Important reforms are on the way to the game in England! Now, with the addition of the new Owner and Director Suitability Evaluation (ODSE) Test, applicants will face even more scrutiny when trying to manage a club. This campaign is included within The Football Governance Bill, which was given Royal Assent this past July. It seeks to impose a tougher regulatory regime on the ownership of football at all 116 clubs regulated by the FA across the country.
The ODSE Test is intended to be a more comprehensive method than existing regulations. It will focus on greater due diligence and more rigorous checks on owners and directors. Unlike past binary disqualification criteria, which provided little wiggle room, the new regime will be based on an analysis of each situation uniquely. This allows regulators to tailor decisions to the specific circumstances of each person in club management.
The consultation process about the ODSE Test started on Thursday and runs through October 6th. Phase is extremely important. It enables all key interested parties, from stakeholders to clubs themselves, as well as fans to raise their concerns and be part of the process of shaping this new framework. The aim is to complete the secondary regulations and get the football regulator up and running during Autumn 2024.
The implications of the ODSE Test are extensive. It’s more than just determining the right fit. It provides regulators the authority to penalize negligent owners or board directors who do not fulfill the standards set. The test can limit a person’s conduct or freedoms in the consortium. In rare, more extreme circumstances, a third party may be installed to run an out-of-control club. This occurs in a myriad of ways in which an owner or director does not uphold the set bar.
Perhaps the most striking feature of the ODSE Test is its power. It makes it financially unattractive for owners to hold on to clubs for an excessive length of time if those clubs are harmful. If an owner fails to comply with this requirement, regulators are empowered to intervene and seek a forced sale via a third party. This implementation protects the public money so that clubs do not become prey to neglectful operators.
This new regime is very expansive in its regulation of clubs. Covering every registered team from the Premier League, right down to the fifth tier, the National League. This wide-reaching implementation is a powerful show of the need to protect integrity and accountability at every tier of English football.
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