A majority of Britons believe the new independent football regulator should have the power to penalize clubs if their fans engage in aggressive chants in stadiums, according to new polls.
The numbers also show that football fans tend to see clubs pursuing more progressive goals, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, more diverse player and staff training, and equal pay for men’s and women’s games.
Earlier this year, ministers released a white paper on football governance that will pave the way for a new independent sports regulator empowered to review the suitability of new club owners and ensure clubs are run sustainably.
But the public already believes that the new custodian should be given even more powers to ensure greater equality and weed out the most hostile elements of the game.
Some football matches are overshadowed by gaudy chants, like Hillsborough at Liverpool games and homophobic chants at Chelsea.
The pollsters said the numbers suggest the stereotype of football fans as socially conservative is outdated, with respondents supporting the regulator’s more liberal goals.
According to a survey conducted and provided by Public First IFifty-four percent of people supported the idea that the new regulator would penalize clubs for offensive singing during matches, while 57 percent were in favor of giving the body the power to set standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Respondents were also more likely to support the idea of equal pay in men’s and women’s football, with 45% in favor of the proposal and just 18% opposed.
A small majority – 51 percent – said they would support a regulator that would force all players, management and employees to attend classes on diversity, equality and inclusion, compared to just 18 percent opposed to the idea.
Edward Shackle, senior policy and campaign manager at Public First, said that while such regulatory powers are unlikely in the short term, the overseer’s job could be strengthened if there were changes in government.
“While football fans often have a reputation for being ‘right-wing’, our results suggest that this view may be outdated and inconsistent with that of the majority of fans,” Shackle said.
He added: “While these measures may now seem unlikely, the prospect of a left-wing government in the next election, combined with a powerful new regulator eager to establish itself, can only serve to make football more radical.
More than 1,000 adults were interviewed for the survey, half of whom identified themselves as football fans.
The introduction of a new football regulator was one of several recommendations made to the game following a fan-led review that would also prevent clubs from creating breakaway leagues and give fans a much greater say in protecting their clubs’ legacy.
Source: I News
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