BURY FC AND THE FUTURE OF SMALL PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL CLUBS

Early day motion 1028, tabled 19 March 2002 by David Chaytor (Labour). Signed by 33 members.

That this House notes that Bury FC has become the latest professional football club to go into administration; welcomes the decision to establish a Bury FC Supporters' Trust to assist with the rebuilding of the club and recognises the invaluable contribution of Supporters Direct in this task; further notes the growing crisis facing professional clubs in respect of the impact of wages on turnover which currently average 95 per cent. for first division clubs and 85 per cent. for second division clubs; recognises that each first division club's share of the Football League's television rights is ú2 million per season whereas each second division club receives only ú200,000 per season; further recognises the likelihood of significant redundancies amongst professional footballers in the lower divisions at the end of the current season; and calls on the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to initiate urgent discussions with the Football League, ITV Digital, the Professional Footballers' Association and other interested parties to discuss ways of establishing a stable financial framework for professional football outside the Premier League.

Signatures by party: Labour 24, Liberal Democrat 5, Labour/Co-operative 3, Conservative 1.