Boss of new football regulator must be carefully picked to stop ‘some nitwit’ ruining the game, ministers warned

THE boss of football’s new regulator must be picked carefully to stop “some nitwit” ruining the beautiful game, ministers have been warned.

Rishi Sunak today launched the Football White Paper to create a watchdog to govern the sport.

Rishi Sunak launched the new footballing white paper todayDan Charity / The Sun

GettyWhitehall sources reckon Gordon Brown might be lining himself up as the regulator’s chair[/caption]

It will have backstop powers to distribute cash from the Premier League to lower clubs if football chiefs cannot thrash out their own deal.

But Jason Stein, an aide to then-PM Liz Truss who worked on the proposals, warned this could spur smaller sides to collapse talks with the hope of getting more from the regulator. 

And he said it must not be led by “unhappy grandee MP or connected peer” who knows nothing about football.

Whitehall sources reckon Gordon Brown might be lining himself up as the regulator’s chair.

Mr Stein said: “As a supporter I am deeply concerned that in half a dozen years the football industry could be run by some nitwit appointed in a back room stitch up with no accountability taking us back to the 60s.”

The Premier League also demanded that “regulation does not damage the game fans love to watch”.

Sports Minister Stuart Andrew insisted yesterday these would only have powers of last resort.

Most read in The Sun

CHEEK OF IT

I have the ‘world’s biggest lips’ – but now I’m going to set a NEW world record

COP HORROR

Three arrests after top cop gunned down in front of son while coaching football

NOT FINE

I refuse to go back to Home Bargains after I was fined £100…I spent more than £300

MADDIE CLAIMS

Family of woman claiming to be Madeleine McCann ‘refuse to take DNA test’

MUM’S DISAPPROVAL

Katherine Ryan hits out at James Argent’s relationship with 18-year-old

HOT MAMA

I got a Turkey mummy makeover for £5K, people warned me not to but I love it

He told MPs: “We have secured powers within the white paper for the regulator to use should there not be an agreement by the football authorities.

“We still urge them to get on with it. They still could come up with a deal and I sincerely hope that they can do that.”

Ministers

The PM launched his blueprint to clean up the beautiful game and block dodgy owners — three weeks after it was leaked to The Sun.

Sides will also be banned from joining a European “super league” through the creation of a legal club-funded regulator.

Southampton fan Mr Sunak has accepted the recommendations in Tory MP Tracey Crouch’s fan-led review.

Writing together in The Sun, they rail against unscrupulous owners prepared to “recklessly gamble away the future of their clubs in the hope of big money payouts”.

A staggering 64 clubs have gone bust since it launched in 1992, with Bury the latest to plunge into administration.