Episode 58: The UK Government’s Football governance review with: Ed Aarons, Deputy Sports Editor The Guardian Newspaper.

Thank you for your interest in the BvB London fan community podcast as every week the focus of the show will be on exploring a facet of football life with a focus on Borussia Dortmund by talking to experts, fans, and players and coaches. 

People, including journalists, who make up the football world including decision makers and who know the football world and the world of BVB well.

The aim of the podcast is to make Bundesliga, BVB and international football more accessible.

On today's podcast our guest is Ed Aarons who is deputy Sports Editor at The Guardian newspaper and a Crystal Palace season ticket holder.

The long-awaited white paper on reform of the English game, a working document which was based on a consultation which took almost two years of fan groups, including the Dortmund Fan Club London, and a wide section of participants in the football industry including managing directors, club owners, journalists, former players, fans and supporters groups. 

Among the key points the policy paper seeks to address, which we discuss on the podcast, are the following: 

1. Financial sustainability: The introduction of a regulator will ensure closer monitoring and higher standards of reporting. Clubs will be required to ensure they have reserves and plans to ensure they can maintain the business in the instance of financial shocks.

2.Suitability of owners: Directors and club owners will be more closely vetted for propriety and there will be commensurate licensing conditions to ensure higher standards. This will also affect the over-gearing of buy-outs and unsustainable debt levels.

3. Fan engagement: Clubs will be required to consult with fans and there will be minimum standards of engagement including fans having a say, a veto over changes to historically important aspects of the club such as colours, badge and kit colours and geographic location.

4. Breakaway leagues: The white paper aims to protect the football pyramid in the English game and exclude 'closed shop' type leagues like the proposed 'European Super League'.

5. Financial distribution: The white paper aims to ensure a fairer distribution of income across the clubs in the English football pyramid and give power to the regulator to impose workable solutions on the clubs.

6. Compliance/sanctions: The regulator will have the power to take action including withdraw licences from clubs ignoring breaches of conditions of licensing.

The regulator will cover 116 clubs in the top five tiers: The Premier League, The Championship, League 1, League 2 and the National League of the English professional game.

A second part to the podcast series on the governance of German football will appear here shortly. 

The football match to raise money for the DEC British Red Cross Earthquake Appeal 2023 which is mentioned takes place on Tuesday 7th March at 3pm at the Linford Christie Stadium, White City.  There will also be a BVB and Chelsea raffle. All spectators are well.

We hope you enjoy the show, remember to send us your comments, share the show with friends and to apply for tickets contact the club via the website which is borussiadortmundlondon.co.uk or join the London BvB community at our online group at Facebook.com/borussiadortmundfanclubengland.

During the season you can also come to watch a game at our meet-up Stammtisch at the Naughty Bar, just off Oxford Street, in Cleveland street central London. 
 
All rights reserved Borussia Dortmund London Ltd 2023.