Preserving the Heritage of Football Clubs

Football clubs are a vital part of their local communities, in recognition of this there should be additional protection for key items of club heritage

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* 1. It should be a licence condition that all licenced clubs should include within their articles of association a Golden Share requiring democratic consent to proposed actions relating to identified heritage items. Each Golden Share right should have circumstances in which it will not apply.

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* 2. The consent of the holder of the Golden Share should be required for the sale of the club stadium, relocation outside of the local area which is not a temporary part of a redevelopment, joining a new competition that is not approved by FIFA, UEFA and the FA and/or leaving a competition in which it currently plays, club badge, first team home colours, and club playing name.

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* 3. The Golden Share should be held by a Community Benefit Society formed for the benefit of the club’s supporters operating under standardised rules set by Independent Regulator for English [Pyramid] Football (IREF) in conjunction with the FCA

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* 4. Clubs should be required to provide formal notice of any intention to take any material steps or enter into a contract to alter any of the items covered by the Golden Share to which the holder of the Golden Share will have 45 days to notify rejection.

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* 5. There should be an arbitration mechanism, at the club’s expense, which allows for resolution by IREF or a party appointed by IREF of an appeal by the club of any decision to withhold consent by the holder of the Golden Share.

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* 6. The government should take account of the importance of football clubs to their local communities in planning reform.

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* 7. The government should amend the National Planning Policy Framework to impose requirements on developers of an existing football stadium to provide new equivalent or better facilities in the same local area before any development work is started.

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* 8. The government should explore the viability of introducing new security of tenure property rights for clubs where the club does not own the stadium in which it plays.

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* 9. The FA should amend its rules to provide for protection of the additional heritage items identified by this report, to prioritise the voice of supporters in any decision, and to provide clarity on the procedures that will be followed in regard to any heritage changes.

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* 10. Please leave any additional comments you may have on the preservation of club heritage, and/or, the proposed Golden Share. 

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