change.org - Petition to the EFL: Review the fit and proper test for football directors

[1867]

https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-petition-to-the-efl-review-the-fit-and-proper-test-for-football-directors/preview

[asteener1867]

 

 

 

[vulva]

DC ticked every box for a football club owner. Well financed, from an established family business and a source of wealth country wise with no issues. No fit and proper test will be able to address and foresee poor decision making. 

[Sheff74]

Unless any review involves mastering the art of clairvoyance, then I don't know how this could help with what happened here.

[Owl Be Back]

3 minutes ago, asteener1867 said:

 

 

 

 

For us maybe, but if something could be implemented to stop cretins in the future running our clubs into the ground then I'd support it.

[NobbyStyle]

A simple maths test that included calendar dates could have helped us…

 

[asteener1867]

4 minutes ago, Owl Be Back said:

 

For us maybe, but if something could be implemented to stop cretins in the future running our clubs into the ground then I'd support it.

I doubt they give 'em an IQ test...or question their knowledge of football....Just check if they can afford it....

 

 

[Guest Hornsby]

Gotta wonder why club said TUF took us over then changed story a week later.

 

Wonder if they failed fitness test following global campaigns against them

 

Like Saudi saw merchants when tried to buy Newcastle.

[Inspector Lestrade]

27 minutes ago, vulva said:

DC ticked every box for a football club owner. Well financed, from an established family business and a source of wealth country wise with no issues. No fit and proper test will be able to address and foresee poor decision making. 

 

Bang on, this applies to many other owners as well.

 

Who is to judge on this?  It can only ever be subjective.  

[Utah Owl]

29 minutes ago, vulva said:

DC ticked every box for a football club owner. Well financed, from an established family business and a source of wealth country wise with no issues. No fit and proper test will be able to address and foresee poor decision making. 

No, but it should be like a professional qualification in that certain conditions have to be met annually for the qualification to remain in effect.

 

Therefore there should be a regular review of all owners and their conduct to ensure they are maintaining the requirements of a fit and proper person, and the recognised fans bodies (as well as other organisations such as the PFA) should have a right to request a review at any time.

 

Furthermore the Fit & Proper test conditions should be set and reviewed by a proper statutory body, not the Football authorities.

[Andrew_Owl]

Like people have suggested before, no-one complained about him when we were heading down to Wembley, hindsight is a great thing.

[Owl Be Back]

24 minutes ago, asteener1867 said:

I doubt they give 'em an IQ test...or question their knowledge of football....Just check if they can afford it....

 

 

 

There are numerous ways to check and be more rigorous in checking a prospective buyer can afford to buy a club and then run it. Access to cashflow vs equity locked in to difficult to access/liquidate assets would be something I'd like there to be more in-depth analysis and review of than currently. I'd also look at 'softer' assessments in conjunction with that as well. I'm sure it could be improved above how it currently works; I think that is something we could all agree on and even if ultimately it couldn't, after looking into it further, then that's far more legitimate and acceptable than people just giving up and saying 'nowt can be done' now.

[asteener1867]

2 minutes ago, Owl Be Back said:

 

There are numerous ways to check and be more rigorous in checking a prospective buyer can afford to buy a club and then run it. Access to cashflow vs equity locked in to difficult to access/liquidate assets would be something I'd like there to be more in-depth analysis and review of than currently. I'd also look at 'softer' assessments in conjunction with that as well. I'm sure it could be improved above how it currently works; I think that is something we could all agree on and even if ultimately it couldn't, after looking into it further, then that's far more legitimate and acceptable than people just giving up and saying 'nowt can be done' now.

You're right mate...But to expect Owls fans to look at it with owt less than a jaundiced eye is a little optimistic.....

I would sooner drag some buggers down with us....They can't suddenly ditch several football clubs....

We are out on our own in the "Daft Chairman league" as I see it

[Pughies Jockstrap]

39 minutes ago, vulva said:

DC ticked every box for a football club owner. Well financed, from an established family business and a source of wealth country wise with no issues. No fit and proper test will be able to address and foresee poor decision making. 

Spot on.

[vulva]

7 minutes ago, Utah Owl said:

No, but it should be like a professional qualification in that certain conditions have to be met annually for the qualification to remain in effect.

 

Therefore there should be a regular review of all owners and their conduct to ensure they are maintaining the requirements of a fit and proper person, and the recognised fans bodies (as well as other organisations such as the PFA) should have a right to request a review at any time.

 

Furthermore the Fit & Proper test conditions should be set and reviewed by a proper statutory body, not the Football authorities.

Balderdash. What certain conditions? Pure fantasy.

 

Only a wage cap will sort football out. The game had a chance to re-set when ITV Digital went to the wall, and the game didn’t learn its lesson or regulate. Therefore, the crocodile tears following Covid is tough balls as far as I’m concerned. 

[Utah Owl]

Just now, vulva said:

Balderdash. What certain conditions? Pure fantasy.

 

Only a wage cap will sort football out. The game had a chance to re-set when ITV Digital went to the wall, and the game didn’t learn its lesson or regulate. Therefore, the crocodile tears following Covid is tough balls as far as I’m concerned. 

