Karren Brady says English football is NOT broken and that the government are looking for problems and ‘could get us BANNED’.
The West Ham United vice-chair has laid out her case for opposing the introduction of the football regulator, arguing that it “could have a really detrimental effect” on the game.
She has been one of the most vocal peers in questioning the plans for a watchdog, the key plank of the Football Governance Bill currently passing through parliament.
Brady says that while she supports some aims of the plans, such as better fan engagement and protecting clubs’ heritage, other aspects are “bizarre” and would prove “terrible for football”.
For years, clubs up and down the football pyramid have been crying out for an independent regulator who can help close the gap between the super rich and the struggling sides of English football. This week finally saw a debate in the House of Lords that could lead to the historical bill being passed. However, prominent members of the Tory party are throwing the bill into doubt at a critical moment.
*New Column*
This week, I discuss why I believe English football isn’t broken and how the government’s push for a new regulator could put us at risk of being banned by UEFA. @TheSun https://t.co/dXuxod89kG
— Baroness Karren Brady CBE (@karren_brady) February 3, 2025
Baroness Karren Brady of Knightsbridge CBE speaking in the House of Lords tonight in opposition of the Football governance bill pic.twitter.com/uwIDhkjiIV
— West Ham Football (@westhamfootball) November 13, 2024
She said in her column for The Sun: “Champions League football on TV reached for the stars last Wednesday.
“Four English teams and one Scottish side featured on separate TNT screenings.
“Moving between four sets might have caused some confusion, dizzy spells and a little irritation at missing goals, but so what? It was live viewing at its best.
“All doubts about the complexity of the one division with 36 clubs were forgotten as the mind-provoking puzzle unravelled.
“The end result was a wonderful evening of entertainment.
“When I saw the first table I wondered if the compilers were bonkers.
“It would work financially for clubs and players but would it for spectators and, particularly, for neutrals?
“But it did for me. Channel juggling, I caught a number of spectacular goals and plenty of gaffes.
“Celtic’s comeback at Villa Park was thrilling and Manchester City needed a serious Pep-talk at half-time. As for Liverpool… cor blimey.
“And the overall result was a big win for European football and the Premier League.
“Which is why I am so concerned about the letter Uefa sent to the Secretary of State Lisa Nandy raising their concerns about the creation of an Independent Football Regulator, as usually football regulation is managed by the national federation — the Football Association.
“One of Uefa’s fundamental requirements is that there should be no Government interference in the running of football.
“The proposal is not just to regulate football through the Bill but to actually take it over.
“From being able to define when a season is, to how money is distributed through the pyramid.
“To set up rigid financial systems, introduce new license conditions under which clubs can operate, and introduce subjective ownership and directors tests.
“Determine how revenues are allocated between and within divisions, whether parachute payments can exist and in what form, and what clubs can actually spend their money on.
“Many fear this is largely a solution in search of a problem.
“Not a single club has gone into administration in more than three years since a fan-led review.
“League One spent more on transfers this month than the 20 LaLiga clubs, including Barcelona and Real Madrid.
“The English pyramid is not broken or on the precipice in the slightest.
“Which is why the Uefa statement is so alarming.
“If the autonomy of sport and fairness of competition is broken would “the ultimate sanction be excluding Premier League teams and the England team from Uefa and competitions”.
“Fans will ask questions when there is no point in watching the Champions League on TV any more as the Premier League clubs are not playing in it, having been kicked out for introducing a regulator which has broken Uefa rules.
“But by then, of course, it will be too late.”
In January, it was reported by City AM, that conservative peers including Karren Brady had pushed for a “sunset clause” which would allow for the football regulator to be scrapped after a set period time, likely to be five years, if it was found to be ineffective or not operating as intended.
She shared why she opposed the introduction of the football regulator, arguing that it “could have a really detrimental effect” on the game.
“The Football Governance Bill, there are certain things about it I really like,” she told the Hammers Business Network Event at London Stadium, as per City AM.
“There are certain things I really don’t like and certain things that could have a really detrimental effect on football.
“Starting with the principle of regulation, regulators are not always good. If you look at Ofwat, with what’s happening in the water industry, there isn’t really a record of success.
“And actually, football is very successful. Certain issues that have happened in football, those clubs have come back, and they have reemerged.
“This sort of scaremongering that every club is about to go bankrupt is simply just not worn out by the facts. So, regulation for regulations sake, seems slightly odd to me.”
Brady expressed concerns on the football regulator’s requirements of owners, the degree of consultation afforded to clubs, and possible ministerial interference — which could jeopardise England’s international status.
“There’s no other football industry across the world that is regulated, so it’s unprecedented and untested,” Brady added.
“But the biggest issue for me probably is the backstop power, where the regulator has the power to go into Premier League revenues, take their money — even if it then forces clubs to breach their own Premier League financial rules.
“The other thing is that parachute payments have been included, and what they don’t seem to understand in government is that parachute payments, if they didn’t exist, would have to be invented.
“Ninety percent of administrations in football happen during a relegation event. So, without a parachute payment, you can’t compete when you get up and you can’t cope when you go down.
“The thought that a regulator could damage that or upset that balance would really affect the competitiveness of the Premier League and there doesn’t seem to be any clarity over why they can make that decision or how they make that decision.”
Brady insists a regulator would discourage clubs like West Ham from taking risks in order to compete domestically and in Europe.
