premier League will be licensed to compete in men’s elite football competitions in England. The proposed licensing regime will be proportionate to any problems, size and circumstances and involve a system of provisional and full licenses, to give clubs time to transition.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
Football has long been one of our greatest sources of national pride. Up and down the country, it brings people together in celebration or commiseration.
But for too long some clubs have been abused by unscrupulous owners who get away with financial mismanagement, which at worst can lead to complete collapse – as we saw in the upsetting cases of Bury and Macclesfield Town.
This Bill is a historic moment for football fans – it will make sure their voices are front and centre, prevent a breakaway league, protect the financial sustainability of clubs, and protect the heritage of our clubs big and small.
