It was good of LCP to offer places to a debate on the IFR to ordinary fans like me who have no interest in the IFR other than the football that we watch.

At the beginning of three hours of debate I voted that I had no view on whether an Independent Football Regulator was going to enhance my experience as a Yeovil Town football and three hours later I had to admit I was no more confident.

But I had spent time with chairs that included Steve Webb and Adrian  Goldberg, two Baggie fans who were articulate beyond the reputation of the West Midlands!

I had also had the time to listen to Phil Alexander, the CEO of the National League in which Yeovil sits and which will be regulated by the IFR (despite it not being a Premier or an English league). I also heard a Norwich Union Executive (Zoe Webber) – a fine contributor and the only female out of fifteen panelist and speakers.

What became clear is that in terms of governance that there are different standards for male and female football and as the IFR does not operate for female football, I am not quite sure that it is a “good thing”.

Bart Huby, an old friend – along with goalkeeper and striker Frank Doyle,work for LCP in making football better understood in terms of regulation of its governance. My question submitted to the meeting was “why when football is in such good shape, so many football clubs are going bust”.

I am glad that it was given a discussion and in the spirit of the event delivered by those such as Bart and Frank.

In the South and West of England we have the following clubs, all of whom have had major problems this century

Torquay

Exeter

Yeovil

the Bristol clubs

Bournemouth

Portsmouth

Brighton

Wales generally

My appeal to those at the IFL whose ear Frank , Bart and others seem to have , is it that we ensure the pyramid is continued so that money in the Premier trinkles down through the EFL to the National League. It is becoming apparent that those like the Manchester, Liverpool and London super clubs that two squads are being kept in place to meet fresh challenges of European and English leagues (this is not the case in Scotland though Celtic and Rangers would like it to be).

To me an essential task of the IFR is to make sure we recognise that the concept of a European Super League has not gone away but has simply crept in via the back door.

The imbalance between the West and South  and the East generally (which are football poor) and the geographically rich are issues for the IFR and I want to see a plan to rebalance this country’s football capacity rather than see the European super league at the backdoor. I do not want to see the Premier League going the way of franchises in the USA. We should continue to have a pyramid that gives opportunities for clubs to rise and fall up and down.

That’s why I see the IFR as a challenge and an opportunity.  Others saw opportunities elsewhere!