Football Governance Bill [HL]
Debate between Lord Wood of Anfield and Lord Bassam of BrightonWednesday 18th December 2024
(5 days, 18 hours ago)
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Lord Bassam of Brighton (Lab)
I urge the Minister to give this some more thought, because it is a pertinent and powerful core issue, and we should all be grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wood of Anfield, for raising it. As the noble Lord, Lord Harlech, said, fans worry about these things; they do not want to see “home” meaning something completely different. That is why we should have something in the Bill on this topic.
Lord Wood of Anfield (Lab)
I thank the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, very much. My two teams are Liverpool and Tonbridge Angels of the National League South. One is an internationally competitive team—and the other is Tonbridge Angels; but place is crucial to both teams. If you are a fan of Liverpool from Los Angeles or Singapore, the place of Anfield and the locality and the community relationship are absolutely part of what it is you support. Home and away fixtures are a routine part of how the Premier League competition is conducted. That is why this is essential, not just to large clubs but to small clubs across the country.