SAVE OUR GAME
Neville’s backing bid to shake- up‘ ineffective’ FA
GARY NEVILLE is leading calls for the Football Association to be overhauled because it is longer fit for purpose.
The former England defender is part of an eight- strong body which says the FA “lacks credibility and is largely ineffective”.
Former FA chairman David Bernstein and FA executive David Davies are also on board and their document – Saving The Beautiful Game: Manifesto For Change – wants to see the Government step in and appoint an independent regulatory body to run the game.
Neville ( right), co- owner of Salford and a Sky pundit, said: “We know the FA is the governing body but we know where the power base is.
“It’s with the Premier League and the FA in some ways have got both hands tied behind their backs.
“We have to be careful with the FA and what they can achieve for the whole of football if they don’t have the money.
“The money sits with the Premier League. So that’s in defence of the FA.
“However, the FA has failed to reform in an acceptable way for however many years, I don’t know how many chairmen, chief executives, how many reviews, Government interventions and there’s been so many different things in the past 20 or 30 years.
“The FA is stuck. They’re stuck because they’ve got no money, they’re stuck because they’ve got no power and they’re stuck because they can’t reform their structure which enables them to be more agile and relevant.
“It’s an organisation in need of intervention.
“The reality is the FA don’t have the power to act in a way they ordinarily would would. However However, if they had the power and investment I’m not sure they would deal with it correctly either. “I think they are a perfect example as to why independent regulation is required.”
At the heart of the campaign is a desire to bring football back to the average fan and to stop the big clubs becoming too powerful and ruining the game.
Their new regulatory body would embrace the German model, where fans get a say and clubs are licensed. There would also be a ban on owners borrowing against fixed assets. Neville added:
“Do I want the Glazer family or Roman Abramovich or Daniel Levy or John Henry running football in this country and being able to do what they want?
“No, I don’t. Football was the heart of the community. It was the relief after a long, hard week and it is still that for many.
“However, it’s less affordable, less accessible and we have to change that.
“This is not a criticism of the Premier League in this report. But we have to pull it back to what the roots of football are. It is the heart of the community.
“I see desperation in the faces and words of League Two owners and chairmen on the calls because they just want help. They are crying for help.
“There is enough money to distribute, to have a fairer deal to distribute to everybody, but fans must be included and must be at the heart of it.”
Former FA executive Davies added: “I believe this is the best opportunity for real change in the way football is governed in this country for 30 years.
“If you disagree, then you should come up with a real plan of your own.”