Football Law & Financial Transparency: A Case Study

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I promised, some time ago, that I will publish my findings on a wider research project that relates to the case of the football club of Rangers. The project has now been completed and as it is featured in a legal journal, it is currently going through the proofing stage by independent referees [including well respected practitioners and academics]. I am hoping that the findings will be published before the end of the year.

This project has as an aim to clarify the several complicated issues that arose out of the case of Rangers. The methodolgy used and the intellectual data applied will support any final conclusions and they will contribute to knowledge and inform practice. The project focuses solely on the ability of sporting governing bodies to regulate the sport of football, by considering at the same time, the boundaries of self-regulation. It fully explains the law of the land and the current regulatory framework and it concludes that football law and financial transparency can only work together, when the rules are applied purposefully and not pedantically.

This research project does not promote a specific club allegiance nor does it attempt to attack another. In the academic world, as well as in the world of the practice of law, an open mind is the necessary ingredient for the discovery of truth. It is usually correct to assume that when there is so much indignation arising out of a specific set of regulatory decisions, that further investigation is required. 

For these reasons, it is hoped that the originality of the project will be understood in terms of its output and its innovative character and its significance will relate to the development of the intellectual agenda of this field, particularly when one considers that the project's output is very recent. In addition, the rigour of the project will be seen in the intellectual precision and robustness deployed within the output and it will justify the integrity, coherence and consistency of the arguments and analysis.

Finally, it is a personal belief that the current work will assist all stakeholders in the world of football. More importantly still, it will set the parameters for greater transparency. The findings may suggest that there is a collision between the law of the land and self-regulation. Certain facts are not known and it may well be the case that disclosure would assist those who require immediate answers. The governance of football is obliged to follow all necessary ethical considerations that surround the current matter. Although we agree with the reasons behind the statement 'we must all move on now', we cannot but still feel a bitter taste, as a result of the handling of the issues to the case in question. 

It is submitted, therefore, that it is time the relevant governing body offered answers to the several questions posed, so far, by many different parties. Without disclosing private and confidential documents, the regulator can clarify all issues pertinent to the matter, so future cases could be dealt with appropriately. Then we can all move on....

Dr. Gregory Ioannidis
29 June 2013.

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