It may be a cliché but there’s absolutely no doubt about the power of sport to bring people together.
About half of the entire population of Aldershot travelled to see the Shots’ comprehensive win over Spennymoor Town in their first ever visit to Wembley. Some 20,000 fans enjoyed a fantastic match. It’s no exaggeration to say that I never forget that glorious moment when Josh Barrett slotted home the third goal to put the result beyond doubt, and the stadium – festooned with red and blue – erupted.
I’ll also always remember the following Monday night as thousands more lined the streets to watch the team parade the FA Trophy through the town centre. It was a moment to thank Tommy Widdrington, the staff and team at Aldershot Town, not only for their well-deserved victory, but also for uniting the community and fostering a genuine sense of joy and pride.
On the same day I was equally thrilled to see Farnborough FC Women retain the Hampshire FA Women’s Trophy in a penalty shoot-out against Andover. Though the match was much closer than the Shots’, it certainly didn’t lack drama, and the result confirmed the team’s dominance, building on last year’s League and Cup double.
Between them, these two football teams have done much more than just make memories. They brought people from all walks of life together, built friendships, strengthened community identity and promoted a sense of good will and belonging.
They achieved all this, yet they operate on a shoestring.
In contrast, top-flight clubs spent more than £400m on agents’ fees alone in the last year – money that in my view would be far better invested in the grassroots and distributed more evenly through the leagues.
Currently, there’s little chance of this happening, as the five-year long saga of financial irregularities at Manchester City graphically illustrates. The Premier League is pretty poor at regulating itself.
As long as multimillionaires regard football teams as trinkets and play fast and loose with the rules, there is no such thing as a level playing field for teams like the Shots or Farnborough FC.
So, I am really pleased to see government standing up for fans.
The Football Governance Bill, now going through parliament, will introduce an independent football regulator to deal with the financial mismanagement and instability that has plagued the sport.
Labour’s plan allows the regulator to oversee the top five leagues in the land, including the National League.
He or she will have powers to intervene on financial stability and the distribution of TV money. Lucrative parachute payments will be under scrutiny too. And clubs will have to consult with fans’ representatives on the big issues, such as strategic direction, business priorities, and match-day operations.
This will go a long way towards protecting the heritage and financial health of our football clubs, ensuring that they remain rooted in the community for generations to come.
