Attending a football governance bill committee on Tuesday left Reading East MP Matt Rodda feeling ‘encouraged’.
A pivotal legislator in aiding the ongoing ownership drama at Reading Football Club, the Football Governance Bill advocates for the establishment of an Independent Regulator within the sport. The heads of the EFL, Premier League, and Football Supporters Association are currently part of a committee that is working on the bill following its first and second readings in the House of Commons.Among the lawmakers who questioned whether the Bill would stop what happened at Reading from happening again was Rodda. Inquiring of EFL CEO Rick Parry, Rodda was “pleased” to learn that new powers would forbid an owner from purchasing a team if the prospective owner had previously owned clubs that had closed their doors abroad.
After seven years of declining ownership, Royals owner Dai Yongge is in exclusive talks to sell the team. During his ownership of Reading, he has seen teams in China and Belgium fail.Parry answered Rodda’s inquiry by saying, “I don’t think there’s any reason to be dubious right now. We have been improving the tests we use in football over time. “I believe that ten years ago, the examinations were perhaps insufficient and unduly basic, but we have obviously improved them and now consider individuals’ past performance. I have no concerns that the regulator won’t be able to follow suit.”
“Reading fans have had a very challenging season; it is vital that what happened to Reading does not happen again,” Rodda stated to the Reading Chronicle. “The Football Governance Bill has my approval, but much work remains. “The evidence given to Parliament about the Bill today was encouraging.” A follow-up meeting has been invited to Supporters Trust at Reading [STAR] on Thursday.