This is episode five of our series of Re-Thinking Sport, with Portas, the global strategy consultancy dedicated to sport and physical activity. 

Today we’re talking about government regulation of football with our guests Rick Parry, the chairman of the EFL, and Adam Paker from Portas. 

Rick Parry is the former chief executive of Liverpool, the original CEO of the Premier League and a board member at New York Cosmos.

He was recruited from his position as a senior management consultant with leading UK firm Ernst & Young in 1991 to assist in planning the new Premier League. Appointed Chief Executive in February 1992, the competition was officially ratified just seven days later by The Football Association, allowing Parry to proceed with negotiations for a television deal which was eventually awarded to BSkyB and the BBC for a then record bid of £304 million over five years.

The context of the conversation is the recent review of English football carried out by Tracey Crouch MP, the former sports minister and a previous guest on Unofficial Partner. 

Her review was set up following the failure of The Super League, which features six of the Premier League’s leading teams. UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced he had “no choice” but to move quickly and launch the Government’s manifesto commitment of a fan-led review.

The review he said will be wide-ranging in nature and will examine the potential for changes to ownership models, governance, how finance flows through the game and how to give supporters a greater say in the running of the game.

The launch of the fan-led review comes following a number of high profile collapses in recent years including Bury Football Club that went into administration last year after being expelled from the Football League in 2019.

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