A minister from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport today told parliament that “football requires a strong independent regulator … I and the government endorse [this] in principle today”.

Nigel Huddleston, parliamentary under-secretary for DCMS, said: “That is what the fans want, and this government is on the side of fans.”

Labour supported the decision, with shadow secretary of state for DCMS, Jo Stevens, saying: “We on this side of the house have called for years for an independent regulator to fix it.

“So we’re therefore delighted that it forms the key recommendation of the report.”

The SNP’s spokesperson Gavin Newlands joked: “English football is now awash with blood money from dictatorships and oligarchs – similar to the Tory party conference.”