Petition · past parliament
Introduce a 50+1 ownership principle to the top flight of English football
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
The FA should be compelled to make the 50+1 ownership principle that exists for the teams competing in the German Bundesliga mandatory for the English Premier League.
Football clubs should be to retain a majority of voting rights, with commercial investors holding no more than a 49% stake.
Football clubs should be to retain a majority of voting rights, with commercial investors holding no more than a 49% stake.
This is a principle that puts the fans and communities that make football special at the heart of decision making, without sacrificing the advantages that can come from external commercial investment.
The proposed European Super League is an entirely top down action that offends anyone who believes that there is a place for competition in sport, taken without any kind of consultation or consent. This mechanism can help to protect the game from those who seek to exploit it for personal profit.
The proposed European Super League is an entirely top down action that offends anyone who believes that there is a place for competition in sport, taken without any kind of consultation or consent. This mechanism can help to protect the game from those who seek to exploit it for personal profit.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
You may wish to sign this petition which calls for the same action:
'Enforce the “50+1” Rule for professional football club ownership in the UK': Enforce the “50+1” Rule for professional football club ownership in the UK.
You might like to know that on Monday 19 April the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP said that he was appalled by the announcement that a handful of clubs are proposing to form their own breakaway European league, ands said the Government would not hesitate to protect one of our greatest national institutions: football. The Culture Secretary said that the Government would back the football authorities to stop this move, and if the football authorities couldn’t act, the Government would. The Culture Secretary said the Government would "put everything on the table to prevent this from happening."
You can read the Culture Secretary's full statement on the European Super League here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/statement-by-oliver-dowden-on-the-european-super-league
Since you started your petition it has also been announced that all six Premier League teams that were initially involved in the European Super League have withdrawn. You can read a report of this news here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56823501
Further, on 19 April the Government announced a 'Fan-led review of football governance', which will explore ways of improving the governance, ownership and financial sustainability of clubs in English football, building on the strengths of the football pyramid. You can read more about this review here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fan-led-review-of-football-governance
'Enforce the “50+1” Rule for professional football club ownership in the UK': Enforce the “50+1” Rule for professional football club ownership in the UK.
You might like to know that on Monday 19 April the Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden MP said that he was appalled by the announcement that a handful of clubs are proposing to form their own breakaway European league, ands said the Government would not hesitate to protect one of our greatest national institutions: football. The Culture Secretary said that the Government would back the football authorities to stop this move, and if the football authorities couldn’t act, the Government would. The Culture Secretary said the Government would "put everything on the table to prevent this from happening."
You can read the Culture Secretary's full statement on the European Super League here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/statement-by-oliver-dowden-on-the-european-super-league
Since you started your petition it has also been announced that all six Premier League teams that were initially involved in the European Super League have withdrawn. You can read a report of this news here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56823501
Further, on 19 April the Government announced a 'Fan-led review of football governance', which will explore ways of improving the governance, ownership and financial sustainability of clubs in English football, building on the strengths of the football pyramid. You can read more about this review here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fan-led-review-of-football-governance
Timeline
| 19 Apr 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 23 Apr 2021 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
23 Apr 2021
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.