AS I write this article, Carlisle United lie in fifth place in League 2 – in a play-off position and one point behind an automatic promotion spot.

I won’t write any more than that so as not to jinx anything, but I know there will be a lot of crossed fingers throughout the city for these last few games.

Looking at the rest of the teams in League 2, however, something certainly strikes me.

There is a huge amount of representation from towns and cities in England very much like Carlisle in terms of population, demographics, and other factors. Places like Northampton, Stevenage, Mansfield, Hartlepool, Doncaster and others.

The same is also true for League 1 and the Championship.

And furthermore, there is huge northern representation across the three leagues. It is clear that for many communities up and down the country, football clubs represent a critical focal point of local pride.

Where the high streets in our cities and towns can often contain the same shops, the football clubs are unique local identifiers.

There is only one Brunton Park.

The importance of this connection between clubs and communities was the principle behind the Government’s Fan-Led Review of Football Governance.

The report looked at exploring the ways to improve how clubs are run, the ownership structures, and the long-term sustainability of clubs lower down in the leagues.

There is a huge amount of money in English football, but it all coalesces around the Premier League – and even more so, around the Champions League spots.

This means that getting to the Premier League becomes such a reward that clubs (and their owners) can sometimes take risks to ensure that it happens.

And it is these risks that are worrying supporters and Ministers.

Every supporter wants their club to do well – but I don’t think there is a supporter in the country that would want their club to risk its very existence to get to the top.

Following the report, the Government will now introduce a new independent Regulator for English football.

The duties of the regulator will include ensuring that clubs are sustainable and that owners undergo a fitness and propriety test.

The regulator will also ensure fan engagement and vetoes, including in the decision-making process of a club.

This includes for heritage matters such as strip colours, badges, club names and selling stadiums.

Just as important as all of this, however, we need a better flow of money throughout the leagues.

English football is a global success because of its competitiveness – and no-one wants to dampen that.

But I often think that the high-flying clubs of the Premier League sometimes don’t appreciate that their existence is made possible, and indeed meaningful, by the scores of clubs playing below them in the English leagues. 

So we should celebrate this review to look to change the way that football clubs are run. Alongside any other reasons we might have to celebrate in Carlisle this football season...