Member

I listened with interest to the amendments that the noble Lord, Lord Bassam, set out on his behalf and that of the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Bolton. I understand his reasons; he spoke very eloquently about the club dearest to his heart. When one remembers iconic football grounds, such as Highbury and Upton Park, which have formed part of the bedrock of a local community, or, indeed, the case of MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon, which I was first told about by my noble friend Lord O’Shaughnessy, who is a fellow supporter of AFC Wimbledon—which the noble Lord, Lord Watson of Invergowrie, might be pleased to know—we can certainly see the appeal here. There are later provisions in the Bill which seek to make sure that any move of a football ground involves consultation with fans, and I am conscious that we will have a chance to debate those as well. Weaving it into the regulation of owners could give rise to some of the concerns about overregulation that we have heard, so that is the reason I have not yet expressed support for them—but I will listen with interest to what the Minister says. It is a way of adding a further protection to the important area the noble Lord set out.