I agree about the wage cap which is fundamental to returning the game to a sound financial footing, as for the rest of it being Balderdash, why?

 

In any of the professions to maintain your qualifications you have to undergo CPD (Continued Professional Development) otherwise you lose the qualification (which most likely means your job). It's an annual test to ensure you are competent and up to scratch with best practice and recent changes to regulations etc.

 

Why should Football be any different when you are running fairly large organisations that in some cases employ hundreds of people and are handling very large sums of money?

 

Also, why should the rules be set by the Football Authorities themselves when they have shown themselves to be singularly incompetent over many decades?

 

Why in a situation like ours (or previously Hereford, Bury, Bolton, Wigan, WImbledon etc. etc.) should the duly recognised fans body (or the PFA) not be able to launch a request for a review into whether or not the owner still meets the "fit & proper" requirements whatever they may be in the future?

 

Football desperately needs a reset, but if you are waiting for or expecting the FA, EFL or any other Football Authority to do it you'll be waiting for a Blue Moon to coincide with a Month of Sundays! The reset will only happen if it is forced by the Government.

 

For me this is a clear area where Government intervention would not only be beneficial, but is absolutely necessary.

[vulva]

16 minutes ago, Utah Owl said:

I agree about the wage cap which is fundamental to returning the game to a sound financial footing, as for the rest of it being Balderdash, why?

 

In any of the professions to maintain your qualifications you have to undergo CPD (Continued Professional Development) otherwise you lose the qualification (which most likely means your job). It's an annual test to ensure you are competent and up to scratch with best practice and recent changes to regulations etc.

 

Why should Football be any different when you are running fairly large organisations that in some cases employ hundreds of people and are handling very large sums of money?

 

Also, why should the rules be set by the Football Authorities themselves when they have shown themselves to be singularly incompetent over many decades?

 

Why in a situation like ours (or previously Hereford, Bury, Bolton, Wigan, WImbledon etc. etc.) should the duly recognised fans body (or the PFA) not be able to launch a request for a review into whether or not the owner still meets the "fit & proper" requirements whatever they may be in the future?

 

Football desperately needs a reset, but if you are waiting for or expecting the FA, EFL or any other Football Authority to do it you'll be waiting for a Blue Moon to coincide with a Month of Sundays! The reset will only happen if it is forced by the Government.

 

For me this is a clear area where Government intervention would not only be beneficial, but is absolutely necessary.

You’re trying to regulate millionaire/billionaire people. Just won’t work. That’s why you need to regulate the game, and more importantly the financial side of it. Over regulate it, and they walk away or don’t show any interest in it. 
 

I’ve not read the fit and proper rules, but my guess is they around keeping crooks and money launderers away. 
 

These lads don’t do CPD. And you’re right, football shouldn’t be any different. Why should businesses like this survive. The majority are an absolute financial basket case, and fully deserve to go bust. 

[room0035]

1 hour ago, Sheff74 said:

Unless any review involves mastering the art of clairvoyance, then I don't know how this could help with what happened here.

The fit and proper test should be a yearly test. It can be clearly seen DC is out of his depth and the club is going backwards.

 

The EFL won't be doing there job of a club goes bust because they allowed an incompetent fool stay in his job.

[Utah Owl]

7 minutes ago, vulva said:

You’re trying to regulate millionaire/billionaire people. Just won’t work. That’s why you need to regulate the game, and more importantly the financial side of it. Over regulate it, and they walk away or don’t show any interest in it. 
 

I’ve not read the fit and proper rules, but my guess is they around keeping crooks and money launderers away. 
 

These lads don’t do CPD. And you’re right, football shouldn’t be any different. Why should businesses like this survive. The majority are an absolute financial basket case, and fully deserve to go bust. 

Which is way it needs a complete overhaul.

 

Two things that I would have made mandatory are:

 

1) Wage caps for each division, relegation automatically triggers the new wage cap at the lower level.

 

2) Owners are required before the start of each season to place the monies necessary to cover the running of the club (costs based on most recent accounts) into an escrow account to ensure that once a club has commenced the season it is able to finish it.

 

If that forces a lot of the wealthy billionaire owners out of the game (who let's face it are only in the game for their egos and EPL riches), then great because long term the game will be better for it.

[Sheff74]

1 minute ago, room0035 said:

The fit and proper test should be a yearly test. It can be clearly seen DC is out of his depth and the club is going backwards.

 

The EFL won't be doing there job of a club goes bust because they allowed an incompetent fool stay in his job.

 

The EFL put the rules in place and enforce them, when they can. Owners have to take responsibility to to work within those rules. I wouldn't be averse to the EFL having more power, but remember that a large portion of our fanbase resented them previously for "not letting Chansiri spend his own money" or sentiments to that effect.

 

Plus, how would it work once the EFL deemed an owner was no longer responsible? Would said owner be forced to sell the club, and if so to whom if he has  mismanaged it past the point of being an attractive purchase? Or would the running of the club be placed into a kind of stewardship to get it back on track? All of the above feels like a level of regulation/intervention that might turn potential owners away.