Fair Game represents 34 professional clubs in the English football pyramid. The long-awaited publication of the Football Governance Bill is very welcome news (Report, March 18).
It is imperative that the incoming football regulator has real strength. The regulator's number one objective is to guarantee the financial sustainability of football clubs throughout the pyramid. The status quo is simply unacceptable. Since the beginning of first division64 clubs have gone into administration. Championship clubs often spend more than they earn on player salaries. And the cost of living crisis has left dozens of clubs staring into the abyss: more than 50% in the top four divisions are technically insolvent.
The regulator needs to change the culture of the game, and it can only do so if it can establish solid parameters around the financial flow in football. It cannot be left to the Premier League to determine the future of clubs like Lincoln City, Carlisle and Chester. It is up to our politicians to make sure we do not squander this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Nial Couper
CEO, Fair Game UK
As a subscriber to The Guardian, I fully support your mission to maintain quality journalism, but if you truly believe in the importance of smaller clubs' contribution to the football landscape, as you suggest in your editorial on the Football Governance Bill (March, 19), why do they rarely receive newspaper coverage? There are 48 clubs in divisions one and two of the football league, and many represent some of the country's largest towns and cities, but all we read about is the Premier League page after page. You could probably find room for a recap of leagues one and two each week.
judge graham
Barrow (Suffolk)
