Call for supporters' trusts to be recognised by law

A football supporters' trust leading a drive for fans to "play a meaningful part in decision making at their clubs" has been backed by a national campaign group.

Fair Game has joined a coalition of 22 fan groups, led by Northampton Town Supporters Trust who are calling on the government to ensure "the unique status of trusts to be recognised and enshrined in law" as part of its Trusts First campaign.

Niall Couper, chief executive of Fair Game, said the campaign was "about giving those communities a real voice in the game they love"

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said the forthcoming Football Governance Bill would "set new standards for fan engagement in decision-making".

It said the bill would "guarantee" football supporters an "effective voice in the key issues which affect them".

The DCMS added "it will be up to the Regulator to decide what this looks like in practice".

It said "we would expect that this would likely look to utilise existing structures", such as supporters' trusts or fan advisory boards.

The legislation, which is passing through Parliament after being reintroduced by the Labour government in October, will hand power to a body independent from government and football authorities to oversee clubs in England's top five divisions.

The Trusts First group includes supporters' trusts from Barnsley, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Bradford City, Doncaster Rovers, Exeter City, Fulham, Leicester City, Leyton Orient, Manchester United, Morecambe, Northampton Town, Plymouth Argyle, Reading, Scunthorpe United, Southend United, Swansea City, Swindon Town, Torquay United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The coalition of clubs, from all levels of the English game, intends to lobby government to "guarantee primacy for Trusts and other democratically-constituted supporter groups".

Mr Couper said: "It's time to ensure that meaningful fan engagement isn't just a slogan, but a reality."

Andy Roberts, the chair of the Northampton Town Supporters' Trust, said: "The trust movement was founded in 1992, the year the Premier League was introduced, yet many fans up and down the country continue to be disenfranchised and marginalised by club owners pursuing their own vested interests.

"We now have a clear opportunity to get all mandated supporter groups front and centre of fan engagement, not just those who are cherry picked by clubs to sit on their panels and boards.

"We feel this should form part of the legislation and not be left to the discretion of the Independent Football Regulator."

Fair Game said a meeting will be held with democratically-elected supporter groups next week to hear their concerns for the future of football first hand.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.