Football Governance Bill [Lords]

Connor Naismith Excerpts

2nd reading
Monday 28th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Connor Naismith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab)]

Football is more than a game, and our clubs are more than corporate assets. The game is part of our national identity and heritage—from jumpers for goalposts to the local pub team, all the way up to the elite standard of the premier league.

We rightly talk about the premier league, which is a fantastic export from this country, but in my speech I want to celebrate the English football league, which has also provided immense entertainment, as well as having social and cultural value for communities up and down the country. It is home to some of the biggest clubs around the world, including the mighty Crewe Alexandra. Who, for example, can forget Nick Powell’s screamer for Crewe Alexandra against Cheltenham in the 2012 league two play-off final? I am sure that the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Max Wilkinson) has not forgotten it, but if Members want to look it up, I recommend that they do. It demonstrates perfectly why football truly is the greatest sport on the planet. It is unfortunate that I am making this speech merely days after Port Vale, our nearby rivals, secured promotion to league one. I congratulate them on that achievement, but I cannot say that I wish them well.

Our national game is about more than winning trophies and signing world-class players. The game is part of the social fabric that binds our communities together. It is the week in, week out trips to Gresty Road with family or friends, the few pints beforehand, and the buzz from singing your club’s songs on the terraces. As custodians of these traditions, we have a duty to ensure we secure a sustainable future for the game we know and love, not just for elite clubs but the entire football pyramid. That is why I recommend, as a key provision in the Bill, the independent football regulator, which will have at its heart these objectives: the protection of clubs and cultural assets; the empowerment of fans; and financial sustainability for our beautiful game.

I conclude by thanking the Government for bringing the Bill back to the House. I support the measures in it to safeguard and protect one of our biggest cultural institutions.