“All our thoughts are consumed with ‘how can we make West Ham better?’” she said. “If you’re handicapped for being able to do that because a regulator wants to take the least riskiest option, that would be terrible for football.”
In December 2024, she said “We are creating legislation which will profoundly affect 160 quite unique institutions, from Premier League clubs through to the National League community clubs, but it is important for everyone to understand that the consultation with these affected businesses by the current Government has been remarkably limited, almost unbelievably so.
“Just seven Premier League clubs, I was one of them, was granted a brief half-hour meeting with the Secretary of State over the summer.
“And following this cursory engagement, significant decisions were made that could fundamentally affect the future of English football, most notably with the inclusion of parachute payments within the backstop mechanism.
“This is particularly concerning given that fundamental issues still remained unresolved, we still lack any clarity on Uefa’s position on state interference, for example, this clearly creates profound uncertainty for clubs competing in or aspiring to European competition, as well as our national teams.
“We don’t know what the ownership test will look like, this causes significant uncertainty for potential investors as to whether they are able to own a club.
“I have spoken to many of my colleagues across all of the football pyramid, we are all alarmed about and puzzled by the lack of discussion on the Bill with ministers.
“Would the minister agree that we all want to get the detail of this Bill right? And can she see any downsides to providing meaningful opportunities to hear from all clubs across the football pyramid affected by the legislation?”
Karren also had issues with the financial distribution backstop, saying it is “clearly designed as a mechanism to gain direct access to, and apportionate Premier League revenue, and no-one else’s”.
Here’s how fans reacted as Karren Brady says English football is not broken and the government ‘could get us banned’…
@mikecawston: Karren Brady is lying again. Shocker. Add to the fact this dreadful, part time CEO has taken so much money out of our club when her greatest achievement is the worst stadium move in English football history, you do get a bit fed up with it. #whufc
@HammerTimeDave: How about applying best practice to the club you supposedly run, first?
@SparkyRobWHU: Absolute bollocks
@JTE85: Tickets being £50+ …. Means football is broken!
@JohnHouseNewark: Sorry Karen I think you are wrong here. Look at Reading FC
@teepee61: Maybe football isn’t broken but YOU are doing your level best to break it. We do not want an American style model here. How about listen to the hundreds of thousands of fans who are protesting across the country every week
@hammersmad: Hmm, removing concessions, making ticket prices unaffordable for a lot of people, moving to an athletics stadium…. No there’s no need for regulation…. 😡😡
@Zak_Wagman: I think that greedy, profit-obsessed owners with complete disdain for fans could be a big issue? Maybe owners who charge fans inordinate prices, exploiting their loyalty, and remove concessions… maybe like a team in claret and blue in East London? Fans aren’t fools.
@Spigzy: Being banned by UEFA & FIFA would be a good thing. The big leagues like Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga etc have kowtowed to those corrupt money grabbing idiots long enough. A breakaway & reformation be countries that actually love football/fans would be a positive.
@InterCityFarm: Looking after your own interests as usual. We see it the house sees it. It’s so blatant, it’s laughable. Hope you fail and leave our club.
@danisthebest8: Get out of my club #GSBOUT
@ruislip_hammer: Absolute nonsense as usual
@BubbleNeal: You’re killing West Ham #SaveOurConcessions
@WHU_ISC: Pure gaslighting. They continue to think football fans are idiots. We aren’t and never have been.
@Harrison4Dawn: What a load of rubbish
@MrLeeboi007: And you @karren_brady are good for the game ????? More to the point , for my team ???!!!
@teepee61: Brady should know a thing or two about things that are ‘terrible for the game’. She’s made a career out of it
@InterCityFarm: No one likes her even in the Lords. They all know she has an ulterior motive. What an old bag.
@GrazaWhu: Maybe if you hadn’t been so short term greedy that you were willing to kill the game long term we wouldn’t need one. But you are and you have and so we do. #GSBOUT
@PedroD32660554: She’s talks some old crap. Absolutely shameless.
@HammersUnited2: *New Column* just in case you all missed it… the Fan Led Review called for an independent regulator. Tory government drafted a Bill with cross party support. Unelected law maker now calls ‘foul’. No conflict of interest at all. Clearly.
@arb280614: Cannot make it up, well the fans do need an independent regulator and voice, the fans are the backbone of clubs the owners only gatekeepers ⚒️⚒️
@SaveConcessions: What an utter load of bilge. UEFA won’t ban anybody, and you know it @karren_brady. This is just yet another pathetic attempt to prevent much needed and necessary change. We are appalled that you are an employee of our great club – the damage you have caused it (and to football in general) will never, ever be forgotten.
@mattflack90: problem is… shes not wrong. both uefa & fifa have given out warning to the FA over the commissions involvement in the english football pyramid & both have previously handed out international bans for countries where the Gov got involved, but dont think its been to a top nation yet
They can’t lose English clubs in their competitions because a regulator is brought in to stop clubs looting their fans and killing the game.
I mean they could, but the lost revenues for them would be extraordinary so UEFA/FIFA👇 pic.twitter.com/seuIJjsHSe
— G Man (@GrazaWhu) February 3, 2025
I stopped reading this nonsense after Karren Brady claimed she was interested in fan engagement. Having watched her disrespect and lie to our fanbase for 14 years, you can’t trust a word that comes out of her mouth.
Bring the football regulator in asap #whufc #footballregulator https://t.co/9q6Op8tP5L
— Mike C (@mikecawston) January 6, 2025

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