EXPULSION OF BURY FOOTBALL CLUB FROM THE ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE

That this House expresses sadness that Bury Football Club, a member of the Football League for 125 years, has been expelled because the owner had not provided proof he has the money to finance the club and its debts or to conclude a sale; notes that the current owner bought the club for £1 in December 2018 from the previous owner who had financed the club through a convoluted series of loans, many of which were with companies registered off-shore and in tax havens; believes that this is a result of the English Football League failing lamentably in this case, and others, to enforce its own rules that owners of clubs should satisfy a fit and proper person criteria and provide adequate proof of financial resources; and further believes that legislation is needed to protect members of the English Football League from predator owners who are only interested in maximising profit from ownership of professional football clubs and not in acting as custodians of these community assets which are at the heart of local communities.