The U.K. government and football authorities "are to work together to explore ways in which fans can have more say in the running of their clubs," according to Dan Roan of the BBC. The Supporter Ownership and Engagement Expert Group "will meet in November." It "will include representatives from the coalition, the FA, the Premier League, the Football League and fan advisory group Supporters Direct." The panel "is tasked with helping to overcome the barriers to clubs becoming supporter-owned." U.K. Sports Minister Helen Grant said, "Football fans are the lifeblood of the club they support." Only 14 league clubs currently have fan representatives on their board, including EPL club Swansea City, "where the Swansea City Supporters Trust own 20% of the club" (BBC, 10/21). In London, Owen Gibson wrote representatives from supporter-owned football clubs Portsmouth, AFC Wimbledon and Wrexham "will sit on a new government group." It comes days after Labour "unveiled a manifesto commitment to force clubs to allow at least two representatives of a supporters’ trust onto their board and give fans the right to buy up to 10% of shares in the event of a change of control." But already "there is understood to be disquiet among supporters’ trusts at some Premier League clubs" that they do not have a direct representative on the new expert panel, which will meet for the first time next month and report directly to Grant (GUARDIAN, 10/21).
