Written question asked by Lord Morris of Manchester (Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Davies of Oldham (Labour) on Monday, 6 June 2005.

Football Clubs: Ownership

Question: Whether there is any Government interest in the ownership of football clubs; and whether they propose to take any action in light of recent developments affecting the ownership of Manchester United.

Answer: The Government are committed to ensuring that all football clubs are run in the best possible way and that they remain a focal point of their local community, including for the clubs' supporters. However, ownership is a matter for the football authorities and clubs. In the case of Manchester United, it was for shareholders to decide on the merits of takeover proposals and independent competition authorities will look at the effects of any deal on competition. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) will wish to consider whether the proposed takeover raises any competition concerns. Such consideration is a matter for the independent competition authorities. Ministers may only intervene in cases that raise specific "public interest considerations" as defined in the Enterprise Act 2002—presently relating to mergers in the defence sector and the media. While the Government have looked at football clubs, there are no plans to introduce an additional public interest consideration concerning football.

Secondary information