Shareholders For Albion welcome independent regulator, but fear it has come too late for West Brom
Shareholders for Albion (S4A) have welcomed the confirmation of the government’s new independent regulator for football but are worried it has arrived too late for West Brom.
The new independent body, which was recommended by a fan-led review last year, will give fans the power to stop owners from changing a club’s name, badge and kit colours as well helping to prevent the financial collapse of clubs in the football league.
Despite agreeing that the initiative was a positive step forward for football, S4A – who represent roughly 12 per cent of shares owned by fans – admitted to the Express and Star (Friday 24 February), that it has come too late for the Baggies.
“S4A welcomes the very positive White Paper, which we note has cross-party support,” vice-chair of S4A Leigh Kent told Express and Star. “This will hopefully bring about long overdue change in the game – the people’s game.
“Sadly it also exposes how poorly the game has been regulated and how, what was, a very well-run club like Albion is in the position it is in now.
“It has been discussed repeatedly within S4A that we were doing what we do not only for Albion, but for the wider game. West Bromwich Albion FC is a classic and live case study for many of the problems within the game.”
Too little, too late
Although the independent regulator looks to be a brilliant move to increase the influence of fans across the country, it has unfortunately come a little late for West Brom, following the failure of club owner Lai Guochuan to repay the £5million owed to the club.
Having only attended one West Brom game in the last four years since purchasing the club back in 2016, Lai has created a clear disconnect between the fanbase and the board – something that needs to change.
One of the main aims of the new independent body is to protect English football’s cultural heritage and prevent clubs from being run into the ground, but it has unfortunately arrived too late for the West Midlands club.
Lai has already done the damage, and unless the club secures promotion to the Premier League under Carlos Corberan, they could be in a serious financial plight at the end of the season.
In other West Brom news, Jed Wallace has shared what Corberan told the players after defeat to Watford.