Reclaim the Game restates that we do not have all the answers to football's problems. But, here are some of the issues we feel strongly about. Please feel free to write to us with your comments or visit our blog to comment on specific topics.
1) Fair Competition
Football is a sport which should be competed for on as level a playing field as possible. External factors, principally corporate interests, should not be allowed to influence this.
"If football drives business, that's fine; but under no circumstances can we allow business to drive football. Otherwise we're dead. We have to make sure that youngsters taking up the sport do so for the right reasons - because it's a game".*
* Michel Platini, UEFA President quoted in FourFourTwo Magazine May 2008
2) Limits on Spending
Clubs should not be allowed to spend more than a set percentage of their turnover on players and wages to prevent them mortgaging their future to chase success. There should also be more transparency in the financial affairs of clubs and national bodies.
3) Supporters' Trusts
Supporters should own a majority percentage of their club. There are numerous examples of how this can be achieved successfully in Spain and Germany for example.
4) Revamp Football's Administration
The FA, venerable body that it is, has been in existence, with little change in over 130 years. It should be totally revamped, along with the Premier League and the Football League to reflect modern needs.
5) England Development for Success
As part of 4 above, the development of the England team needs to be organised from the grass roots upwards and should be commensurate with the wealth generated by the fanatical loyalty of England supporters. RTG believes that a national centre of excellence needs to be established as a matter of priority.
6) Football on TV - All Matches Live
Football is being driven by the ever increasing demands of TV schedules and profits. RTG believes that all matches should be televised on a pay-per-view basis at 3pm on a Saturday or Sunday, with a more equitable sharing of revenues. The aim would be to lower admission prices and minimise disruption to match attending supporters.
7) Zero Tolerance of Drugs
No performance enhancing drugs should ever be allowed in football.
RTG repeats we do not claim to have the definitive answers but we believe these are the basic principles that supporters should be aiming for. RTG is happy to debate the issues.
