Blackpool Supporters' Trust back national 'Sustain the Game!' campaign

Supporters’ groups from across the country have joined forces with politicians and pundits to launch the campaign, urging authorities to protect clubs throughout the sport.

An FSA statement reads: “The financial strains caused by Covid-19 have threatened many clubs and fans say urgent action is needed from the football authorities to help them survive.

“The FSA is co-ordinating Sustain The Game!, and says that while the current pandemic has brought many issues to an immediate head, these are longstanding finance and governance matters which need to be fixed.

“The Government’s 2019 manifesto committed to a “fan-led” review of football governance and the FSA says it wants to demonstrate the support within football for that to happen.

“The campaign is backed by fans’ organisations from almost all of the 92 Premier League and EFL clubs alongside those in the women’s game, non-league and high-profile ex-pros and pundits.

“Campaign backers say the football authorities and government cannot sit back and watch as dozens of historic clubs are under immediate threat and could disappear altogether.”

BST added: “Blackpool Supporters’ Trust and Blackpool supporters have been at the forefront of campaigning for a change to football governance. Blackpool fans’ actions have been well documented over recent years.

“BST chair Christine Seddon and deputy chair Tony Wilkinson are both members of the FSA National Council and have been involved with this campaign, and BST are one of many supporters’ groups to endorse it.

“We are also encouraging Blackpool FC to be one of the first football clubs to give this their backing.”

Politicians have voiced support for a campaign backed by the cross-party All-Party Parliamentary Group for Football Supporters.

FSA chief executive Kevin Miles said: “Football occupies a special space in our society as clubs carry huge cultural and local economic importance. Sustain The Game! will demonstrate the need for urgent action as the very existence of many clubs is under threat. If we don’t act now we might lose some forever.

“We call on everyone with an interest in the game, from clubs and leagues to players and managers, to come together and work in partnership to support Sustain The Game! The time for action isn’t next week, next month, or next year – it’s now.”

TV pundit Jamie Carragher, the ex-Liverpool and England defender, said: “The FSA’s Sustain The Game! campaign can play a massive role in protecting clubs throughout the game. This is a difficult time for the game but it’s also a chance to make real changes. Supporters have to be involved in that as well.”

Sustain The Game! is built around the following five principles: legal protection for clubs as community assets; transparency of ownership; financial controls independently enforced and with teeth; smarter and fairer use of football’s money to sustain the game and strengthen the pyramid; and engagement between clubs and supporters.

For more information and a full list of signatories visit: www.thefsa.org.uk