Government warned of 'impotent' club owners

Football club owners are "as impotent as a room of eunuchs" and the game's regulation should be overhauled, the Government was told today.

Liberal Democrat Bob Russell called for an inquiry into football ownership and warned that "the game is incapable of self-regulation".

During Commons question time, ministers also faced concerns from Tory Lee Scott, who said overseas owners were "just asset-stripping" British clubs.

Sports Minister Hugh Robertson is holding a consultation on football ownership over the next six months.

Mr Russell (Colchester) said: "You have no doubt discovered by now that those at the top of football are as impotent as a room of eunuchs, that financially they have regimes which would make bankers blush and that with the greedy footballers and parasitic agents, the game is being ruined.

"With that in mind, and noting that the game is incapable of self-regulation, isn't it time that this Government held a Royal Commission or some other inquiry because the game cannot self-regulate itself?"

Mr Robertson said there was "widespread agreement that the position we're in is not satisfactory".

"The problem is that because of the disparate nature of football club ownership, there is no one silver bullet that delivers that," he said.

"I have said I will consult widely over the next six months, I will continue to do that and I will of course bear your suggestion in mind as part of that consultation."

Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central) asked: "Do you accept that the recent situation at Liverpool Football Club owed nothing at all to the stewardship either by the Premiership or the Football Association?

"The regulating bodies frankly are now beyond redemption. Yes, consult by all means, but will you make sure that you will bring to order the regulatory bodies and make sure there is proper regulation that serves the interest of the sport?"

Mr Robertson said: "There is very clearly across this House a will to see this situation sorted.

"We all accept that the current situation is not satisfactory. We know where we want to get to but there is no single answer that gets us between those two places."

Mr Scott (Ilford N) urged ministers to "look very seriously" at foreign investment in football clubs such as Portsmouth. Such investment was leaving clubs in situations where the directors and owners are "not fit to be running the football club and are just asset-stripping it," he warned.

Mr Robertson said that in spite of the examples of bad overseas ownership, there was some "really good" overseas ownership.