Bury: EFL should apologise to staff and fans over club's demise, say MPs
"We stand behind the decisions taken in respect of Bury FC, which were applied in accordance with rules in place at the time," the EFL say in a response
Tuesday 5 November 2019 17:05, UK
MPs say the EFL must share the blame for Bury's demise and offer staff and supporters an apology and reparations after the club was expelled from the Football League.
A parliamentary inquiry into the club's financial crisis and eventual expulsion has now led to calls for action to prevent other football clubs from experiencing the same fate as the Shakers.
The Digital Culture Media and Sport committee heard evidence from EFL executive chair Debbie Jevans, Football Association chairman Greg Clarke and Premier League interim chief executive Richard Masters last month concerning how the club came to be expelled from the league in August over a failure to provide financial guarantees.
DCMS committee chair Damian Collins made some damning comments in a letter published on Tuesday which he sent to the EFL, the FA and Jonathan Taylor QC, the barrister leading the EFL's independent governance review.
As well as offering up an apology, the committee say the EFL should propose compensation to Bury staff for loss of earnings.
Collins wrote: "From the evidence we have received, we believe that the failure to enforce its own rules and regulations both prior to and following (Steve) Dale's takeover of the club contributed to the problems that ultimately led to Bury's expulsion.
"The EFL was warned about the club's finances and ownership, and had multiple opportunities to intervene, but did not do so in an effective or timely enough way to prevent the club's problems from escalating.
"As such, we conclude that the EFL has failed in its duty to Bury FC and its supporters. We recommend that the EFL formally apologises to the club's staff and supporters and makes reparations for associated loss of earnings."
The EFL responded to the criticism with a staunch defence and insisted Bury's expulsion stood firmly "with the current and previous owners of the club".
They also said they recognised "there are lessons to be learned" to avoid a repeat scenario for other clubs and would look into whether their regulations and procedures in such cases should be modified in future.
"Their financial mismanagement led to the club's insolvency and the withdrawal of its membership of the EFL," the EFL said in a statement.
"We very much recognise the real distress felt by Bury FC supporters. Withdrawing membership was a very difficult decision to have to take at the time and we regret that such a course of action was required.
"However, we stand behind the decisions taken in respect of Bury FC, which were applied in accordance with rules in place at the time."
The DCMS Committee wants the Football Association, EFL and Premier League to establish a "supporters' ombudsman" to hear concerns about how clubs are being run, while also calling for a "reformed Owners' and Directors' Test", which would disqualify a potential buyer with a record of corporate insolvency.
This would also see clubs potentially being banned from borrowing against fixed assets, including stadiums.
And Collins says there is the potential for government legislation to be introduced for an independent system of football licensing and regulation if reforms are not implemented going forward.
"Systematic and structural problems are responsible for the tragic expulsion of Bury FC from the League this year. These failures were avoidable, and it is essential that the authorities urgently overhaul their framework if they wish to avoid the same fate befalling other clubs.
"We heard time and again that supporters felt powerless as they watched their beloved club suffer shocking mismanagement and financial misconduct. The authorities must learn to respect, and act upon, these concerns.
"If the reforms we recommend are not introduced forthwith, the only alternative is for the Government to step in."
