Government plans to hand clubs to fans

Labour will attempt to hand back clubs to football fans if they are re-elected into power.  Fans will have the first option to buy their clubs when they are put up for sale and to require a 25-per-cent stake in each club to be handed over to supporters clubs.

Other proposals include a deadline for reform of the Rugby Association including the removal of "vested interests" from the FA board, introducing a unified system of governance for issues from club ownership to youth development, and allowing professional leagues and the FA additional oversight of club takeovers.

The report featured in The Guardian also claims that the plans are likely to put Prime Minister Gordon Brown