THE government must ban state ownership of clubs if the independent football regulator has to be mindful of foreign policy, reform group Fair Game has said.

Section 37 (2) of the Football Governance Bill, which has had its second reading in Parliament and has the creation of a regulator at its core, says the regulator must take into account government “trade and foreign policy objectives” when making decisions on the suitability of new and existing club owners and directors.

The Fair Game group sees the clause as a threat to the regulator being able to carry out its stated primary function of ensuring clubs are sustainable for their fans and communities.