The Football League all but shut down Labour’s proposals for fans to have a voice at board level and the chance to buy 10 per cent of club shares yesterday. 

Labour’s new plans, which will appear in its election manifesto, will see supporters being able to remove a minimum of two board members and replace them with their own as well as appointing up to a quarter of their club’s board which will guarantee their voices are heard by those in charge. 

Fans will also be given a right to purchase up to 10 per cent of the shares whenever a stake of at least 30 per cent is put up for sale, capped at a maximum of 10 per cent of the total shareholding of the club.

Under the new Labour rules, fans would not be able to block takeovers or change corporate strategy but they would allow them to hold the club accountable.

But before the ink on the proposal could dry, Football League chief executive Shaun Harvey released a statement saying potential owners need to be protected and ensured they are not put off investing in clubs.

He said: “As ever, we welcome dialogue with the political parties regarding football, as our clubs represent communities across England and Wales.

“Many of the individuals that choose to invest in football do so without expecting any financial return on their investment, as they too are supporters of their club.

“Instead, they do so for a variety of different reasons and we have to be careful not to create barriers that act as a disincentive to the next generation of owners and directors, as the game will only suffer as a consequence.

“It is also important to understand any proposal for supporters to have a legal right to purchase a stake in a club within the context of the obligations that come with it.

However, the Premier League did welcome the changes and were quick to highlight that they are doing their own work to improve the game.

A Premier League statement said: “We welcome the invitation to discuss with the Labour Party their ideas on football governance.

“The Premier League has a strong track record on meeting governance challenges that have the potential to damage the long-term good health of English football.

“Banning third party ownership and influence of players, introducing financial sustainability measures to ensure investment in clubs is handled responsibly, and placing into Premier League rules requirements for Supporter Liaison Officers and mandatory fan consultation are amongst the numerous substantial and practical measures introduced over recent years.

“Both we and our clubs work hard to keep in touch with fans, seek their views and respond, one of the many reasons why we currently enjoy the highest stadium occupancy in Europe.

“The Premier League has a significant fan research programme to that effect, and continues to fund the Football Supporters’ Federation and Supporters Direct, with whom we have regular, open and constructive dialogue.”