Gordon Brown. Image © Terry Murden/Shutterstock
The proposed new watchdog will “restore integrity” after years of scandal that have led to the collapse of clubs and tarnished football’s image, Brown said in an interview.
As England meets Italy for the opening Euro 24 qualifying match, the spotlight will also return to efforts to clean up the game.
Last month, the government revealed plans for a football regulator with the power to implement its own financial model.
Its White Paper said the watchdog will “reform the culture of governance in English football clubs, and mitigate the risk of clubs being entirely lost to fans and communities”.
The idea has been strongly backed by former prime minister Gordon Brown as a means of safeguarding the domestic game.
Brown told PF: “The appointment of an independent regulator would help to restore integrity in the game and root out any corruption.
“As well as publishing regular reports into the state of football and why money is not cascading down into the rest of the game, a regulator would influence the kind of people who would be welcomed into football.
“The role of a regulator is not to stop clubs securing revenues but to make sure the long-term interests of the game and of supporters are not ignored.”
The move to create more oversight was triggered by the financial problems at Bury, Macclesfield Town, Derby County and Leeds.
Pressure was increased after premier league club Chelsea sold after then-owner Roman Abramovich was named in international sanctions.
Brown’s support has been echoed by other experts.
Dan Hough, professor of politics at the University of Sussex and author of Understanding Corruption: How Corruption Works in Practice, believes there is “a lot of mileage” in the idea.
“The real way forward is regulating who can own football clubs and what they can do with the clubs when they get there,” he said.
In their pockets: new governance in football
The ugly side of the beautiful game has tainted football’s image. Will new governance repair it? Read our feature on fixing corruption in the world’s most popular sport.
