Football clubs up and down the country are queuing to support an innovative campaign – spearheaded by AFC Wimbledon – which aims to revolutionise the way the game is run.
Led by Dons Trust Board member Niall Couper, Fair Game wants to kick out all that is rotten in football and impose a whole new regime that will fundamentally change how clubs are governed, how parachute payments are distributed and how unsustainable player wages are controlled.
Although it launched barely a month ago, Fair Game already has around 15 clubs on board – with another 15 about to commit. Significantly, it has also attracted an army of football experts, ranging from academics to accountants and lawyers, who have produced blueprints on how the game should be run.
“Clubs have never come together like this before,” said Niall, a Fair Game director. “By the end of July we could have 30 on board, all calling for change, all wanting something dramatically different.
“I never thought I’d be getting phone calls from people like Rick Parry and Trevor Birch asking for my advice. That’s a whole new level but they realise there has to be change.
“There are clubs in the Championship paying 223 per cent of their revenues on player wages. That’s clearly not sustainable. We want to draft new rules that will be adopted by the EFL – and the Premier League and the FA - and then become reality.
“We want a massive, realistic change so those clubs who want to be sustainable get rewarded for doing things the right way.”
AFC Wimbledon is very much at the forefront of the new movement. “The Dons Trust gave me a mandate to find clubs who would like to join us and try to make a difference. It’s been a brilliant journey and it’s absolutely flying now,” Niall added.
“This is not a breakaway but it really could be a breakthrough for football. This could be the moment when football gets back the integrity it lost after the European Super League debacle. That’s the difference and I am delighted our club really is at the start of it. We can make this nationwide and give Dons fans something to be really proud of.”
To find out more, watch Niall’s full interview by clicking on the link below.