Jakarta – The proposed Football Governance Bill currently being discussed in the UK could threaten the ownership systems of Manchester City and Newcastle United if it is passed. Local parliament wants to ban clubs from being owned by a state (state-owned).
The discussion of the Football Governance Bill, initially introduced by the Conservative Party, is now being continued by the Labour Party, which recently won the 2024 general election.
The bill aims to establish a regulatory body in football. Its purpose is to prevent clubs from facing financial mismanagement and being expelled from leagues, like what happened to Bury FC in 2019.
At that time, Bury, which was competing in League Two, had earned promotion to League One but was expelled from the English Football League due to financial issues. They now play in the ninth tier of English football.
Manchester Evening News reported that the bill has entered discussions in the House of Lords after passing in the House of Commons. Steve Bassam, a member of the House of Lords, has urged for a law that would prohibit state-owned clubs.
“No state-owned club should be allowed to operate, and any club affected must prove to the IFR (Independent Football Regulator) that they have relinquished state control before applying for a license,” reads the amendment proposed by Bassam.
As is well known, Manchester City is owned by City Football Group, a company 81% of whose shares are controlled by Abu Dhabi United Group, a private equity company owned by Sheikh Mansour, who is also the current Vice President of the UAE.
Meanwhile, 85% of Newcastle’s shares are owned by the Public Investment Fund from Saudi Arabia. If the bill is passed, it is believed that there will be turmoil at both Manchester City and Newcastle.
So far, the amendment proposed by Bassam has not been discussed by the House of Lords, and The Times reports that the chances of the bill being approved are slim, but it is not out of the question.
Manchester City has been the Premier League champion for the past four seasons. Since being acquired by Sheikh Mansour, the club has won every domestic title and secured the Champions League.
Newcastle, meanwhile, is slowly climbing back to the top after receiving funding from Saudi Arabia and aims to achieve similar success as Manchester City.
